Government support for Qantas
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of the Federal Government taking any of the following actions on Qantas?
|
Total approve |
Total disapprove |
|
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Disapprove |
Strongly disapprove |
Don’t know |
|
| Buy a share of Qantas |
49% |
30% |
12% |
37% |
19% |
11% |
21% |
|
| Guarantee Qantas loans |
45% |
32% |
8% |
37% |
21% |
11% |
22% |
|
| Nationalise Qantas, i.e. the Government has full ownership and control |
36% |
42% |
11% |
25% |
24% |
18% |
22% |
|
| Provide direct funding and subsidies |
35% |
42% |
7% |
28% |
27% |
15% |
23% |
|
| Allow increased foreign ownership of Qantas |
31% |
52% |
6% |
25% |
25% |
27% |
16% |
Overall, respondents approved the Government buying a share of Qantas (49% approve/30% disapprove) and guaranteeing Qantas loans (45%/32%).
They tended to disapprove of allowing increased foreign ownership (31% approve/52% disapprove), providing direct funding (35%/42%) and nationalising Qantas (36%/42%).
Liberal/National voters were more likely to disapprove of all forms of assistance except allowing increased foreign ownership (40% approve/48% disapprove).
Welfare payments
Q. Overall, do you think the Federal Government spends too much, not enough or about the right amount on welfare payments – such as age pensions, disability support pensions, unemployment benefits, parenting payments?
|
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Too much |
24% |
12% |
36% |
18% |
25% |
|
| Not enough |
41% |
56% |
27% |
47% |
40% |
|
| About right |
27% |
27% |
29% |
29% |
27% |
|
| Don’t know |
9% |
5% |
9% |
7% |
8% |
41% think the Government does not spend enough on welfare payments, 27% think spending is about right and 24% think it spends too much.
Those most likely to think it spends too much were Liberal/National voters (36%), full-time workers (33%) and those on income over $1,600pw (34%).
Those most likely to think it doesn’t spend enough were Labor voters (56%) and those on incomes under $600pw (64%).
Responsibility for gas/electricity prices
Q. Who do you think is mainly responsible for electricity and gas prices?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| The Federal Government |
27% |
17% |
40% |
15% |
| The State Government |
16% |
18% |
14% |
18% |
| The power companies |
45% |
54% |
37% |
56% |
| Don’t know |
13% |
11% |
9% |
11% |
45% believe that power companies are mainly responsible for electricity and gas prices, 27% think the Federal Government is mainly responsible and 16% State Governments.
40% of Liberal/National voters think the Federal Government is mainly responsible. Answers were similar across the major states – NSW, Victoria, Queensland.
Responsibility for Power Prices
Q. Who do you think is mainly responsible for electricity and gas prices?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Increased a lot |
Increased a moderate amount |
Increased a little |
Stayed the same or decreased |
|
| The Federal Government |
28% |
16% |
40% |
18% |
40% |
22% |
19% |
22% |
| The State Government |
23% |
27% |
21% |
28% |
23% |
28% |
21% |
18% |
| The power companies |
37% |
50% |
28% |
42% |
32% |
42% |
44% |
38% |
| Don’t know |
12% |
7% |
10% |
12% |
6% |
9% |
17% |
21% |
37% think the power companies are mainly responsible for electricity and gas prices, 28% think the Federal Government is mainly responsible and 23% think the State Governments are mainly responsible.
Those who think power prices have increased a lot are more likely to think the Federal Government is mainly responsible (40%), while those who think prices have increased a moderate amount, a little or not at all think the power companies are mainly responsible.
50% of Labor voters think the power companies are mainly responsible and 40% of Liberal/National voters think the Federal Government is mainly responsible.
Approval of Accepting all Recommendations
Q. The Federal Government and the Opposition have agreed to implement all of these recommendations. Do you approve or disapprove of implementing all the recommendations of the panel?
|
Total
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total approve |
62% |
65% |
70% |
34% |
| Total disapprove |
21% |
22% |
16% |
56% |
| Strongly approve |
17% |
17% |
22% |
3% |
| Approve |
45% |
48% |
48% |
31% |
| Disapprove |
16% |
19% |
12% |
33% |
| Strongly disapprove |
5% |
3% |
4% |
23% |
| Don’t know |
16% |
13% |
13% |
10% |
62% approved of implementing all of the panel’s recommendations – 65% of Labor voters, 70% of Liberal/National voters but only 34% of Greens voters.
Those most likely to approve were men (68%), aged 55+ (75%) and those on incomes under $600pw (70%).
Correction: We have been advised that the Coalition has not formally responded to each the recommendations of the Houston Panel. Our question was framed soon after the release of the expert panel’s report when it appeared that the Coalition would accept the panel’s recommendations. Therefore, the responses to this question may not accurately represent public opinion.
Approval of Overseas Workers
Q. The Federal Government recently gave approval to Gina Rinehart’s mining company to bring in 1,700 overseas workers. Do you approve or disapprove of overseas workers being brought in to work in Australia’s mining industry?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total approve |
16% |
20% |
19% |
10% |
| Total disapprove |
60% |
55% |
61% |
58% |
| Strongly approve |
3% |
3% |
3% |
5% |
| Approve |
13% |
17% |
16% |
5% |
| Neither approve nor disapprove |
20% |
23% |
18% |
30% |
| Disapprove |
25% |
27% |
25% |
30% |
| Strongly disapprove |
35% |
28% |
36% |
28% |
| Don’t know |
5% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
16% approve of the Government’s approval for Gina Rinehart’s mining company to bring in 1,700 overseas workers and 60% disapprove.
A majority of all voter groups disapproved.
Highest approval came from men (20%), full-time workers (20%) and respondents aged 65+ (21%).
Government Responsibilities
Q. Which of the following should be mainly the responsibility of the Federal Government and which should be mainly the responsibility of the State Governments – or should they have equal responsibility?
|
Mainly Federal |
Mainly State |
Both equally |
Don’t know |
|
| Constructing new roads and highways |
20% |
27% |
49% |
4% |
| Investing in public transport |
9% |
57% |
31% |
3% |
| Improving the health system |
46% |
8% |
42% |
3% |
| Improving the education system |
40% |
12% |
44% |
4% |
| Managing mining projects and mining profits |
45% |
17% |
30% |
7% |
| Investing in regional areas |
15% |
41% |
40% |
4% |
| Managing the environment |
35% |
9% |
52% |
4% |
| Managing our water resources |
26% |
21% |
49% |
4% |
| Addressing climate change |
42% |
3% |
47% |
8% |
| Industrial relations issues |
37% |
15% |
42% |
5% |
Issues which were considered mainly Federal responsibilities were the health system, mining projects/profits, climate change and education.
Public transport and regional investment were considered to be more the responsibilities of the State Governments.
The environment, managing water resources and constructing new roads and highways were more likely to be considered a shared responsibility.
Size of Government
Q. Overall, do you think Government in Australia is too large and tries to do too much?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Government is too large |
44% |
32% |
55% |
32% |
| Government is not too large |
28% |
44% |
20% |
31% |
| Don’t know |
28% |
24% |
25% |
37% |
44% think that Government in Australia is too large and tries to do too much and 28% think it is not too large.
Those most likely to think Government is too large were men (55%), aged 55+ (58%), and Liberal/National voters (55%).
Those most likely to think Government is not too large were aged under 35 (36%) and Labor voters (44%).
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