Government decisions
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the following decisions the Federal Government has made over the last 12 months?
|
Total approve |
Total dis-approve |
Net |
|
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Dis-approve |
Strongly dis-approve |
No opinion |
|
| Turning back asylum seeker boats |
61% |
30% |
+31 |
37% |
24% |
15% |
15% |
10% |
|
| Freezing foreign aid at current levels |
58% |
27% |
+31 |
25% |
33% |
14% |
13% |
15% |
|
| Dumping the carbon tax |
53% |
34% |
+19 |
24% |
29% |
14% |
20% |
12% |
|
| Sending military aid to Iraq |
44% |
43% |
+1 |
12% |
32% |
20% |
23% |
13% |
|
| Dumping the mining tax |
41% |
42% |
-1 |
15% |
26% |
19% |
23% |
18% |
|
| A six-month wait for under-30’s before they can receive unemployment benefits |
38% |
52% |
-14 |
16% |
22% |
21% |
31% |
10% |
|
| Cutting public sector jobs |
34% |
52% |
-18 |
10% |
24% |
28% |
24% |
14% |
|
| Cutting $120 million in future funding to the ABC |
25% |
58% |
-33 |
11% |
14% |
28% |
30% |
17% |
|
| Increasing the pension age |
28% |
63% |
-35 |
9% |
19% |
28% |
35% |
9% |
|
| $7 co-payment for visits to the doctor |
27% |
66% |
-39 |
7% |
20% |
22% |
44% |
8% |
|
| Deregulating university fees |
22% |
63% |
-41 |
6% |
16% |
23% |
40% |
14% |
|
| Cutting $20 billion from future hospital funding to the states |
12% |
81% |
-69 |
4% |
8% |
27% |
54% |
8% |
The most approved Government decisions were turning back asylum seeker boats (61% approve), freezing foreign aid (58%) and dumping the carbon tax (53%). The most disapproved decisions were cutting $20 billion from hospital funding (81% disapprove), $7 co-payment for doctor visits (66%), deregulating university fees (63%) and increasing the pension age (63%).
Sending military aid to Iraq was approved by men (51% approve/39% disapprove) but disapproved by women (37% approve/47% disapprove).
The $7 co-payment was disapproved by 72% of those aged 45-64 and 71% of those earning less than $1,000 pw.
Deregulating university fees was disapproved by 77% of those aged 18-24.
Reason for cutting funding to ABC
Q. If the Federal Government cut funding to the ABC do you think it would be because:
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| The Government needs to reduce overall spending |
45% |
36% |
64% |
25% |
39% |
|
| The Government doesn’t like the ABC’s news coverage |
28% |
38% |
6% |
65% |
36% |
|
| The ABC has more than enough funding to do its job efficiently |
10% |
6% |
17% |
1% |
7% |
|
| Don’t know |
18% |
20% |
13% |
9% |
18% |
45% think that funding cuts to the ABC would be made because the Government needs to reduce overall spending and 28% think it would be because the Government doesn’t like the ABC’s news coverage.
Those more likely to think it would be because the Government doesn’t like the ABC’s news coverage were Greens voters (65%), Labor voters (38%), income less than $600pw (38%) and university educated (34%).
Same party in Government at State and Federal levels
Q. Do you think it is better to have the same party in Government at both State and Federal levels or do you think it is better to have different parties in Government at State and Federal levels?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Total Nov 13 |
|
| Same party in Government |
26% |
26% |
38% |
10% |
11% |
26% |
||
| Different parties in Government |
24% |
27% |
17% |
41% |
37% |
22% |
||
| Makes no difference |
36% |
36% |
34% |
33% |
40% |
40% |
||
| Don’t know |
13% |
11% |
11% |
15% |
12% |
12% |
36% think it doesn’t make any difference whether the parties in Government at State and Federal levels are different or the same. 26% think it is better if they are the same and 24% think it would be better if they were different. These figures have changed little since this question was asked in November.
Labor voters were a little more likely to favour different parties while Liberal/National voters were more likely to favour having the same party in power at both levels.
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.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Views towards reopening international borders
- Views towards state border closures
- Comprehension and confidence in PM’s plan to ‘safely reopen’ Australia
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Necessity of mandatory vaccinations in specific situations
- Views towards easing restrictions for fully vaccinated people
Sign up for updates
Receive the Essential Report in your inbox.Essential Tags
Recent Comments
