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  • Oct, 2011

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    Reversing Past Government Decisions

    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.

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  • Oct, 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 = 1,905  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.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Approval of Julia Gillard

    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.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Approval of 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.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Better Prime Minister

    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%.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Carbon Tax

    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.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Descriptions of Leaders

    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%).

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Economic 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.

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