Foreign aid budget
Q. As far as you know, about how much of the Federal budget is spent on foreign aid?
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
Jul 2011 |
|||
Less than 1% |
13% |
14% |
10% |
31% |
17% |
7% |
||
About 1% |
11% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
8% |
8% |
||
About 2% |
14% |
14% |
18% |
8% |
9% |
17% |
||
About 5% |
10% |
10% |
11% |
11% |
14% |
11% |
||
More than 5% |
9% |
11% |
8% |
7% |
16% |
16% |
||
Don’t know |
43% |
39% |
41% |
32% |
35% |
41% |
19% (down 8% since July 2011) think Australia spends 5% or more of the Federal Budget on foreign aid – 24% (up 9%) think it is 1% or less. 43% could not give an estimate.
The majority of respondents who gave an answer over-estimated how much Australia spends on foreign aid – the actual figure for the 2014-15 budget was less than 1%.
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 = 1,899 respondents
First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
2 weeks ago | Last week
|
This week |
Liberal | 45% | 45% | 44% | |
National | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 48% | 47% |
Labor | 38.0% | 35% | 35% | 34% |
Greens | 11.8% | 9% | 10% | 10% |
Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 7% | 8% |
2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 54% | 54% |
Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 46% | 46% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from 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.
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 = 1,896 respondents
First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
Last week
|
This week |
Liberal | 45% | 45% | |
National | 3% | 3% | |
Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 48% |
Labor | 38.0% | 35% | 35% |
Greens | 11.8% | 9% | 10% |
Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 7% |
2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
Last week | This week |
Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 54% |
Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 46% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from 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.
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 = 1,899 respondents
First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
Last poll
(19.12.11) |
This week |
Liberal | 45% | 45% | |
National | 3% | 3% | |
Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 47% | 48% |
Labor | 38.0% | 35% | 35% |
Greens | 11.8% | 9% | 9% |
Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 8% |
2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
Last poll | This week |
Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 54% |
Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 46% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from 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.
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 = 1,869
First preference/leaning to | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
Liberal | 39% | 41% | 42% | 42% | 42% |
National | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 3% |
Total Lib/Nat | 41% | 44% | 46% | 45% | 45% |
Labor | 40% | 41% | 39% | 39% | 38% |
Greens | 10% | 8% | 8% | 10% | 10% |
Other/Independent | 9% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
2PP | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week
|
This week |
Total Lib/Nat | 48% | 50% | 51% | 51% | 51% |
Labor | 52% | 50% | 49% | 49% | 49% |
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 | 5 Jul | 19 Jul | 26 Jul | 2 Aug | 9 Aug | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | |
Total approve | 41% | 48% | 52% | 49% | 46% | 45% | 46% | 45% | 45% | 43% |
Total disapprove | 47% | 27% | 30% | 33% | 38% | 40% | 40% | 37% | 37% | 38% |
Strongly approve | 7% | 14% | 11% | 12% | 10% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 7% |
Approve | 34% | 34% | 41% | 37% | 36% | 32% | 33% | 33% | 36% | 36% |
Disapprove | 25% | 13% | 17% | 19% | 23% | 24% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 23% |
Strongly disapprove | 22% | 14% | 13% | 14% | 15% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 15% |
Don’t know | 12% | 26% | 18% | 17% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 18% |
43% (down 2%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 38% (up 1%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +8 to +5.
87% of Labor voters approve and 4% disapprove.
By gender – men 39% approve/44% disapprove, women 47% approve/33% disapprove. Men have shifted from a net rating of +4 to -5 while women have changed from +10 to +14.
Approval of Tony Abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
18 Jan | 22 Feb | 29 Mar | 3 May | 31 May | 5 Jul | 2 Aug | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | |
Total approve | 37% | 45% | 33% | 39% | 35% | 37% | 38% | 41% | 43% | 39% | 40% |
Total disapprove | 37% | 36% | 50% | 43% | 50% | 47% | 48% | 44% | 37% | 45% | 40% |
Strongly approve | 5% | 12% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 6% |
Approve | 32% | 33% | 25% | 34% | 30% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 34% |
Disapprove | 20% | 20% | 28% | 24% | 28% | 23% | 27% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% |
Strongly disapprove | 17% | 16% | 22% | 19% | 22% | 24% | 21% | 22% | 16% | 23% | 18% |
Don’t know | 26% | 18% | 16% | 18% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 15% | 19% | 17% | 19% |
40% (up 1%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 40% (down 5%) disapprove – a shift from a net rating from -6 to level.
78% of Coalition voters approve and 12% disapprove.
By gender – men 46% approve/38% disapprove, women 35% approve/43% disapprove. Men have shifted from a net rating of -7 to +8 while women have changed from -4 to -8.
Better Prime Minister
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott?
5 Jul 10 | 19 Jul 10 | 26 Jul 10 | 2 Aug 10 | 9 Aug 10 | 16 Aug 10 | 20 Sep 10 | 18 Oct 10 | 22 Nov 10 | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Kevin Rudd v Tony Abbott
21 Jun 10 |
||
Julia Gillard | 53% | 50% | 51% | 48% | 45% | 46% | 47% | 49% | 45% | 94% | 6% | 76% | 47% | |
Tony Abbott | 26% | 27% | 26% | 30% | 33% | 35% | 35% | 33% | 34% | 1% | 78% | 3% | 30% | |
Don’t know | 21% | 23% | 23% | 22% | 21% | 19% | 18% | 17% | 21% | 5% | 17% | 21% | 23% |
45% (down 4%) believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 34% (up 1%) prefer Tony Abbott – a closing of the gap from 16% to 11% since last month’s figures.
Men favour Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott 41%/40% and women 49%/28%.

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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