budget, economics, Federal Budget, investment, jobs, stimulus, trickle-down
Q. Which of the following is closest to your view on the best way to create jobs and grow the economy?
| Total | Gender | Age Group | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| The government should directly invest in the economy by creating projects and jobs, and raise the standard of living for the majority of workers | 69% | 67% | 70% | 57% | 66% | 81% |
| The government should relax regulation and lower taxes for the wealthy to encourage businesses to grow and create jobs | 19% | 23% | 14% | 28% | 20% | 10% |
| Unsure | 13% | 9% | 16% | 15% | 14% | 9% |
| Base (n) | 1,066 | 531 | 535 | 340 | 341 | 385 |
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| The government should directly invest in the economy by creating projects and jobs, and raise the standard of living for the majority of workers | 69% | 72% | 66% | 77% | 75% |
| The government should relax regulation and lower taxes for the wealthy to encourage businesses to grow and create jobs | 19% | 17% | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Unsure | 13% | 11% | 12% | 5% | 8% |
| Base (n) | 1,066 | 332 | 433 | 91 | 111 |
actu, economics, Fair Work Act, Industrial Relations, Lies, Producitivity, tony abbott
Mark Twain once said, perhaps borrowing from others, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes”. And you can only think: Tony Abbott and the business p.r. machine must have that branded on their arms as a guide because every time they open their mouths to talk about the economy, jobs and workers what escapes are lies on top of lies. The problem, though, is that the truth eventually laces up its shoes and catches up. Take productivity.
If you haven’t been living in a cave for the past year, or you’ve been maybe lucky enough to avoid reading the slavish traditional press that too often regurgitates every press release it is handed, you’ve heard the mantra that Australian workers just aren’t productive enough. Rubbish.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is out with its June 2012 Economic Report. What caught our eye was the productivity section. Surprise, surprise:
Whichever way the productivity figures are examined, the numbers in the latest National Accounts are strong. Labour productivity in the market sector rose by 2.3% in the quarter and 5.3% over the year, the strongest annual growth in a decade.
And what about any dips in productivity here and there? Well, it has nothing to do with industrial relations and Fair Work, which is what Abbott and his business buddies keep yapping about. As the report reiterates:
Investments in skills and infrastructure are the sources of real productivity growth, it was argued. We also pointed out that there is consensus among economists that some portion of the growth slowdown is due to factors related to the mining boom, some of which are temporary and will be reversed as projects are constructed and begin to generate output. [emphasis added]
So, the truth has overtaken the lies. That will not deter those people who have to lie because they have one mission in life: figure out how to shake down workers, pick their pockets for every dime they can get and do it all wrapped around some phony economic double-speak that doesn’t even pass a basic smell test of truth.
07 May 2012, 070512, economic conditions, economic outlook, economics, Polling, polls, the economy
Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?
|
1 Dec 08 |
15 Jun 09 |
5 Oct 09 |
28 Jun 10 |
18 Oct 10 |
4 April 11 |
4 Jul 11 |
3 Oct 11 |
26 Mar 12 |
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total better |
21% |
43% |
66% |
33% |
40% |
27% |
22% |
16% |
25% |
23% |
39% |
18% |
22% |
| Total worse |
61% |
37% |
15% |
31% |
30% |
37% |
49% |
58% |
46% |
46% |
31% |
59% |
30% |
| Get a lot better |
2% |
5% |
8% |
5% |
6% |
4% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
7% |
1% |
1% |
| Get a little better |
19% |
38% |
58% |
28% |
34% |
23% |
19% |
14% |
22% |
21% |
32% |
17% |
21% |
| Get a little worse |
45% |
28% |
11% |
23% |
20% |
27% |
31% |
41% |
31% |
31% |
27% |
37% |
22% |
| Get a lot worse |
16% |
9% |
4% |
8% |
10% |
10% |
18% |
17% |
15% |
15% |
4% |
22% |
8% |
| Stay much the same |
13% |
17% |
15% |
30% |
24% |
27% |
25% |
22% |
21% |
25% |
28% |
19% |
41% |
| No opinion |
5% |
3% |
4% |
7% |
6% |
8% |
4% |
4% |
7% |
6% |
2% |
3% |
8% |
Confidence in the economic outlook has shown little change since March. The percentage of respondents believing conditions to be getting better declined 2 points to 23%, while those believing that economic conditions will get worse over the next 12 months remained at 46%.
Labor voters are optimistic overall – 39% better/31% worse. Coalition voters are the most pessimistic, with 59% believing that thing will get worse over the next 12 months and only 18% better.
There was little difference across demographic groups.
Australian economy, economic conditions, economics, economy, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, the economy
Q. Overall, from what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?
| 17 May 10
(Post 2010 budget) |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Liberal/ National | Vote Greens | |
| The right direction | 51% | 45% | 75% | 27% | 51% |
| The wrong direction | 25% | 29% | 7% | 51% | 17% |
| Don’t know | 24% | 25% | 17% | 22% | 33% |
45% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction – 29% think it is heading in the wrong direction. Since this question was asked just after the 2010 budget, “right direction” has dropped 6% and “wrong direction” increased 4%.
75% of Labor voters, 27% of Liberal/National voters and 51% of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction.
economics, economy, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, finances, Greens, Labor, Liberal, money, Nationals, Polling, polls, the economy
Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?
| 1 Dec 08 | 15 Jun 09 | 5 Oct 09 | 18 Jan 10 | 29 Mar 10 | 28 Jun 10 | 18 Oct 10 | 4 April 11 | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better | 21% | 43% | 66% | 53% | 54% | 33% | 40% | 27% | 38% | 25% | 23% |
| Total worse | 61% | 37% | 15% | 19% | 19% | 31% | 30% | 37% | 26% | 48% | 33% |
| Get a lot better | 2% | 5% | 8% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 7% | 3% | 3% |
| Get a little better | 19% | 38% | 58% | 44% | 45% | 28% | 34% | 23% | 31% | 22% | 20% |
| Get a little worse | 45% | 28% | 11% | 14% | 13% | 23% | 20% | 27% | 22% | 33% | 27% |
| Get a lot worse | 16% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 8% | 10% | 10% | 4% | 15% | 6% |
| Stay much the same | 13% | 17% | 15% | 24% | 22% | 30% | 24% | 27% | 32% | 23% | 35% |
| No opinion | 5% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 4% | 5% | 8% |
Optimism about Australia’s economic outlook has declined substantially in the last 6 months. 27% think economic conditions in Australia will get better over the next 12 months and 37% think they will get worse – a net decline of 20% since this question was last asked in October. This is the most negative result recorded since December 2008.
Younger people are more optimistic than older people – of those aged under 35, 34% think conditions will get better and 27% worse.
38% of Labor voters think conditions will get better and 26% worse while 25% of Coalition voters think conditions will get better and 48% worse.