Australian companies, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online products, online purchasing, overseas companies, products
If bought online in last 12 months –
Q. Which of the following products have you purchased on-line from Australian or overseas companies in last 12 months?
| Purchased from Australian companies | Purchased from overseas companies | Not purchased | |
| Books | 34% | 25% | 50% |
| Music and video | 36% | 19% | 52% |
| Clothing and shoes | 37% | 18% | 54% |
| Computers and computer accessories | 35% | 19% | 55% |
| Cameras | 11% | 6% | 85% |
| Electrical appliances | 25% | 8% | 69% |
| Furniture | 12% | 2% | 86% |
| Wine and food | 27% | 4% | 70% |
| Other products | 52% | 28% | 37% |
* Note – percentages are based on the respondents who said they bought online in the last 12 months.
Of those who had bought online, the most common purchases were books (50%), music and video (48%) clothing and shoes (46%) and computers and accessories (45%).
Respondents were more likely to buy products online from Australian companies – for most products, they were about twice as likely to buy from Australian companies as from overseas companies.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, online purchasing, voter interests
If bought online in last 12 months –
Q. How important are the following as reasons for you buying online?
| Very important | Quite important | A little important | Not important | Don’t know | |
| Cheaper price | 60% | 29% | 9% | 2% | 1% |
| More choice | 45% | 35% | 15% | 4% | 1% |
| More convenient | 50% | 32% | 13% | 4% | 1% |
* Note – percentages are based on the respondents who said they bought online in the last 12 months.
60% said the cheaper price was very important in their decision to buy online, 50% said convenience was very important and 45% choice.
Of those who bought online more than six times, 66% say price is very important, 63% convenience and 56% choice.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online purchasing, voter interests
Q. In the last 12 months, have you ever looked at items or products in a store, then bought it on line?
Q. In the last 12 months, have you ever looked at items or products on line, then bought it at a store (i.e. an actual shop or store, not an “online store”)?
| Looked at store, bought on-line | 49% |
| Looked on-line, bought at store | 61% |
49% of all respondents said they had looked at products in a store, then bought online – while 61% said they had looked online, then bought at a store.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online purchasing, overseas companies, voter interests
Q. Currently GST is not charged on on-line purchases of less than $1,000 from overseas companies. Would you approve or disapprove GST being applied to on-line purchases of less than $1,000 from overseas companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 18% | 17% | 22% | 19% |
| Total disapprove | 71% | 74% | 67% | 73% |
| Strongly approve | 6% | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Approve | 12% | 9% | 16% | 14% |
| Disapprove | 23% | 22% | 25% | 19% |
| Strongly disapprove | 48% | 52% | 42% | 54% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 9% | 11% | 8% |
71% disapprove of GST being applied to on-line purchases of less than $1,000 from overseas companies and 18% approve.
Strongest disapproval is shown by women (74%), Labor voters (74%), Greens voters (73%) and age groups 35-44 (77%) and 25-34 (74%).
74% of online shoppers disapprove and 17% approve – while for those who buy online more often (more than six times a year) 80% disapprove and 12% approve.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online purchasing, voter interests
Q. Governments often need to consider the interests of a number of stakeholders when making decisions, including those of corporate interests. In general, do you think when governments make decisions, they –
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total favour corporate interests | 60% | 64% | 55% | 76% |
| Total favour voter interests | 9% | 4% | 14% | 2% |
| Very strongly favour corporate interests | 26% | 27% | 20% | 40% |
| Somewhat favour corporate interests | 34% | 37% | 35% | 36% |
| Balance the interests of voters and corporate interests | 19% | 21% | 22% | 15% |
| Somewhat favour the interests of voters | 5% | 2% | 9% | – |
| Very strongly favour the interests of voters | 4% | 2% | 5% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 8% | 6% |
60% of respondents think that governments in general make decisions in favour of corporate interests. 9% think they make decisions in favour of voter interests and 19% think they balance the interests of voters and corporations.
By gender – men split 56% corporate interests, 12% voters interests, 24% balanced and women 65% corporate, 4% voters, 15% balanced.
EMC, Essential Report, peter lewis, political reporting, political research, Politics, Polling, polls, The Drum
First Published on The Drum 21/12/2010
If our politicians are feeling bloody and bruised after a torrid year of spills and thrills, spare a thought for the one group on the national stage that had a harder time of it in 2010 – the humble pollster.
This was the year when hand wringing about the malign impact of political research became a national sport; if there was a problem with politics, political research was the cause. We were to blame for the uninspiring election campaign; for the dumbing down of political reporting; for robbing the ALP of its soul.
So as a purveyor of the Dark Art I want to end the year with a plea for understanding for the minority group I am part of, stealing the catchcry of the Shooters Lobby in the 1990s to proudly declare ‘polls don’t kill people, people kill people’.
Before doing so, I will readily admit that political research can be put to poor use – running focus groups to get ‘permission’ from the electorate to pursue particular policies is to misunderstand the point of such research.
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2PP, EMC, ER, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, two party preferred, 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 = 1,909
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 42% | 42% | 43% | 43% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 45% | 45% | 46% | 46% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 38% | 38% | 37% | 38% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 10% | 11% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 8% | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week
|
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 51% | 51% | 52% | 52% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
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.