Commonwealth Bank, ER, Essential Report, Federal Government, GST, Privatising Medicare, Qantas, superannuation, Telstra, trade protection
Q. Would you support or oppose the Federal Government taking any of the following decisions –
| Total support | Total oppose | Strongly support | Support | Oppose | Strongly oppose | Don’t know | |
| Abolishing the GST | 35% | 43% | 14% | 21% | 24% | 19% | 21% |
| Buying back Qantas | 43% | 34% | 13% | 30% | 23% | 11% | 22% |
| Buying back Telstra | 47% | 33% | 16% | 31% | 22% | 11% | 20% |
| Buying back the Commonwealth Bank | 41% | 36% | 13% | 28% | 24% | 12% | 23% |
| Regulating the dollar | 32% | 36% | 10% | 22% | 22% | 14% | 32% |
| Increasing trade protection | 59% | 20% | 20% | 39% | 13% | 7% | 21% |
| Making superannuation voluntary | 24% | 64% | 9% | 15% | 26% | 38% | 13% |
| Privatising Medicare | 11% | 74% | 4% | 7% | 26% | 48% | 17% |
When asked whether these decisions should be reversed, 59% supported increasing trade protection and 47% supported buying back Telstra. There was very strong opposition to privatizing Medicare (74%) and making superannuation voluntary (64%). No other issues had clear majority support or opposition.
Liberal/National voters supported buying back Telstra (47% to 39%), were split on Qantas (43%/41%), but opposed buying back the Commonwealth Bank (39%/44%).
Although Coalition voters were more likely to think free trade agreements were good for Australia (41%/25%), they were also more likely than Labor voters to support increasing trade protection (64%/19%) – 59% of Labor voters supported more trade protection and 21% opposed.
2PP, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, two party preferred, voting, 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 = 1,905 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 45% | 45% | 45% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 49% | 48% | 48% | 48% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 32% | 33% | 33% | 33% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 55% | 55% | 55% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 45% | 45% | 45% |
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.
ALP, Approval of Julia Gillard, ER, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, Labor, PM, Prime Minister
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?
| 19 Jul | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | 9 May | 14 June | 11 July | 15 Aug | 12 Sept | 17 Oct | |
| Total approve | 52% | 43% | 51% | 48% | 41% | 37% | 41% | 34% | 29% | 35% | 28% | 34% |
| Total disapprove | 30% | 40% | 36% | 41% | 46% | 50% | 48% | 54% | 62% | 55% | 64% | 59% |
| Strongly approve | 11% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| Approve | 41% | 33% | 43% | 39% | 34% | 30% | 34% | 28% | 24% | 29% | 23% | 27% |
| Disapprove | 17% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% | 26% | 29% | 30% | 24% | 28% | 27% |
| Strongly disapprove | 13% | 16% | 12% | 16% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% | 32% | 31% | 36% | 32% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 17% | 14% | 11% | 13% | 13% | 11% | 13% | 9% | 11% | 8% | 7% |
After dropping last month Julia Gillard’s approval rating has improved this month. 34% (up 6%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 59% (down 5%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -36 to -25 over the last 5 weeks.
74% of Labor voters approve (up 8%) and 21% disapprove (down 5%).
By gender – men 36% approve/60% disapprove, women 32% approve/58% disapprove.
Approval of Tony Abbott, ER, Essential Report, Opposition leader, tony abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
| 18 Jan
2010 |
5 Jul | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | 9 May | 14 June | 11 July | 15 Aug | 12 Sept | 17 Oct | |
| Total approve | 37% | 37% | 39% | 42% | 38% | 38% | 36% | 42% | 38% | 39% | 37% | 39% | 40% |
| Total disapprove | 37% | 47% | 39% | 37% | 46% | 47% | 48% | 44% | 48% | 49% | 50% | 50% | 51% |
| Strongly approve | 5% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 8% |
| Approve | 32% | 29% | 30% | 35% | 30% | 31% | 29% | 34% | 32% | 33% | 29% | 31% | 32% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 23% | 21% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 24% | 25% | 23% | 23% |
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 24% | 18% | 15% | 22% | 23% | 23% | 19% | 23% | 25% | 25% | 27% | 28% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 16% | 22% | 20% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 14% | 15% | 11% | 13% | 11% | 9% |
Tony Abbott’s approval rating has been at a similar level for the past 5 months. 40% (up 1%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 51% (up 1%) disapprove – no change in his net rating of -11 over the last 5 weeks.
78% (up 4%) of Coalition voters approve and 16% (down 2%) disapprove.
By gender – men 44% approve/50% disapprove, women 36% approve/52% disapprove.
Better Prime Minister, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Julia Gillard, Labor, Liberals, PM, Prime Minister, tony abbott
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott?
| 5 Jul 2010 | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | 9 May | 14 June | 11 July | 15 Aug | 12 Sept | 17 Oct | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Julia Gillard | 53% | 47% | 48% | 44% | 42% | 43% | 41% | 37% | 38% | 36% | 38% | 82% | 4% | 85% |
| Tony Abbott | 26% | 32% | 31% | 33% | 33% | 35% | 36% | 39% | 36% | 40% | 39% | 2% | 82% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 21% | 21% | 20% | 23% | 24% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 26% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 14% | 11% |
38% believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 39% prefer Tony Abbott – a net improvement for Julia Gillard of 3% on last month’s figures (from -4% to -1%).
Men prefer Tony Abbott 42%/38% and women favour Julia Gillard 38%/36%.
carbon pollution, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, ER, Essential Report, Greens, industries, Labor, Liberals
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s proposal 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?
| 7 March | 18 April | 23 May | 14 June | 18 July | 1 Aug | 19 Sep | 17 Oct | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 39% | 66% | 15% | 80% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 24% | 81% | 16% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 25% | 2% | 45% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 25% | 41% | 13% | 35% |
| Oppose | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 14% | 19% | 10% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 34% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 36% | 10% | 62% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 4% | 3% |
Views on the carbon pricing scheme have changed very little since June. 39% support the scheme (up 2% since September) and 53% oppose (up 1%).
The only demographic group to support the scheme were aged under 35’s – 46% support/43% oppose. Among those aged 55+, 33% support and 63% oppose.
asylum seekers, ER, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, leaders, Malaysia solution, political leaders, tony abbott
Q. Regardless of how you vote, what words would you use to describe the positions taken by Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott on the issue of asylum seekers, including the recent attempt at legislating the deal with Malaysia?
| Julia Gillard | Tony Abbott | Difference | |
| Just playing politics | 46% | 47% | -1 |
| Stubborn | 26% | 20% | +6 |
| Unethical | 24% | 14% | +10 |
| Too soft | 21% | 7% | +14 |
| Populist | 13% | 14% | -1 |
| Cruel | 13% | 9% | +4 |
| Responsible | 11% | 16% | -5 |
| Fair | 10% | 15% | -5 |
| Too hard | 10% | 6% | +4 |
| Balanced | 7% | 11% | -4 |
| Principled | 6% | 11% | -5 |
| Visionary | 6% | 5% | +1 |
Nearly half the respondents believe that both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have been “just playing politics” over the issue of asylum seekers.
The main differences between the leaders positions on asylum seekers were that Julia Gillard was more likely to be considered “too soft” (21% to 7%) and “unethical” (24% to 14%). Julia Gillard was also a little more likely to be considered “stubborn” (26% to 20%).
Australian economy, Economic Prosperity, economy, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Prosperity
Q. Which one of the following do you believe will be the most important factor in Australia’s economic prosperity over the next 20 years?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| A strong resources sector | 29% | 29% | 35% | 18% |
| Continued growth in China and India | 21% | 23% | 22% | 24% |
| Investment in skills | 20% | 22% | 16% | 23% |
| Prioritising innovation and technology | 18% | 18% | 13% | 31% |
| A strong banking and finance sector | 12% | 9% | 13% | 5% |
29% believe that a strong resources sector will be the most important factor in Australia’s economic prosperity over the next 20 years and 21% nominate the continued growth in China and India. Labor and Coalition voters were more likely to niominate “a strong resources sector” while 31% of Greens voters nominated “prioritising innovation and technology”.
Those on higher incomes were more likely to nominate “a strong resources sector “ – 36% of those on income $1,600+ pw.
There were no major differences by age group.