Opinion of Carbon Pricing Proposal with Compensation
Q. Would you support or oppose this carbon pricing scheme if the money paid by big polluting industries was used to compensate low and middle income earners and small businesses for increased prices?
| 14 March | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 54% | 51% | 78% | 34% | 80% |
| Total oppose | 30% | 33% | 11% | 51% | 7% |
| Strongly support | 17% | 17% | 30% | 8% | 35% |
| Support | 37% | 34% | 43% | 25% | 44% |
| Oppose | 14% | 12% | 7% | 18% | 8% |
| Strongly oppose | 16% | 21% | 6% | 37% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 16% | 14% | 13% | 8% |
With compensation for low and middle income earners and small businesses, support for the Government’s carbon pricing scheme increased to 51% and opposition dropped to 33%. This is a slight fall in support since this question was last asked in mid-March.
With compensation, support among Labor voters increases 15% to 78% and for Liberal/National voters increases 13% to 34%.
Support among men increased from 39% to 47% and for women increases from 38% to 55%.
Opinion of NBN
Q. From what you’ve heard, do you favour or oppose the planned national broadband network (NBN)?
| 27 Sep 2010 | 14 Feb 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total favour | 56% | 48% | 54% | 76% | 36% | 81% |
| Total oppose | 18% | 31% | 28% | 8% | 49% | 8% |
| Strongly favour | 27% | 19% | 22% | 40% | 8% | 43% |
| Favour | 29% | 29% | 32% | 36% | 28% | 38% |
| Oppose | 12% | 16% | 13% | 6% | 19% | 3% |
| Strongly oppose | 6% | 15% | 15% | 2% | 30% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 22% | 18% | 15% | 14% | 12% |
Support for the NBN has increased a little since this question was last asked in February.
54% (+6%) favour the NBN and 28% (-3%) oppose it. There is overwhelming majority support from Labor and Greens voters but Liberal/National voters were split 36% favour and 49% oppose.
By age group, those aged under 35 were 55% favour/26% oppose and those aged 55+ were 49% favour/34% oppose.
Green-baiting and the art of product differentiation
First published on The Drum: 12/04/2011
The Prime Minister has been dedicating a significant slice of stump time in recent weeks to explaining the differences between the ALP and the Greens, how one emerges from real-world struggles and the other is a group of out-of-touch extremists.
A similar debate has been being waged within the Greens following their underwhelming NSW state election performance, where a local candidate’s intervention in the Middle East peace provided the platform to portray the party as a collective of bat-faced ideologues.
But as the debate about the Greens’ orientation gains pertinence as they move to assume the balance of power in the Senate a more basic fact is being missed: Labor voters and Green voters agree on just about everything.
A review of findings to Essential Research questions over the past few months finds that on nearly every big debate the similarities between Greens voters and Labor voters far outweigh their differences.
Opinion of the Greens
Do you agree or disagree that – the Greens are an extreme political party that does not share the values of average Australians? (Question commissioned by Network Ten)
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total agree | 52% | 44% | 74% | 7% | 60% | 44% | 41% | 51% | 65% |
| Total disagree | 30% | 41% | 14% | 87% | 30% | 30% | 34% | 31% | 24% |
| Strongly agree | 23% | 12% | 39% | – | 29% | 17% | 16% | 21% | 34% |
| Agree | 29% | 32% | 35% | 7% | 31% | 27% | 25% | 31% | 31% |
| Disagree | 21% | 32% | 13% | 29% | 22% | 20% | 21% | 23% | 18% |
| Strongly disagree | 9% | 7% | 1% | 58% | 8% | 10% | 13% | 8% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 17% | 12% | 7% | 9% | 27% | 25% | 18% | 11% |
Just over half the respondents (52%) agreed that the Greens are an extreme political party that does not share the values of average Australians and 30% disagree.
Those most likely to agree were Liberal/National voters (74%), men (60%) and those aged 65+ (65%). Labor voters were split with 44% agree and 41% disagree.
Federal politics – voting intention
Q. If a Federal Election was held today to which party will you probably give your first preference vote? If not sure, which party are you currently leaning toward?
Q. If don’t know -Well which party are you currently leaning to?
sample size =1,925
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 43% | 43% | 43% | |
| National | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 47% | 46% | 46% | 46% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 35% | 37% | 36% | 35% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 10% | 10% | 10% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 8% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 52% | 53% | 53% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 48% | 47% | 47% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived the first preference/leaning to voting questions. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results. The two-party preferred estimate is calculated by distributing the votes of the other parties according to their preferences at the 2010 election.
Approval of Julia Gillard
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?
| Kevin Rudd | Julia Gillard | |||||||||||
| 31 May
2010 |
5 Jul | 19 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | |
| Total approve | 41% | 48% | 52% | 46% | 45% | 45% | 43% | 43% | 51% | 48% | 41% | 37% |
| Total disapprove | 47% | 27% | 30% | 40% | 37% | 37% | 38% | 40% | 36% | 41% | 46% | 50% |
| Strongly approve | 7% | 14% | 11% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 7% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 7% |
| Approve | 34% | 34% | 41% | 33% | 33% | 36% | 36% | 33% | 43% | 39% | 34% | 30% |
| Disapprove | 25% | 13% | 17% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 23% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% |
| Strongly disapprove | 22% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 15% | 16% | 12% | 16% | 24% | 25% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 26% | 18% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 14% | 11% | 13% | 13% |
37% (down 4%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 50% (up 4%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -5 to -13 over the last 4 weeks.
78% of Labor voters approve (down 9%) and 12% disapprove (up 5%).
By gender – men 37% approve/53% disapprove, women 36% approve/47% disapprove.
Approval of Tony Abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
| 18 Jan
2010 |
29 Mar | 5 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | |
| Total approve | 37% | 33% | 37% | 41% | 43% | 39% | 40% | 39% | 42% | 38% | 38% | 36% |
| Total disapprove | 37% | 50% | 47% | 44% | 37% | 45% | 40% | 39% | 37% | 46% | 47% | 48% |
| Strongly approve | 5% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% |
| Approve | 32% | 25% | 29% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 34% | 30% | 35% | 30% | 31% | 29% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 28% | 23% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 25% |
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 22% | 24% | 22% | 16% | 23% | 18% | 18% | 15% | 22% | 23% | 23% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 19% | 17% | 19% | 22% | 20% | 16% | 16% | 17% |
36% (down 2%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 48% (up 1%) disapprove.
69% of Coalition voters approve and 17% disapprove.
By gender – men 40% approve/46% disapprove, women 31% approve/48% disapprove.
Better Prime Minister
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott?
| 5 Jul 2010 | 20 Sep | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb 2011 | 14 Mar 2011 | 11 Apr 2011 | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Kevin Rudd v Tony Abbott
21 Jun 10 |
||
| Julia Gillard | 53% | 47% | 45% | 47% | 48% | 44% | 42% | 86% | 8% | 75% | 47% | |
| Tony Abbott | 26% | 35% | 34% | 32% | 31% | 33% | 33% | 2% | 72% | 5% | 30% | |
| Don’t know | 21% | 18% | 21% | 21% | 20% | 23% | 24% | 12% | 20% | 20% | 23% |
42% believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 33% prefer Tony Abbott – a net decrease for Julia Gillard of 2% on last month’s figures (from +11% to +9%).
Men favour Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott 42%/38% and women 42%/29%.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Views towards reopening international borders
- Views towards state border closures
- Comprehension and confidence in PM’s plan to ‘safely reopen’ Australia
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Necessity of mandatory vaccinations in specific situations
- Views towards easing restrictions for fully vaccinated people
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