balance of power, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Independents, Independents in parliament, Labor, leadership, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the independents and Greens holding the balance of power in Parliament has been good or bad for Australia?
| 7 Mar 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 27% | 28% | 40% | 11% | 77% |
| Total bad | 41% | 39% | 19% | 68% | 6% |
| Very good | 7% | 9% | 11% | 3% | 40% |
| Good | 20% | 19% | 29% | 8% | 37% |
| Neither good nor bad | 33% | 33% | 41% | 21% | 17% |
| Bad | 22% | 21% | 13% | 33% | 5% |
| Very bad | 19% | 18% | 6% | 35% | 1% |
28% of respondents think the independents and Greens holding the balance of power in Parliament has been good for Australia and 39% bad. This is very similar to the results obtained for this question in March. The only substantial change is that Labor voters are now more positive – in March they responded 33% good/25% bad.
2PP, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, two party preferred, voting, 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 = 1,893
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 44% | 43% | 44% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 47% | 46% | 46% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 35% | 36% | 34% | 34% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 9% | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 52% | 53% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 48% | 47% | 46% |
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.
corporate interests, Essential Media, Essential Report, ethnic communities, federal politics, generation, Greens, indigenous, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, pensioners, Polling, polls, regional, rural, self-employed, small business, students, voter interests, welfare, working families
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Families with young children | 34% | 31% | 5% | 29% |
| Students | 30% | 28% | 10% | 33% |
| Working people on average incomes | 40% | 32% | 5% | 23% |
| Working people on low incomes | 43% | 27% | 6% | 24% |
| Working people on high incomes | 13% | 63% | 2% | 22% |
| People on welfare | 38% | 23% | 8% | 30% |
| Pensioners | 33% | 28% | 5% | 34% |
| Small businesses and self-employed | 20% | 47% | 4% | 29% |
| Big business | 13% | 62% | 2% | 23% |
| The next generation of Australians | 19% | 31% | 17% | 33% |
| Indigenous people | 23% | 21% | 16% | 40% |
| Ethnic communities | 22% | 21% | 15% | 42% |
| Rural and regional Australians | 18% | 34% | 11% | 36% |
The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered best at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business, small business and self-employed, rural and regional Australians and the next generation. The Greens’ main strengths are in representing the next generation, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
There was little difference between the major parties in terms of representing the interests of families with young children, students, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
approval, Bill Shorten, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Greg Combet, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, preferred PM, Voting intention, Wayne Swan
Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Labor Party?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Julia Gillard | 23% | 51% | 10% | 26% |
| Kevin Rudd | 32% | 31% | 31% | 31% |
| Wayne Swan | 2% | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| Greg Combet | 4% | 5% | 3% | 6% |
| Bill Shorten | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% |
| Someone else | 19% | 5% | 31% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 5% | 18% | 19% |
32% think Kevin Rudd would make the best leader of the Labor Party and 23% prefer Julia Gillard. Julia Gillard is preferred by 51% of Labor voters compared to 31% for Kevin Rudd. Men prefer Kevin Rudd over Julia Gillard 34% to 21% and women by 30% to 25%.
Andrew Robb, Approval of opposition leader, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Joe Hockey, Julie Bishop, Labor, leadership, Liberal, malcolm turnbull, Nationals, Polling, polls, tony abbott, Voting intention
Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Liberal Party?
| 27 Sep 2010 | 28 Feb 2011 | 30 May 2011 | ||||
| Total | Total | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Tony Abbott | 26% | 24% | 22% | 10% | 40% | 7% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 20% | 18% | 25% | 35% | 19% | 33% |
| Joe Hockey | 15% | 16% | 17% | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| Julie Bishop | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 1% |
| Andrew Robb | na | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Someone else | na | 14% | 13% | 17% | 7% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 33% | 22% | 19% | 20% | 8% | 22% |
25% (+7%) think Malcolm Turnbull would make the best leader of the Liberal Party, 22% (-3%) prefer Tony Abbott and 17% (+1%) Joe Hockey.
Among Liberal/National voters, 40% prefer Tony Abbott, 22% Joe Hockey and 19% Malcolm Turnbull.
Malcolm Turnbull is preferred by 25% of men and 24% of women, Tony Abbott by 24% of men and 19% of women.
climate change, earth’s climate, environment, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you agree that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Nov 09 | Dec 10 | ||
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 52% | 71% | 34% | 78% | 53% | 45% | |
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 36% | 20% | 54% | 14% | 34% | 36% | |
| Don’t know | 12% | 8% | 12% | 8% | 13% | 19% |
52% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 36% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is a significant increase in the belief that climate change is happening and caused by human activity since December last year (and a return to the levels recorded in November 2009).
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 64%/24% and those aged 55+ split 47%/48%.
Carbon Pricing, Carbon Tax, environment, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, tax
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s recent announcement 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 | 14 March | 28 March | 18 April | 23 May | 30 May | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 34% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 62% | 17% | 62% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 51% | 49% | 44% | 48% | 22% | 73% | 23% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 26% | 4% | 29% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 36% | 13% | 33% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 13% | 23% | 17% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 32% | 34% | 29% | 29% | 9% | 50% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 15% | 16% | 11% | 14% |
38% support the Government’s proposed carbon pricing scheme and 48% oppose. Although a change from last week’s figures this is much the same as recorded in the April poll. It is supported by 62% of Labor and Greens voters but opposed by 73% of coalition voters.
By age, those aged under 35 split 44% support/35% oppose, and those aged 55+ split 33% support/58% oppose.
For those who believe that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity 60% support and 24% oppose. For those who believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate 13% support and 80% oppose
Carbon Tax, Election, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, tax
Q. Do you think the Government should call an early election over the carbon tax?
| 28 March | 31 May | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Yes | 40% | 42% | 15% | 71% | 18% |
| No | 44% | 42% | 68% | 19% | 66% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 16% | 17% | 11% | 16% |
42% think the Government should call an early election over the carbon tax and 42% disagree. This is similar to the views recorded in the previous poll in March and is strongly associated with voting intention.