Impact of Dollar on Industry
Q. The Australian dollar is now at $1.05 US and has been historically higher than the normal range of 60c-80c US. Is the high Australian dollar good or bad for the following industries?
Total good |
Total bad |
Very good |
Good |
Neither good nor bad |
Bad |
Very bad |
Don’t know |
|
Mining industry |
29% |
29% |
10% |
19% |
20% |
24% |
5% |
22% |
Farming & Grazing Industry |
16% |
49% |
4% |
12% |
16% |
36% |
13% |
19% |
Finance Industry |
38% |
15% |
9% |
29% |
25% |
12% |
3% |
21% |
Construction Industry |
24% |
26% |
4% |
20% |
28% |
22% |
4% |
23% |
Manufacturing industry |
15% |
50% |
3% |
12% |
14% |
29% |
21% |
20% |
Retail Industry |
23% |
47% |
6% |
17% |
14% |
30% |
17% |
16% |
Australian Tourism Industry |
20% |
56% |
8% |
12% |
10% |
31% |
25% |
14% |
Overall, respondents think that the high Australian dollar has only been good for the finance industry (38% good/15% bad).
They believe that it has been particularly bad for the tourism industry (20% good/56% bad), the manufacturing industry (15%/50%), the farming and grazing industry (16%/49%) and the retail industry (23%/47%)
On the mining industry, they were split 29% good/29% bad.
Importance of Industries for Providing Jobs
Q. How important are the following industries for providing jobs for Australians into the future?
Very important | Quite important | Somewhat important | Not very important | Don’t know | |
Mining | 64% | 24% | 7% | 2% | 3% |
Construction | 58% | 30% | 9% | 0% | 2% |
Manufacturing | 55% | 29% | 12% | 2% | 2% |
Tourism | 53% | 33% | 11% | 1% | 2% |
Retail | 47% | 35% | 13% | 2% | 2% |
Hospitality | 46% | 38% | 12% | 1% | 3% |
Finance | 39% | 38% | 18% | 3% | 3% |
Telecommunications | 39% | 37% | 18% | 3% | 3% |
Respondents regard the mining (64%), construction (58%) and manufacturing (55%) industries to be the most important for providing jobs for Australians in the future.
This was followed closely by the tourism (53%), retail (47%) and hospitality (46%) industries.
The finance (39%) and telecommunications (39%) industries are the most likely to be seen as only ‘somewhat important’ (18%) for providing jobs.
Australian Industries
Q. Thinking about Australian industries, how would you rate the current state of the following industries?
Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Poor | Very poor | |
Mining | 85% | 15% | 76% | 9% | 2% | 13% |
Construction | 77% | 23% | 47% | 30% | 7% | 16% |
Hospitality | 81% | 19% | 46% | 35% | 7% | 12% |
Tourism | 81% | 19% | 45% | 36% | 7% | 12% |
Finance | 76% | 24% | 44% | 32% | 8% | 16% |
Telecommunications | 78% | 22% | 43% | 35% | 11% | 11% |
Media | 72% | 28% | 38% | 34% | 12% | 16% |
Agriculture | 75% | 25% | 36% | 39% | 9% | 16% |
Retail | 75% | 25% | 26% | 49% | 16% | 9% |
Manufacturing | 62% | 38% | 19% | 43% | 22% | 16% |
76% rate the state of the mining industry as very good – the only industry to score above 50%. However at least 75% think all other industries except manufacturing are in a very good or good state.
Only 19% rate manufacturing as very good – and 38% rate it poor or very poor.
Most Important Industries
Q. And which of these industries are the three most important for Australia’s economic future?
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
Mining | 67% | 77% | 67% | 61% |
Agriculture | 58% | 57% | 59% | 58% |
Tourism | 46% | 47% | 43% | 56% |
Manufacturing | 37% | 30% | 40% | 36% |
Construction | 25% | 26% | 26% | 31% |
Finance | 21% | 18% | 23% | 17% |
Retail | 17% | 18% | 17% | 12% |
Telecommunications | 14% | 16% | 11% | 20% |
Hospitality | 10% | 10% | 9% | 6% |
Media | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Don’t know | 4% | * | 4% | 3% |
Australia’s most important industries are thought to be mining (67%), agriculture (58%), tourism (46%) and manufacturing (37%). Opinions are consistent across voter groups in terms of order of importance.
Approve of Lindsay Tanner, Finance Minister
Q Do you approve or disapprove of the job Lindsay Tanner is doing as Finance Minister?
% | |
Total approve | 31% |
Total disapprove | 24% |
Net rating | +7% |
Strongly approve | 5% |
Approve | 26% |
Disapprove | 18% |
Strongly disapprove | 6% |
Don’t know | 45% |
31% approve of the job Lindsay Tanner is doing as Finance Minister, 24% disapprove and 45% don’t know.
Results followed party lines – Labor voters were more likely to approve (56%), while Coalition voters were more likely to disapprove (49%). 43% of Green voters approve of the job Tanner is doing as Finance Minister.
Males were more likely to approve of the job Tanner is doing (39%), while females were more likely to indicate they don’t know (55%).
People aged 55 years and over were more likely that those in other age groups to disapprove (36%). Comments »
Approval of Barnaby Joyce, Opposition Shadow Finance Minister
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barnaby Joyce is doing as opposition shadow Finance Minister?
% | |
Total approve | 25% |
Total disapprove | 36% |
Net rating | -11% |
Strongly approve | 4% |
Approve | 21% |
Disapprove | 22% |
Strongly disapprove | 14% |
Don’t know | 39% |
One quarter (25%) of those surveyed approve of the job Barnaby Joyce is doing as opposition shadow Finance Minister, 36% disapprove and 39% don’t know.
Results followed party lines – Coalition voters were more likely to approve of the job Joyce is doing (47%), while Labor voters were more likely to disapprove (53%).
56% of Green voters and 23% of Coalition voters disapprove of the job Joyce is doing as opposition shadow Finance Minister.
Males were more likely to disapprove of the job Joyce is doing (43%), while females were more likely to indicate they don’t know (47%). Comments »

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