25 June 2012, 250612, climate change, environment, marine life, national parks, protecting the environment
Q. The Federal Government recently announced plans to protect large areas of Australia’s marine environment in a network of marine reserves. Do you approve or disapprove of these plans?
|
Total
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total approve |
70% |
79% |
62% |
89% |
| Total disapprove |
13% |
8% |
22% |
1% |
| Strongly approve |
35% |
45% |
23% |
64% |
| Approve |
35% |
34% |
39% |
25% |
| Disapprove |
9% |
6% |
15% |
1% |
| Strongly disapprove |
4% |
2% |
7% |
– |
| Don’t know |
16% |
13% |
16% |
10% |
70% approved of the Federal Government’s plans to protect large areas of Australia’s marine environment in a network of marine reserves and 13% disapproved.
Approval was similar across all demographic groups – no group recorded approval lower than 65%.
18 June 2012, 180612, asylum seekers, climate change, economy, Education, environment, Housing affordability, Industrial Relations, Interest rates, political leadership, taxation system, trust, trust government, war on terrorism, Water
Q. Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
|
Labor |
Liberal |
Greens |
Don’t know |
Difference 18 Jun 12 |
Difference 5 Dec 11 |
|
| Management of the economy |
26% |
44% |
3% |
27% |
-18 |
-18 |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children |
33% |
35% |
5% |
26% |
-2 |
-2 |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system |
30% |
36% |
7% |
27% |
-6 |
-3 |
| Protecting the environment |
17% |
21% |
38% |
24% |
+17 |
+14 |
| A fair industrial relations system |
36% |
30% |
6% |
28% |
+6 |
+4 |
| Political leadership |
21% |
37% |
7% |
36% |
-16 |
-17 |
| Addressing climate change |
18% |
24% |
31% |
27% |
+7 |
+6 |
| Controlling interest rates |
22% |
40% |
3% |
35% |
-18 |
-18 |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries |
29% |
35% |
6% |
31% |
-6 |
-3 |
| Ensuring a quality water supply |
16% |
28% |
23% |
33% |
-12 |
-12 |
| Housing affordability |
22% |
33% |
5% |
39% |
-11 |
-10 |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system |
26% |
36% |
5% |
32% |
-10 |
-9 |
| Security and the war on terrorism |
18% |
40% |
4% |
38% |
-22 |
-19 |
| Treatment of asylum seekers |
16% |
36% |
13% |
36% |
-20 |
-19 |
| Managing population growth |
17% |
36% |
7% |
40% |
-19 |
-17 |
Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Liberal % from Labor % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Greens minus Liberal.
Labor does not have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party on any item measured. The Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.
There is little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health systerm and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries. Overall, there has been very little change in these results since December.
12 March 2012, 120312, 3q, Carbon Pricing, climate change, environment, Essential Report, peter lewis, trends
It’s only months until a price on carbon takes affect so here are some clues from the polling to help Labor though the difficult times ahead.
Australian economy, banks, economy, environment, Farming and agriculture, industries, Large companies and corporations, media, mining industry, Past Year, Polling, polls, small business
Q. Thinking about the last 12 months, has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
(Dec 10 |
Total bad
(Dec 10) |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| The banks | 69% | 13% | 71% | 8% | 35% | 36% | 16% | 6% | 2% | 4% |
| The mining industry | 57% | 14% | 68% | 11% | 34% | 34% | 15% | 8% | 3% | 6% |
| Large companies and corporations | 44% | 15% | 40% | 22% | 8% | 32% | 32% | 18% | 4% | 6% |
| The Australian economy | 41% | 20% | 33% | 31% | 4% | 29% | 32% | 24% | 7% | 3% |
| The media | 30% | 14% | 25% | 27% | 6% | 19% | 37% | 19% | 8% | 10% |
| Farming and agriculture | 14% | 50% | 23% | 40% | 2% | 21% | 30% | 28% | 12% | 7% |
| The environment | 14% | 37% | 20% | 33% | 3% | 17% | 41% | 24% | 9% | 6% |
| Small business | 14% | 45% | 10% | 61% | 1% | 9% | 24% | 42% | 19% | 6% |
A majority of respondents think it has been a good year for the banks (71%) and the mining industry (68%). They are also more likely to think it has been a good year for large companies and corporations (40% good/22% bad) and the economy (33%/31%). However, they are more likely to think the year has been bad for small business (61%), farming and agriculture (40%) and the environment (33%).
In terms of the economy, Labor voters (50% good/18% bad) and Greens voters (47%/15%) were more likely to think it has been a good year – while 45% of Liberal/National voters considered it poor and 23% good.
Compared to last years’ results, respondents considered 2011 a better year than 2010 for the mining industry (up 11% to 68% good), farming and agriculture (up 9% to 23%) and the environment (up 6% to 20%). Perceptions of the economy dropped from a net +21% to +2%.
Carbon emissions, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, environment, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls, Pollution
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s carbon pricing scheme which, from July 2012, will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 18 April | 23 May | 14 June | 18 July | 1 Aug | 19 Sep | 17 Oct | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 39% | 38% | 66% | 13% | 86% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 53% | 26% | 80% | 11% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 28% | 1% | 48% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 25% | 24% | 38% | 12% | 38% |
| Oppose | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 11% | 22% | 5% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 34% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 36% | 36% | 15% | 58% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 7% | 2% |
Views on the carbon pricing scheme have changed very little since June and there has been no significant change since the legislation was passed. 38% support the scheme (down 1% since October) and 53% oppose (no change).
The only demographic group to support the scheme were aged under 35’s – 45% support/40% oppose. Among those aged 55+, 37% support and 59% oppose.
climate change, environment, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, tony abbott
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.
climate change, environment, Essential Report, global warming, Network Ten, Polling, polls, protecting the environment
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%).
climate change, earth’s climate, environment, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you agree that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Nov 09 | Dec 10 | ||
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 52% | 71% | 34% | 78% | 53% | 45% | |
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 36% | 20% | 54% | 14% | 34% | 36% | |
| Don’t know | 12% | 8% | 12% | 8% | 13% | 19% |
52% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 36% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is a significant increase in the belief that climate change is happening and caused by human activity since December last year (and a return to the levels recorded in November 2009).
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 64%/24% and those aged 55+ split 47%/48%.