The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Sep, 2013

    , , , , , ,

    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.

  • Aug, 2013

    , , , , , , , , , ,

    Party leader trust most on issues

    Q.  Which party leader – Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott – would you trust most to handle the following issues?

     

    Kevin Rudd

    Tony Abbott

    No difference

    Don’t know

    Net difference

    Difference for parties

    23 Jul 13

    Management of the economy

    32%

    35%

    21%

    11%

    -3

    -15

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    41%

    25%

    24%

    10%

    +16

    +9

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    37%

    27%

    25%

    11%

    +10

    +1

    Protecting the environment

    33%

    22%

    31%

    14%

    +11

    na

    A fair industrial relations system

    41%

    28%

    19%

    12%

    +13

    +11

    Political leadership

    37%

    32%

    22%

    9%

    +5

    -7

    Addressing climate change

    35%

    21%

    31%

    13%

    +14

    na

    Controlling interest rates

    24%

    32%

    32%

    12%

    -8

    -14

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    32%

    30%

    25%

    13%

    +2

    -1

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    26%

    23%

    36%

    15%

    +3

    -7

    Housing affordability

    26%

    25%

    34%

    15%

    +1

    -2

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    31%

    32%

    26%

    11%

    -1

    -2

    Security and the war on terrorism

    25%

    29%

    33%

    13%

    -4

    -15

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    26%

    31%

    32%

    11%

    -5

    -11

    Managing population growth

    21%

    28%

    37%

    15%

    -7

    -13

    Substantially more respondents said they would trust Kevin Rudd more than Tony Abbott to handle a quality education for all children, a fair industrial relations system, addressing climate change, protecting the environment and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system. Tony Abbott is more trusted to control interest rates and manage population growth.

    When compared with a similar question about trust in the parties asked last month, Kevin Rudd rates considerably better that the Labor Party on management of the economy, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.

  • May, 2013

    , , ,

    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

    Total
    27
    May

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity

    53%

    45%

    52%

    50%

    48%

    51%

    51%

    68%

    38%

    83%

    We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate

    34%

    36%

    36%

    39%

    39%

    40%

    35%

    23%

    50%

    10%

    Don’t know

    13%

    19%

    12%

    12%

    13%

    9%

    14%

    9%

    12%

    8%

    51% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 35% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is a five point decline in those thinking it is just a fluctuation in the earth’s climate since this question was previously asked in January.

    By age groups, those aged under 35 split 60%/22% and those aged 55+ split 42%/49%. People on higher incomes were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those earning under $600pw split 42%/44% while those earning over $1,600pw split 54%/34%.

  • May, 2013

    , , , ,

    Climate change policies

    Q. If they win the election the Liberal Party plans to dump the carbon tax and replace it with what they call a “direct action” plan which involves planting trees and paying companies to reduce their carbon pollution. Which approach to climate change would you favour?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    The Government’s tax on the largest polluting companies to encourage them to reduce carbon pollution

    39%

    67%

    20%

    63%

    The Liberal’s policy to plant trees and pay companies to reduce carbon pollution

    29%

    9%

    49%

    15%

    Neither

    18%

    11%

    23%

    14%

    Don’t know

    14%

    13%

    8%

    8%

    39% favour the Government’s policy on addressing climate change and 29% favour the Liberal Party’s “direct action” plan. 18% do not support either approach.

    The Government’s approach had strongest support from Labor voters (67%), Greens voters (63%) and people aged under 35 (44%).

    The Liberal Party’s plan had strongest support from Liberal/National voters (49%) and people aged 65+ (45%).

  • Feb, 2013

    , , , , , , , ,

    Important election issues

    Q.  Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?

     

    Total

    11 Feb 13

    19 Nov 12

    30 Jul 12

    5 Dec 11

    6 June 11

    25 Jan 10

    Management of the economy

    62%

    66%

    64%

    62%

    61%

    63%

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    29%

    35%

    26%

    22%

    26%

    23%

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    52%

    57%

    47%

    47%

    49%

    48%

    Protecting the environment

    14%

    14%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    16%

    A fair industrial relations system

    12%

    8%

    12%

    11%

    8%

    na

    Political leadership

    14%

    15%

    25%

    18%

    17%

    23%

    Addressing climate change

    9%

    9%

    9%

    10%

    15%

    16%

    Controlling interest rates

    9%

    11%

    9%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    40%

    32%

    41%

    36%

    32%

    33%

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    4%

    5%

    3%

    4%

    5%

    12%

    Housing affordability

    11%

    14%

    13%

    13%

    16%

    14%

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    21%

    17%

    18%

    16%

    17%

    14%

    Security and the war on terrorism

    6%

    5%

    5%

    4%

    8%

    9%

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    6%

    6%

    10%

    8%

    5%

    na

    Managing population growth

    9%

    7%

    8%

    8%

    12%

    na

    *Not asked

    62% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 52% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system, 40% Australian jobs and protection of local industries and 29% ensuring a quality education for all children.

    Since November, there has been an increase in the importance of Australian jobs and protection of local industries (+8%) and a decline in the importance of ensuring a quality education for all children (-6%) and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (-5%).

  • Jan, 2013

    , , , ,

    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 11

    15 Oct 12

    Total 29 Jan 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity

    53%

    45%

    52%

    50%

    48%

    51%

    67%

    34%

    79%

    We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate

    34%

    36%

    36%

    39%

    39%

    40%

    27%

    58%

    14%

    Don’t know

    13%

    19%

    12%

    12%

    13%

    9%

    6%

    8%

    7%

    51% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 40% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is little changed since this question was previously asked in October last year.

    By age groups, those aged under 35 split 62%/29% and those aged 55+ split 38%/57%. People on higher incomes were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those earning under $1,000pw split 46%/47% while those earning over $1,000pw split 56%/38%.

  • Nov, 2012

    , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Important election issues

    Q.  Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?

     

    First

    Second

    Third

    Total

    19 Nov 12

    Total

    30 Jul 12

    5 Dec 11

    6 June 11

    25 Jan 10

    Management of the economy

    47%

    11%

    9%

    66%

    64%

    62%

    61%

    63%

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    7%

    16%

    11%

    35%

    26%

    22%

    26%

    23%

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    15%

    22%

    20%

    57%

    47%

    47%

    49%

    48%

    Protecting the environment

    3%

    6%

    5%

    14%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    16%

    A fair industrial relations system

    2%

    3%

    3%

    8%

    12%

    11%

    8%

    na

    Political leadership

    6%

    5%

    4%

    15%

    25%

    18%

    17%

    23%

    Addressing climate change

    2%

    2%

    5%

    9%

    9%

    10%

    15%

    16%

    Controlling interest rates

    2%

    5%

    4%

    11%

    9%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    8%

    11%

    13%

    32%

    41%

    36%

    32%

    33%

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    1%

    2%

    2%

    5%

    3%

    4%

    5%

    12%

    Housing affordability

    3%

    6%

    5%

    14%

    13%

    13%

    16%

    14%

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    2%

    5%

    9%

    17%

    18%

    16%

    17%

    14%

    Security and the war on terrorism

    *

    1%

    3%

    5%

    5%

    4%

    8%

    9%

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    1%

    1%

    3%

    6%

    10%

    8%

    5%

    na

    Managing population growth

    1%

    2%

    4%

    7%

    8%

    8%

    12%

    na

    *Not asked

    66% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 57% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system, 35% ensuring a quality education for all children and 32% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.

    Since July, there has been an increase in the importance of ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (+10%) and ensuring a quality education for all children (+9%) and a decline in the importance of political leadership (-10%) and Australian jobs and protection of local industries (-9%).

  • Oct, 2012

    , , , , ,

    Position on 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 11

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity

    53%

    45%

    52%

    50%

    48%

    67%

    30%

    83%

    We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate

    34%

    36%

    36%

    39%

    39%

    24%

    58%

    10%

    Don’t know

    13%

    19%

    12%

    12%

    13%

    9%

    13%

    8%

    48% 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 little changed since this question was previously asked in June last year.

    By age groups, those aged under 35 split 57%/27% and those aged 55+ split 37%/55%.

Error: