Tony Abbott’s belief in Climate Change
Q. What do you think Tony Abbott actually believes about climate change?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Does not believe in climate change | 19% | 28% | 14% | 34% |
| Does believe in climate change | 27% | 13% | 46% | 8% |
| Doesn’t care whether climate change is real or not | 31% | 48% | 17% | 42% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 11% | 22% | 16% |
31% of respondents think that Tony Abbott doesn’t care whether climate change is real or not, 27% think he believes in climate change and 19% think he doesn’t.
46% of Liberal/National voters think he believes in climate change compared to only 13% of Labor voters and 8% of Greens voters. 34% of Greens voters think he does not believe in climate change and 48% of Labor voters think he doesn’t care whether climate change is real or not.
Concern About Climate Change
Q. Over the last 2 years, have you become more concerned or less concerned about the environmental effects of global warming or do you feel about the same as you did 2 years ago? (This question was commissioned by Network Ten).
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total more concerned | 46% | 61% | 35% | 72% | 45% | 47% | 55% | 42% | 42% |
| Total less concerned | 11% | 4% | 19% | 2% | 16% | 6% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| Much more concerned | 15% | 23% | 7% | 36% | 14% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| A little more concerned | 31% | 38% | 28% | 36% | 31% | 31% | 39% | 28% | 26% |
| A little less concerned | 5% | 3% | 8% | 1% | 7% | 3% | 6% | 6% | 3% |
| Much less concerned | 6% | 1% | 11% | 1% | 9% | 3% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| About the same | 40% | 32% | 45% | 24% | 35% | 45% | 29% | 43% | 48% |
| Don’t know | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 5% | * |
46% say they have become more concerned about the effects of global warming over the last 2 years, 11% are less concerned and 40% say they feel about the same.
Those more likely to be more concerned are Labor voters (61%), Greens voters (72%) and those aged under 35 (55%).
Those more likely to feel about the same are Liberal/National voters (45%), women (45%) and those aged 55+ (48%).
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 | 18 July | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 34% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 38% | 35% | 39% | 75% | 14% | 75% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 51% | 49% | 44% | 48% | 49% | 53% | 49% | 13% | 79% | 14% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 15% | 35% | 1% | 44% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 40% | 13% | 31% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 16% | 8% | 22% | 6% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 32% | 34% | 29% | 29% | 30% | 34% | 33% | 5% | 57% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 7% | 11% |
39% (up 4%) support the Government’s proposed carbon pricing scheme and 49% (down 4%) oppose. It is supported by 75% of Labor voters and 75% of Greens voters but opposed by 79% of coalition voters. This represents an increase in support since the previous survey (conducted before the Government’s announcement) but is similar to the June results.
By age, those aged under 35 split 44% support/42% oppose, and those aged 55+ split 38% support/55% oppose.
For those who consider themselves very well or somewhat informed about the carbon pricing scheme, 44% support and 53% oppose.
Read and Heard about Carbon Pricing Scheme
Q. How much have you read and heard about Government’s carbon pricing scheme?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| A lot | 35% | 37% | 41% | 28% |
| Something | 30% | 27% | 33% | 30% |
| A little | 30% | 30% | 24% | 38% |
| Nothing | 4% | 4% | 2$% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 1% | 2% | 1% | – |
35% say they have heard a lot about the carbon pricing scheme and 30% say they have heard something. Only 4% say they have heard nothing. 52% of respondents aged 55+ say they have heard a lot compared to 25% of those aged under 35.
Knowledge of Carbon Pricing Scheme
Q. How well informed do you feel about how the carbon pricing scheme will affect you and your family?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very well informed | 17% | 23% | 19% | 12% |
| Somewhat informed | 40% | 40% | 43% | 40% |
| A little informed | 26% | 24% | 24% | 28% |
| Not at all informed | 13% | 11% | 12% | 18% |
| Don’t know | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
17% consider themselves very well informed about how the carbon pricing scheme will affect them and 40% say they are somewhat informed.
28% of those aged 55+ consider themselves very well informed and 44% somewhat informed. 51% of those aged 18-35 consider themselves very well or somewhat informed.
Financial Impact of Carbon Pricing Scheme
Q. Do you think you will be financially better or worse off as a result of the carbon pricing scheme?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better off | 10% | 22% | 4% | 19% |
| Total worse off | 69% | 48% | 85% | 51% |
| Much better off | 2% | 3% | * | 9% |
| A little better off | 8% | 19% | 4% | 10% |
| A little worse off | 34% | 40% | 30% | 37% |
| Much worse off | 35% | 8% | 55% | 14% |
| It will make no difference | 11% | 18% | 6% | 21% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 12% | 5% | 9% |
10% think they will be better off and 69% worse off as a result of the carbon pricing scheme.
By income levels, 77% of those earning $1,600+ per week think they will be worse off compared to 56% of those earning less than $600 pw.
By age group, 43% of those aged 55+ think they will be much worse off compared to 26% of those aged under 35.
For those who consider themselves very well or somewhat informed about the carbon pricing scheme, 16% think they will be better off and 68% worse off.
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.
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