Good or Bad for Australia
Q. Overall, do you think the Government’s carbon pricing scheme will be good or bad for Australia’s future?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 34% | 67% | 11% | 76% |
| Total bad | 46% | 13% | 73% | 16% |
| Very good | 11% | 26% | 1% | 31% |
| Good | 23% | 41% | 10% | 45% |
| Bad | 20% | 9% | 29% | 9% |
| Very bad | 26% | 4% | 44% | 7% |
| It will make no difference | 8% | 8% | 10% | – |
| Don’t know | 12% | 13% | 7% | 7% |
34% think the carbon pricing scheme will be good for Australia and 46% think it will be bad.
By age, those aged under 35 split 42% good/36% bad, and those aged 55+ split 31% good/52% bad.
For those who consider themselves very well or somewhat informed about the carbon pricing scheme, 42% think it will be good for Australia and 48% bad.
Statements about Carbon Pricing Scheme
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Government’s carbon pricing scheme?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| The Government has got the balance right in compensating households for a carbon price | 31% | 48% | 6% | 25% | 23% | 25% | 22% |
| A carbon price will lead to a big rise in the cost of living | 68% | 22% | 32% | 36% | 18% | 4% | 11% |
| The carbon price scheme won’t reduce our carbon emissions | 51% | 34% | 25% | 26% | 24% | 10% | 15% |
| There’s too much compensation for industry in the package | 33% | 32% | 9% | 24% | 26% | 6% | 35% |
| There’s not enough compensation for households in the carbon price scheme | 49% | 29% | 20% | 29% | 25% | 4% | 22% |
| Politicians should just get on with taking action on climate change | 59% | 27% | 23% | 36% | 15% | 12% | 15% |
| The cost of living increases are less than I expected | 26% | 52% | 5% | 21% | 29% | 23% | 23% |
| The cost of living increases are less than I expected | 46% | 33% | 14% | 32% | 21% | 11% | 22% |
| The government’s carbon pricing scheme won’t have much effect on me and my family | 25% | 57% | 3% | 22% | 31% | 26% | 18% |
| Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are more interested in votes than tackling climate change | 54% | 32% | 31% | 23% | 17% | 15% | 14% |
These responses suggest that the main concern about the carbon pricing scheme is the cost of living increases. The statement with the highest level of agreement is that a carbon price will lead to a big rise in the cost of living (68% agree/22% disagree). Only 25% agree that the government’s carbon pricing scheme won’t have much effect on me and my family. And 26% agree that the cost of living increases are less than I expected.
The only positive aspect of the scheme is that 46% agree that the cost of living increases are less than I expected.
Regarding the opposition, 54% agree that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are more interested in votes than tackling climate change.
Most Effective Policy
Q. Which approach do you think would be most effective in reducing carbon emissions – the Government’s carbon pricing scheme or the Coalition’s proposal to pay companies to reduce emissions?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Government carbon pricing scheme | 34% | 72% | 10% | 64% |
| Coalition’s proposal to pay companies | 28% | 5% | 52% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 37% | 23% | 38% | 31% |
34% think that the Government’s carbon pricing scheme would be the most effective in reducing emissions and 28% think the Coalition’s proposal would be more effective.
Strongest support for the Government’s scheme was shown by men (40%) and those aged under 35 (38%).
Most Cost Effective Policy
Q.Which approach do you think would be the most cost effective – the Government’s carbon pricing scheme or the Coalition’s proposal to pay companies to reduce emissions?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Government carbon pricing scheme | 33% | 69% | 10% | 60% |
| Coalition’s proposal to pay companies | 27% | 3% | 51% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 40% | 27% | 39% | 34% |
33% think that the Government’s carbon pricing scheme would be the most cost effective and 27% think the Coalition’s proposal would be more cost effective.
Strongest support for the Government’s scheme was shown by men (38%) and those aged under 35 (38%).
Support for Carbon Tax
Q. Does the Government’s decision to exempt fuel from the carbon tax for households, trade and small business make you more or less likely to support a carbon tax or does it make no difference?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total more likely to support | 30% | 50% | 20% | 44% | 30% | 31% | 41% | 26% | 24% |
| Total less likely to support | 11% | 8% | 11% | 19% | 14% | 8% | 12% | 13% | 10% |
| A lot more likely to support | 7% | 18% | 2% | 12% | 9% | 6% | 8% | 7% | 6% |
| A little more likely to support | 23% | 32% | 18% | 32% | 21% | 25% | 33% | 19% | 18% |
| A little less likely to support | 6% | 8% | 5% | 13% | 7% | 4% | 8% | 7% | 5% |
| A lot less likely to support | 5% | * | 8% | 8% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Makes no difference | 52% | 36% | 66% | 29% | 50% | 53% | 37% | 55% | 63% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 6% | 2% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 9% | 6% | 3% |
More than half the respondents (52%) said the Government’s decision to exempt fuel from the carbon tax for households, trade and small business makes no difference to their support for the carbon tax. 30% say it makes them more likely to support the tax and 11% less likely.
Those more likely to support the tax were Labor voters (50%), Greens voters (44%) and people aged under 35 (41%).
Those most likely to say it makes no difference were Coalition voters (66%) and people aged 55+ (63%).
Support for Carbon Pricing
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s proposal to introduce a carbon pricing scheme from 1 July 2012, which will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 14 March | 28 March | 18 April | 23 May | 30 May | 14 June | 11 July | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 34% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 38% | 35% | 65% | 15% | 73% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 51% | 49% | 44% | 48% | 49% | 53% | 20% | 79% | 21% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 23% | 3% | 35% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 42% | 12% | 38% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 15% | 23% | 16% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 32% | 34% | 29% | 29% | 30% | 34% | 5% | 56% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 16% | 7% | 7% |
35% (down 3%) support the Government’s proposed carbon pricing scheme and 53% (up 4%) oppose. It is supported by 65% of Labor voters and 73% of Greens voters but opposed by 79% of coalition voters.
By age, those aged under 35 split 40% support/43% oppose, and those aged 55+ split 33% support/59% oppose.
- note that these result reflect opinions prior to the announcement of the details of carbon pricing.
Credibility of Scientists
Q. Do you agree or disagree that the current public campaign against action on climate change in Australia is undermining the credibility of scientists and science research in general?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total agree | 32% | 43% | 26% | 44% |
| Total disagree | 23% | 14% | 29% | 31% |
| Strongly agree | 12% | 15% | 10% | 22% |
| Agree | 20% | 28% | 16% | 22% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 30% | 29% | 33% | 19% |
| Disagree | 15% | 10% | 18% | 21% |
| Strongly disagree | 8% | 4% | 11% | 10% |
| Don’t know | 15% | 13% | 12% | 6% |
32% agree that the current public campaign against action on climate change in Australia is undermining the credibility of scientists and science research in general and 23% disagree. 45% either don’t know or neither agree nor disagree.
Those most likely to agree were Labor voters (43%), Greens voters (44%) and those aged 18-34 (39%).
Attitude to Scientific Evidence for Climate Change
Q. Which of the following statements best reflects your attitude to doubts recently expressed by opponents of action on climate change about the science evidence?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Doubts are valid because nothing is certain in science | 15% | 14% | 18% | 9% |
| Doubts are valid because man made climate change has not been proven | 29% | 15% | 43% | 11% |
| Doubts are misleading because the science evidence of man made climate change is overwhelming | 21% | 33% | 14% | 36% |
| Doubts are misleading because the science evidence has been rigorously tested and reviewed | 11% | 15% | 7% | 27% |
| Don’t know | 23% | 24% | 17% | 17% |
Overall, 44% believe doubts about the science evidence for climate change are valid (mainly because man made climate change has not been proven) and 33% think doubts are misleading (mainly because the science evidence of man made climate change is overwhelming).
Those most likely to think the doubts are valid were Liberal/National voters (61%), men (50%), aged 55+ (59%) and incomes under $600pw (54%).
Those most likely to think doubts are misleading were Greens voters (63%), Labor voters (48%) and those on incomes over $1,600pw (41%).
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this weeks ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred: 14 May 2019
In this week's report:
Essential Tags
Recent Comments
