Government handling of issues
Q. How would you rate the Federal Liberal-National Government for the way they have handled the following issues?
|
Total good |
Total poor |
Net score |
Very good |
Good |
Average |
Poor |
Very poor |
Don’t know |
|
| Managing the economy |
34% |
31% |
+3 |
12% |
22% |
29% |
16% |
15% |
6% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers |
37% |
36% |
+1 |
18% |
19% |
18% |
11% |
25% |
9% |
| Relations with other countries |
29% |
32% |
-3 |
8% |
21% |
30% |
13% |
19% |
8% |
| Education and schools |
28% |
35% |
-7 |
6% |
22% |
28% |
19% |
16% |
8% |
| Supporting Australian businesses |
27% |
34% |
-7 |
8% |
19% |
31% |
18% |
16% |
8% |
| Protecting the environment |
26% |
36% |
-10 |
7% |
19% |
28% |
14% |
22% |
9% |
| Social welfare |
27% |
39% |
-12 |
8% |
19% |
26% |
17% |
22% |
8% |
| Industrial relations |
26% |
38% |
-12 |
9% |
17% |
27% |
18% |
20% |
9% |
| Health services |
25% |
38% |
-13 |
6% |
19% |
29% |
20% |
18% |
7% |
| Climate change |
24% |
39% |
-15 |
10% |
14% |
28% |
13% |
26% |
9% |
| Supporting Australian jobs |
25% |
44% |
-19 |
8% |
17% |
26% |
20% |
24% |
6% |
The Government received negative rating for all issues except managing the economy (34% good/31% poor) and treatment of asylum seekers (37%/36%).
Highest negative ratings were given for supporting Australian jobs (25% good/44% poor), climate change (24%/39%), health services (25%/38%), industrial relations (26%/38%) and social welfare (27%/39%).
Other issue of most concern
Q. And which of these other issues are you personally most concerned about?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other/ indep-endent |
|
2 Sep 13 |
19 Nov |
|
| Climate change |
21% |
28% |
10% |
44% |
20% |
16% |
22% |
||
| Border security |
21% |
11% |
36% |
6% |
15% |
30% |
21% |
||
| Treatment of the aged |
20% |
21% |
21% |
8% |
22% |
17% |
18% |
||
| Marriage equality |
11% |
14% |
9% |
20% |
8% |
9% |
9% |
||
| Population growth |
10% |
12% |
8% |
10% |
14% |
12% |
14% |
||
| Treatment of the disabled |
9% |
9% |
8% |
9% |
16% |
7% |
8% |
||
| None of them |
5% |
4% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
4% |
||
| Don’t know |
3% |
2% |
2% |
– |
1% |
4% |
4% |
21% were most concerned about climate change, 21% were most concerned about border security, and 20% treatment of the aged.
There has been little change since this question was asked in November.
Border security (36%) was the main issue of concern to Liberal/National voters and 44% of Greens voters and 28% of Labor voters nominated climate change.
Climate change
Q. Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
|
Nov 09 |
Dec 10 |
Jun 11 |
Oct 12 |
Oct 13 |
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity |
53% |
45% |
50% |
48% |
52% |
51% |
70% |
29% |
80% |
46% |
||
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate |
34% |
36% |
39% |
39% |
36% |
39% |
22% |
61% |
10% |
41% |
||
| Don’t know |
13% |
19% |
12% |
13% |
12% |
11% |
8% |
10% |
10% |
12% |
51% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 39% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is a similar result to when this question was previously asked in October last year.
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 55%/32% and those aged 55+ split 43%/48%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 59%/29%.
Extreme temperatures
Q. Do you think the recent extreme temperatures across Australia are likely or unlikely to be related to climate change?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Likely to be related to climate change |
52% |
72% |
33% |
73% |
52% |
|
| Unlikely to be related to climate change |
34% |
18% |
54% |
12% |
38% |
|
| Don’t know |
13% |
10% |
13% |
16% |
10% |
52% think that the recent extreme temperatures across Australia are likely to be related to climate change – 34% think they are unlikely to be related to climate change.
57% of those with university education believe they are related. 48% of those aged 55+ think they are not related.
Climate change and bushfires
Q. Thinking about the bushfires in New South Wales, which of the following statements is closest to your view?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| It likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change and it is appropriate to publicly raise this issue |
27% |
41% |
13% |
64% |
22% |
|
| It likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change but it is inappropriate to publicly raise this issue at this time |
14% |
14% |
15% |
9% |
9% |
|
| It is unlikely the bushfires are linked to climate change |
48% |
37% |
63% |
19% |
62% |
|
| Don’t know |
11% |
8% |
9% |
7% |
7% |
41% think that the NSW bushfires are likely to be linked to climate change and 48% think it unlikely they are linked to climate change. 27% think they are linked and it is appropriate to raise this issue while 14% think they are linked but it is inappropriate to raise this issue at this time.
Those most likely to think the bushfires and climate change are linked were aged under 35 (49%), Labor voters (55%), Greens voters (73%) and those with university education (53%).
Those who think it is unlikely they are linked tended to be aged 55+ (61%), Liberal/National voters (63%) and those who had not completed secondary education (60%).
Actions on climate change
Q. Which of the following actions on climate change do you most support?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Keeping the carbon tax |
15% |
30% |
2% |
44% |
4% |
|
| Replacing the carbon tax with an emissions trading scheme |
21% |
25% |
15% |
35% |
24% |
|
| Replacing the carbon tax with the Liberal’s “direct action” plan |
15% |
2% |
28% |
3% |
19% |
|
| Dumping the carbon tax and not replacing it at all |
31% |
25% |
41% |
5% |
35% |
|
| Don’t know |
18% |
18% |
14% |
14% |
17% |
31% think the carbon tax should be dumped and not replaced, 21% support replacing it with an emissions trading scheme, 15% prefer the Liberal’s “direct action” plan and 15% think the Government should keep the carbon tax.
Those most likely to support keeping the tax or changing to an emissions trading scheme were Labor voters (55%) and Greens voters (79%), people aged under 25 (59%) and those with a university education (45%).
Those most likely to think the carbon tax should be dumped and not replaced were Liberal/National voters (41%) and those who had no post-secondary education (42%). Only 28% of Liberal/National voters preferred the Liberal’s “direct action” plan.
Climate change
Q. Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
|
Nov 09 |
Dec 10 |
30 May 11 |
14 Jun |
15 Oct 12 |
29 Jan 13 |
27 May |
|
Total 1 Oct |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity |
53% |
45% |
52% |
50% |
48% |
51% |
51% |
52% |
67% |
36% |
82% |
|
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate |
34% |
36% |
36% |
39% |
39% |
40% |
35% |
36% |
22% |
51% |
10% |
|
| Don’t know |
13% |
19% |
12% |
12% |
13% |
9% |
14% |
12% |
10% |
12% |
8% |
52% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 36% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is a similar result to when this question was previously asked in May.
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 61%/25% and those aged 55+ split 42%/48%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 64%/27%.
Other issue of most concern
Q. And which of these other issues are you personally most concerned about?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Border security |
30% |
20% |
48% |
5% |
|
| Climate change |
16% |
23% |
5% |
45% |
|
| Population growth |
12% |
10% |
13% |
4% |
|
| Marriage equality |
9% |
11% |
4% |
24% |
|
| Treatment of the aged |
17% |
21% |
16% |
12% |
|
| Treatment of the disabled |
7% |
10% |
4% |
7% |
|
| None of them |
5% |
3% |
7% |
4% |
|
| Don’t know |
4% |
2% |
3% |
– |
30% were most concerned about border security, 17% treatment of the aged and 16% climate change.
Border security (48%) was the main issue of concern to Liberal/National voters and 45% of Greens voters nominated climate change.
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