050312, 5 March 2012, elect, Election, elections, Parliament, party elections, party leader, party leaders, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think party leaders should be elected mainly based on who voters favour or who the members of Parliament believe is the best person to lead their party?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| The person the voters favour |
56% |
52% |
62% |
40% |
| The person members of Parliament believe best to lead the party |
30% |
35% |
28% |
49% |
| Don’t know |
14% |
12% |
11% |
11% |
A majority of 56% think that party leaders should be elected mainly based on who voters favour and 30% think that the leadership should go to the person the members of Parliament believe is to lead their party.
Liberal/National voters are more likely to think the leader should be the person the voters favour (62%) while Greens voters tended to favour the person members of Parliament believe best (49%).
Older voters (aged 55+) were a little more likely to leave the judgment to the Parliamentarians although still prefer the person the voters favour 53% to 39%.
050312, 5 March 2012, Australian system, elect, Election, party elections, party leader, party leaders, Polling, polls, US system
Q. Which of the following do you think would be the best way to elect national party leaders?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| The Australian system where the leader is elected by the Members of Parliament |
36% |
45% |
36% |
45% |
| The US system where registered voters in primaries elect the party’s candidate for President |
31% |
25% |
36% |
23% |
| The UK system where MPs, party members (and in Labour’s case, union members from affiliated unions) all get to vote for the party leader |
11% |
10% |
8% |
15% |
| Don’t know |
23% |
19% |
19% |
17% |
36% prefer the Australian system of electing the party leader – 31% prefer the US system and 11% the UK system.
Labor and Greens voters were more likely to prefer the Australian system (45%) and Liberal/National voters the US system (36%).
45% of people aged 55+ and 45% of those on income of $1,600+ pw favoured the Australian system.
13 February 2012, ALP, Election, Julia Gillard, Labor Party, leadership, Liberal Party, Next Election, party leadership, tony abbott
Q. Do you think Julia Gillard will still be leading the Labor Party at the election due next year?
Q. Do you think Tony Abbott will still be leading the Liberal Party at the election due next year?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | ||
| Julia Gillard | Yes | 31% | 54% | 19% | 43% |
| No | 47% | 22% | 70% | 26% | |
| Don’t know | 22% | 24% | 11% | 31% | |
| Tony Abbott | Yes | 47% | 37% | 67% | 34% |
| No | 25% | 37% | 12% | 31% | |
| Don’t know | 28% | 26% | 21% | 35% |
31% think Julia Gillard will still be the leader of the Labor Party at the election due next year and 47% think she will not be the leader. Opinions are closely associated with party preference. 54% of Labor voters think she will still be the leader.
47% think Tony Abbott will still be the leader of the Liberal Party at the election due next year and 25% think he will not be the leader. Opinions are closely associated with party preference. 67% of Liberal/National voters think he will still be the leader.
Among non-major party voters, 36% think Julia Gillard will still be leading the Labor Party and 33% think Tony Abbott will still be leading the Liberal Party.
2013, 2013 election, early election, Election, Federal Election, Federal Government, Labor Government, Next Election, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the Labor Government should run its full term until 2013 when the next Federal election is due or should a new election be held now?
| 5 Sept 11 | 5 Dec 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should run to 2013 | 40% | 47% | 48% | 80% | 19% | 82% |
| Should hold election now | 48% | 41% | 41% | 12% | 73% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 7% |
48% think that the Labor Government should be allowed to run its full term through to 2013 and 41% think a new election should be held. This is very similar to the results of this question when last asked in early December. Views closely follow voting voting intentions.
2012, 2012 election, Election, Federal Election, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you expect that an early Federal election will be held in 2012?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Yes | 32% | 24% | 42% | 26% |
| No | 42% | 55% | 37% | 50% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 21% | 21% | 23% |
Respondents were more likely to think there will not be a Federal election next year – 32% expect there will be an election and 42% think there will not.
2013, 2013 election, early election, Election, Federal Election, Greens, Labor, Labor Government, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the Labor Government should run its full term until 2013 when the next Federal election is due or should a new election be held now?
| 5 Sept 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should run to 2013 | 40% | 47% | 89% | 20% | 73% |
| Should hold election now | 48% | 41% | 7% | 74% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 4% | 6% | 11% |
47% think that the Labor Government should be allowed to run its full term trough to 2013 and 41% think a new election should be held. This is almost exactly the reverse of the results when this question was previously asked in September when 48% thought an election should be held now and 40% thought the Government should run its full term.
Support for the Government to run its full term has increased among Labor voters (from 82% to 89%) and Liberal/National voters (11% to 20%) but dropped from 80% to 73% for Greens voters.
Election, Election Issues, Federal Election, Federal Government, government, Important election issues, Polling, polls
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
| First | Second | Third | Total | 6 June 11 | 24 Jan 11 | 11 Oct 10 | 25 Jan 10 | |
| Management of the economy | 39% | 16% | 7% | 62% | 61% | 65% | 62% | 63% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 4% | 8% | 10% | 22% | 26% | 26% | 32% | 23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 12% | 18% | 17% | 47% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
| Protecting the environment | 4% | 5% | 4% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 16% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 3% | 4% | 4% | 11% | 8% | 10% | 11% | * |
| Political leadership | 7% | 6% | 5% | 18% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 23% |
| Addressing climate change | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% | 15% | 10% | 11% | 16% |
| Controlling interest rates | 2% | 4% | 5% | 11% | 13% | 21% | 17% | 15% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 11% | 12% | 13% | 36% | 32% | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | * | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 12% |
| Housing affordability | 3% | 4% | 6% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 14% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 3% | 5% | 8% | 16% | 17% | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 1% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 8% | 5% | 6% | 9% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 2% | 3% | 3% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 5% | * |
| Managing population growth | 1% | 3% | 4% | 8% | 12% | 11% | 10% | * |
*Not asked
62% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 47% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 36% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
Since June, there have been only minor changes in these figures – there has been an increase in the importance of Australian jobs and protection of local industries (+4%) and declines in the importance of addressing climate change (-5%), ensuring a quality education for all children (-4%), managing population growth (-4%) and security and the war on terrorism (-4%).
Election, Election Issues, government, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, party trust, political parties, Polling, polls
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Management of the economy | 27% | 45% | 2% | 25% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 34% | 36% | 5% | 25% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 31% | 34% | 6% | 29% |
| Protecting the environment | 16% | 23% | 37% | 24% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 38% | 34% | 5% | 23% |
| Political leadership | 23% | 40% | 5% | 33% |
| Addressing climate change | 19% | 25% | 31% | 25% |
| Controlling interest rates | 24% | 42% | 2% | 32% |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 32% | 35% | 4% | 29% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 18% | 30% | 24% | 29% |
| Housing affordability | 23% | 33% | 5% | 38% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 28% | 37% | 4% | 31% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 21% | 40% | 3% | 35% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 17% | 36% | 12% | 35% |
| Managing population growth | 18% | 35% | 9% | 39% |
Labor does not have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party on any item measured. The 9% lead it had in June on “a fair industrial relations system” has been reduced to 4%. There is also little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
The Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.
Overall, there has been a slight weakening of Labor’s position since June.