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  • Mar, 2011

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    Carbon Pricing 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?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total support 54% 78% 34% 80%
    Total oppose 30% 11% 51% 7%
    Strongly support 17% 29% 6% 39%
    Support 37% 49% 28% 41%
    Oppose 14% 8% 22% 3%
    Strongly oppose 16% 3% 29% 4%
    Don’t know 17% 11% 15% 13%

    There was a substantial shift in opinion of the Government’s carbon pricing scheme when respondents were told that the money paid by big polluting industries would be used to compensate low and middle income earners and small businesses for increased prices.

    Support increased from 38% to 54% and opposition declined from 49% to 30%. The major shift occurred with Labor voters where support increased by 23% to 78%.  Support from Liberal/National voters increased from 20% to 34% while opposition declined 22% to 51%.

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Turning around the Titanic

    First published on The Drum: 08/03/2011

    The media works in eight-hour news cycles, politicians live and die by three-year cycles, while the planet’s climate is working on a significantly longer time frame.

    The way these three cycles interplay over the next few months will determine not only the outcome of the next federal election but whether Australia will be a beneficiary or a victim of the shift in energy use that climate change will inevitably require*.

    As this week’s Essential Report shows the Government has taken a short-term hammering after it’s decision to move on a carbon price. Not only has the Government failed to win popular support for its carbon pricing scheme, this has translated into a 4 per cent turnaround in the Two Party Preferred.

    Of particular concern to Labor would be the high level of strong opposition, compared to strong support for the plan and the fact that barely half of Labor voters are backing the scheme.

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Delay Carbon Tax

    Q. Do you think Australia should delay imposing a carbon pollution tax until the US has established an equal or stronger carbon pricing system? (Question commissioned by Network Ten)

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Men Women Aged

    18-34

    Aged

    35-54

    Aged 55+
    Yes 45% 33% 62% 13% 51% 40% 34% 47% 56%
    No 33% 47% 21% 71% 34% 33% 40% 31% 29%
    Don’t know 21% 20% 17% 16% 15% 27% 25% 22% 15%

    45% of respondents think Australia should delay imposing a carbon pollution tax until the US has established an equal or stronger carbon pricing system and 33% think we should not delay.

    Those most likely to think Australia should delay imposing a carbon pollution tax were Coalition voters (62%), men (51%) and aged 55+ (56%).

    Those most likely to disagree were Greens voters (71%), Labor voters (47%) and aged 18-34 (40%).

    Download the Network Ten: Essential Question of the Week (1.1 MB pdf)

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  • Mar, 2011

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    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 = 1,918

    First preference/leaning to Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Liberal 43% 40% 42% 44%
    National 3% 3% 3% 3%
    Total Lib/Nat 43.6 46% 43% 45% 47%
    Labor 38.0 38% 39% 37% 36%
    Greens 11.8 10% 11% 10% 10%
    Other/Independent 6.6 7% 7% 7% 7%
    2PP Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 51% 49% 52% 53%
    Labor 50.1% 49% 51% 48% 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.

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Support for Carbon Pricing

    Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s recent announcement 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?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total support 35% 54% 18% 75%
    Total oppose 48% 25% 72% 13%
    Strongly support 9% 16% 2% 34%
    Support 26% 38% 16% 41%
    Oppose 19% 13% 24% 10%
    Strongly oppose 29% 12% 48% 3%
    Don’t know 18% 21% 9% 11%

    35% support the Government’s recent announcement to introduce a carbon pricing scheme and 48% oppose. The scheme is strongly supported by Greens voters (75%) and has majority support from Labor voters (54%) but is strongly opposed by Coalition voters (72%).

    Respondents aged under 35 were split 36% support/37% oppose while those aged 55+ were more strongly opposed (36% support/56% oppose).

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Leadership or Broken Promise

    Q. Tony Abbott and the opposition claim this is a ‘backflip’ on a promise Prime Minister Gillard made before the 2010 election not to introduce a carbon tax in the next term of parliament. Which of the following statements is closest to your view:

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    The Prime Minister has broken an election promise and should wait until after the next election before introducing a carbon pollution tax 59% 33% 86% 26%
    The Prime Minister is showing strong leadership on an issue of national importance 27% 51% 7% 67%
    Don’t know 13% 16% 7% 7%

    59% agree are more likely to think that the Prime Minister has broken an election promise and should wait until after the next election before introducing a carbon pollution tax and 27% believe she is showing strong leadership on an issue of national importance.

    Opinions are strongly related to voting intention although a substantial minority (33%) of Labor voters agree that the Prime Minister has broken an election promise and should wait.

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Action on Climate Change

    Q. Do you think the Government needs to take action on climate change as soon as possible, should they wait a few years before taking action or don’t they need to take any action at all?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Need to take action as soon as possible 47% 60% 33% 85%
    Can wait a few years before taking action 24% 19% 33% 8%
    Don’t need to take any action 19% 9% 29% 3%
    Don’t know 11% 12% 5% 4%

    Nearly half of respondents (47%) believe that the Government needs to take action on climate change as soon as possible, 24% think they can wait and 19% think they do not need to take any action.

    52% of respondents aged under 35 think they need to take action as soon as possible compared to 44% of those aged 55+.

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Compensation for Carbon Tax

    Q. It is expected that a tax on carbon pollution will increase the cost of electricity. Which of the following do you think should receive compensation for this increased cost?

    Should receive compensation Should not receive compensation Don’t know
    Low income households 84% 8% 8%
    Farmers 74% 13% 13%
    Small business owners 70% 14% 15%
    All households 70% 16% 14%
    Trade exposed industries 28% 44% 29%
    Manufacturing industries 26% 51% 23%
    The aluminium industry 18% 56% 26%
    Power companies 15% 68% 17%

    There was strong majority support for compensating households (especially low income households), farmers and small businesses.

    Support for compensating companies and industries was relatively low. A little over one quarter think trade exposed and manufacturing industries should be compensated and only 15% think power companies should be compensated.

    Although all voter groups showed similar support for compensating low income families, Coalition voters showed stronger support for compensation for all other groups – for example, 78% of Coalition voters thought all households should be compensated compared to 65% of Labor voters and 51% of Greens voters.

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