Important election issues
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
| First | Second | Third | Total | 6 June 11 | 24 Jan 11 | 11 Oct 10 | 25 Jan 10 | |
| Management of the economy | 39% | 16% | 7% | 62% | 61% | 65% | 62% | 63% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 4% | 8% | 10% | 22% | 26% | 26% | 32% | 23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 12% | 18% | 17% | 47% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
| Protecting the environment | 4% | 5% | 4% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 16% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 3% | 4% | 4% | 11% | 8% | 10% | 11% | * |
| Political leadership | 7% | 6% | 5% | 18% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 23% |
| Addressing climate change | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% | 15% | 10% | 11% | 16% |
| Controlling interest rates | 2% | 4% | 5% | 11% | 13% | 21% | 17% | 15% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 11% | 12% | 13% | 36% | 32% | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | * | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 12% |
| Housing affordability | 3% | 4% | 6% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 14% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 3% | 5% | 8% | 16% | 17% | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 1% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 8% | 5% | 6% | 9% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 2% | 3% | 3% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 5% | * |
| Managing population growth | 1% | 3% | 4% | 8% | 12% | 11% | 10% | * |
*Not asked
62% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 47% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 36% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
Since June, there have been only minor changes in these figures – there has been an increase in the importance of Australian jobs and protection of local industries (+4%) and declines in the importance of addressing climate change (-5%), ensuring a quality education for all children (-4%), managing population growth (-4%) and security and the war on terrorism (-4%).
Return to Surplus
Q. Do you think it is more important for the Government to return the budget to surplus by 2012/13 as planned – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – OR should they delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure?
| April 4 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Return to surplus by 2012/13, cut services, raise taxes | 14% | 13% | 13% | 19% | 7% |
| Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure | 69% | 71% | 76% | 68% | 82% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 15% | 11% | 13% | 11% |
13% support the return to surplus by 2012/13 if it means cutting services and raising taxes and 69% think the Government should delay the return to surplus and maintain services and investment. Opinions are unchanged since this question was asked in April.
No more than 19% of any demographic or voter group supported the return to surplus by 2012/13.
Measures Government should take to Return to Surplus
Q. In order to meet their commitment to return to surplus in 2012-13, which measures should the Government take?
| April 4 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Increase taxes for big corporations | 63% | 72% | 81% | 65% | 86% |
| Reduce tax breaks for high income earners | 51% | 59% | 63% | 57% | 64% |
| Reduce defence spending | 32% | 37% | 32% | 37% | 67% |
| Cut “middle class welfare” such as the Baby Bonus, first home buyers grant and Family Tax Benefit payments | 36% | 35% | 31% | 40% | 29% |
| Cut spending on unemployment and disability benefits | 21% | 21% | 15% | 28% | 13% |
| It does not need to return to surplus so quickly | 38% | 58% | 65% | 56% | 61% |
The most favoured measures for returning the budget to surplus were increasing taxes for big corporations (72%) and reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (59%).
Labor voters were more likely to support increasing taxes for big corporations (81%).
Liberal/National voters were more likely to support cutting spending on unemployment and welfare benefits (28%), and cutting “middle class welfare” (40%).
Since this question was last asked in April, support has increased for increasing taxes for big corporations (+9%) and reducing tax breaks for high income earners (+8%).
However, the major change since April has been a substantial increase in support for the position that the Government does not need to return to surplus so quickly – up 20% to 58%. This position is supported by 65% of Labor voters and 56% of Liberal/National voters.
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 = 1,888 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% | 32% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 12% | 10% | 11% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 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.
Opinion of Government Decisions
Q. Thinking about some of the major decisions the Federal Government has made over recent years, do you think the following decisions have been good for Australia or bad for Australia?
| Total good | Total Bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| Introducing the GST | 39% | 30% | 10% | 29% | 24% | 17% | 13% | 7% |
| Privatising Qantas | 23% | 44% | 4% | 19% | 20% | 31% | 13% | 13% |
| Privatising Telstra | 20% | 53% | 4% | 16% | 16% | 32% | 21% | 10% |
| Privatising the Commonwealth Bank | 26% | 42% | 7% | 19% | 19% | 25% | 17% | 13% |
| Floating the dollar | 46% | 11% | 13% | 33% | 22% | 7% | 4% | 21% |
| Free trade agreements | 41% | 21% | 11% | 30% | 21% | 13% | 8% | 18% |
| Compulsory superannuation | 79% | 7% | 42% | 37% | 10% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Medibank (now Medicare) | 76% | 6% | 38% | 38% | 12% | 4% | 2% | 6% |
Only the Government decisions to introduce compulsory superannuation (79%) and Medibank (76%) were considered good for Australia by a majority of respondents – although opinions of floating the dollar (46% good/11% bad), free trade agreements (41%/21%) and the GST (39%/30%) were more likely to be positive than negative.
The decisions to privatize three major national enterprises were more likely to be considered bad. Although Labor voters were more negative about privatisations, Liberal/National voters were also more likely to describe them bad for Australia – Qantas 47% bad/34% good, Telstra 49%/29% and Commonwealth Bank 38%/36%.
47% of Labor voters thought the introduction of the GST was bad while 50% of Liberal/National voters thought it was good.
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.
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.
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 = 1909 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 46% | 45% | 45% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 32% | 32% | 33% | 33% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 10% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 56% | 55% | 55% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 44% | 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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