The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report
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asylum seekers, Australia’s health system, Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Election Issues, EMC, environment, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, industrial relations system, Interest rates, Labor, Liberal, party trust, population growth, quality education, taxation system, Terrorism, water supply, working families
Important election issues
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
One Two Three Total Total 11th Oct 10 Total 25th Jan 10 Management of the economy 37% 18% 10% 65% 62% 63% Ensuring a quality education for all children 5% 10% 11% 26% 32% 23% Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 13% 20% 16% 49% 48% 48% Protecting the environment 4% 3% 6% 13% 12% 16% A fair industrial relations system 2% 4% 4% 10% 11% * Political leadership 6% 5% 5% 16% 16% 23% Addressing climate change 3% 3% 4% 10% 11% 16% Controlling interest rates 5% 8% 8% 21% 17% 15% Australian jobs and protection of local industries 10% 8% 12% 30% 30% 33% Ensuring a quality water supply 1% 2% 3% 6% 6% 12% Housing affordability 5% 5% 6% 16% 17% 14% Ensuring a fair taxation system 4% 6% 8% 18% 16% 14% Security and the war on terrorism 1% 2% 2% 5% 6% 9% Treatment of asylum seekers 1% 2% 2% 5% 5% * Managing population growth 2% 5% 4% 11% 10% * *Not asked
65% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 49% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 30% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
Only 10% rate addressing climate change as one of their three most important issues and 6% rate ensuring a quality water supply.
Over the past 12 months there has been an increase in the importance of controlling interest rates (from 15% to 21%) and a decrease in the importance of addressing climate change (from 16% to 10%).
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asylum seekers, Australia’s health system, Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Election Issues, EMC, environment, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, industrial relations system, Interest rates, Labor, Liberal, party trust, population growth, quality education, taxation system, Terrorism, water supply, working families
Important election issues
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
Total Labor Liberal/ National Green Management of the economy 65% 63% 77% 47% Ensuring a quality education for all children 26% 33% 20% 24% Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 49% 52% 47% 37% Protecting the environment 13% 12% 6% 42% A fair industrial relations system 10% 18% 5% 8% Political leadership 16% 11% 25% 14% Addressing climate change 10% 10% 5% 22% Controlling interest rates 21% 17% 22% 19% Australian jobs and protection of local industries 30% 33% 32% 18% Ensuring a quality water supply 6% 4% 6% 5% Housing affordability 16% 15% 13% 21% Ensuring a fair taxation system 18% 17% 19% 14% Security and the war on terrorism 5% 5% 8% 5% Treatment of asylum seekers 5% 3% 5% 15% Managing population growth 11% 8% 12% 9% Compared to the average, Labor voters are more likely to rate ensuring a quality education for all children (33%) and a fair industrial relations system (18%) as important.
Liberal/National voters attach more importance to management of the economy (77%) and political leadership (25%) while Greens voters are more likely to nominate protecting the environment (42%), addressing climate change (22%) and treatment of asylum seekers (15%).
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asylum seekers, Australia’s health system, Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Election Issues, EMC, environment, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, industrial relations system, Interest rates, Labor, Liberal, party trust, population growth, quality education, taxation system, Terrorism, water supply, working families
Party best handling important election issues
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
Labor Liberal Greens Don’t know Management of the economy 33% 43% 2% 22% Ensuring a quality education for all children 39% 33% 4% 24% Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 33% 33% 7% 27% Protecting the environment 16% 19% 40% 24% A fair industrial relations system 40% 30% 5% 25% Political leadership 28% 37% 4% 31% Addressing climate change 18% 20% 34% 28% Controlling interest rates 22% 40% 2% 35% Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries 36% 33% 4% 27% Ensuring a quality water supply 21% 28% 20% 31% Housing affordability 26% 30% 7% 37% Ensuring a fair taxation system 28% 35% 4% 32% Security and the war on terrorism 23% 37% 4% 36% Treatment of asylum seekers 20% 33% 12% 35% Standing up for regular Australian working families 41% 27% 6% 25% Managing population growth 21% 36% 7% 37% Making sure Australian working people got fair treatment at their workplace 41% 29% 6% 25% Labor is trusted most to handle a fair industrial relations system (40%), ensuring a quality education for all children (39%) and standing up for regular Australian working families (41%).
The Liberals are trusted most to handle management of the economy (43%), controlling interest rates (40%), political leadership (37%) and security and the war on terrorism (37%).
In October, Labor was considered substantially better to handle 5 of the issues surveyed and Liberals 5 issues – compared to this survey where Labor leads on 4 issues and Liberals on 8 issues. The Liberals have now established a lead on political leadership (+9%), water supply (+7%), and taxation (+7%).
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Anna Bligh, Campbell Newman, EMC, Essential Media, Essential Report, flooding, Floods, Julia Gillard, Kristina Keneally, leadership, Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Queensland Premier, Ted Bailieu, tony abbott
Floods – Leadership
Q. Thinking about the recent floods across Australia, how would you rate each of the following for providing leadership in dealing with the floods?
Total good Total poor Very good Good Average Poor Very poor Don’t know Prime Minister Julia Gillard 42% 23% 15% 27% 28% 10% 13% 7% Opposition leader Tony Abbott 19% 32% 4% 15% 36% 19% 13% 13% Queensland Premier Anna Bligh 77% 6% 52% 25% 11% 3% 3% 6% Queensland Premier Anna Bligh (Qld) 71% 9% 48% 23% 17% 2% 7% 3% Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman 61% 4% 28% 33% 16% 2% 2% 19% Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman (Qld) 75% 7% 46% 29% 14% 2% 5% 4% Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu 34% 8% 8% 26% 26% 4% 4% 32% Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu (Victoria) 47% 12% 10% 37% 27% 6% 6% 14% NSW Premier Kristina Keneally 21% 23% 4% 17% 28% 11% 12% 29% NSW Premier Kristina Keneally (NSW) 13% 40% 4% 9% 30% 18% 22% 18% Nationally, 42% think the Prime Minister Julia Gillard provided good leadership and 23% poor – while the Opposition leader Tony Abbott was rated good by 19% and poor by 32%. In Queensland Julia Gillard rated 42% good/26% poor.
Nationally the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh was rated 77% good/6% poor and in Queensland 71% good/9% poor. The Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman was rated a little lower nationally (61%/4%) but slightly higher in Queensland (75%/7%).
In Victoria, the Premier Ted Bailieu was rated 47% good/12% poor and in NSW, Premier Kristina Keneally was rated 13% good/40% poor
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Alliance, Andrew Bolt, EMC, Essential Media, Essential Report, Future of Journalism Project, journalism, journos, Laurie Oakes, media, Media Alliance, Michelle Grattan, peter lewis, The Drum
No names rule in media jungle
First Published on The Drum 14/12/2010
Here is the word cloud that will prick a thousand egos – and restore some reality to the debate about the future of the media.
In an era of celebrity journos building Twitter empires and media business models inspired by the porn industry, the truth is that very few members of the public have any idea who is writing or reporting their daily news.
That’s what Essential Research found while working with the Media Alliance’s Future of Journalism Project – when asked to name a journalist, the vast majority of respondents could come up with only one name: ‘Don’t Know’.
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climate change, Copenhagen, EMC, Essential Media, Essential Report, ETS, global warming, Greens, Labor, Liberals, peter lewis, scepticism, The Drum
Climate change? Scepticism becomes mainstream
First Published on The Drum 07/12/2010
It was a year ago today that the hottest gig in global warming opened in Copenhagen, amidst expectations that the world’s leaders would rise above their geographical interests and make a stand for the future.
Twelve months on and the hopes of Copenhagen seem as retro as a Midnight Oil album, the world has opted to sleep even when our beds are burning.
While the lack of political action over the past year has been well documented, this week’s Essential Report picks up another dynamic that is both a response to and a driver for this inertia. For the first time, we have found less than 50 per cent of Australians think climate change is real.
Dec 10 Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity 45% 53% 32% 76% We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate 36% 27% 53% 14% Don’t know 19% 20% 15% 10% -
Christmas, Christmas debt, Christmas spending, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, spending and income
Christmas Spending
Q. And now about Christmas spending – compared to last year, do you expect to be spending more on gifts at Christmas, less or much the same?
Dec 08 Dec 09 Nov 10 Will spend more 3% 11% 10% Will be spending less 38% 38% 38% Spend much the same 55% 47% 48% Don’t know 5% 4% 5% Views about spending on gifts at Christmas remain much the same as last year. 10% say they will spend more, 38% spend less and 48% much the same.
16% of those aged under 35 say they will spend more, 46% of those aged 35-44 will spend less and 59% of those aged 55+ will spend much the same. There is no significant relationship between changes in spending and income.
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bloke voters, Bradley Effect, EMC, Essential Media, Essential Report, female PM, Greens, Julia Gillard, Labor, Liberal, peter lewis, The Drum
Julia, Blokes and the Bradley Effect
First Published on The Drum 23/11/2010
As if dealing with four independent blokes, a Green bloke and a blokey bloke in charge of the Opposition is not enough, now Julia Gillard is developing a problem with blokes outside the Parliament.
Having politely indicated that they were happy with a female Prime Minister in the lead-up to the federal election, this week’s Essential Report picks up sharp moves in the attitudes of the brotherhood.
In the absence of any compelling policy development to explain the surge, we are left with the Bradley Effect, the theory created to explain why an African-American candidate lost the 1982 race for Governor of California despite having a massive lead in the polls.
The details of the Bradley Effect later, first some numbers from this week’s Essential Report.
