Industrial Relations Laws
Q. Business groups have said that Australia’s industrial relations laws favour workers and unions and should be changed so that businesses can increase productivity and have more flexibility with their workforce. Do you think Australia’s industrial relations laws favour employers or workers or do they balance the interests of workers and employers?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Full time workers | Part time workers | |
| Favour employers | 25% | 29% | 23% | 36% | 27% | 25% |
| Favour workers | 24% | 15% | 39% | 12% | 26% | 20% |
| Balance the interests of employers and workers | 34% | 43% | 25% | 37% | 34% | 38% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 13% | 13% | 16% | 13% | 17% |
Respondents were evenly divided over whether Australia’s industrial relations laws favour employers or workers – 25% think they favour employers, 24% favour workers and 34% think they balance the interests of both.
Labor voters are more likely to think they balance workers and employers interests (43%) while Liberal/National voters are more likely to thin they favour workers (39%). Only 15% of Labor voters and 12% of Greens voters think the laws favour workers. Comments »
Jobs reform
Q. To what extent do you agree that the following measures will improve job creation and investment in Australia?
| Total Agree | Total Disagree | Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | ||
| Increasing the number of apprenticeships | 88% | 4% | 38% | 50% | 4% | 0% | 7% | |
| Giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development | 79% | 8% | 26% | 53% | 7% | 1% | 12% | |
| Boosting investment in renewable energy technologies | 75% | 11% | 30% | 45% | 8% | 3% | 14% | |
| Requiring companies to use Australian made steel in large infrastructure projects | 73% | 11% | 27% | 46% | 9% | 2% | 15% | |
| Implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business | 57% | 19% | 13% | 44% | 14% | 5% | 24% | |
| Bringing back tariffs on products imported from overseas | 52% | 29% | 16% | 36% | 20% | 9% | 19% | |
| Introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people | 41% | 41% | 13% | 28% | 29% | 12% | 18% |
Increasing the number of apprenticeships (88% total agree) is the most popular measure for improving job creation and investment in Australia, followed by giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development (79% total agree) and boosting investment in renewable energy technologies (75%).
Requiring companies to use Australian made steel in large infrastructure projects is also strongly endorsed by respondents (73% total agree).
The least popular measure is introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people (41% total disagree). Asked with a different emphasis, there is significantly less opposition to the suggestion of implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business (19% total disagree).
Jobs reform by Voting Intention
Q. To what extent do you agree that the following measures will improve job creation and investment in Australia?
| Total Agree | Total Agree – Labor | Total Agree – Lib/Nat | Total Agree- Greens | ||
| Increasing the number of apprenticeships | 88% | 89% | 91% | 87% | |
| Giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development | 79% | 80% | 83% | 83% | |
| Boosting investment in renewable energy technologies | 75% | 80% | 71% | 88% | |
| Requiring companies to use Australian made steel in large infrastructure projects | 73% | 77% | 77% | 69% | |
| Implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business | 57% | 45% | 75% | 41% | |
| Bringing back tariffs on products imported from overseas | 52% | 52% | 58% | 40% | |
| Introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people | 41% | 26% | 65% | 18% |
Increasing the number of apprenticeships, giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development, and requiring companies to use Australia made steel in large infrastructure projects all receive a consistent level of endorsement across party lines.
Labor voters are more likely to agree with boosting investment in renewable energy technologies (80% total agree) as a measure to improve job creation and investment in Australia, as are Greens voters (88% total agree).
Labor voters are less likely to agree with implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business (45% total agree) and introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people (26% total agree).
Coalition voters are the most likely to agree with the industrial relations reforms, with 75% agreeing with implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business and 65% agreeing with introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people.
Productivity
Q. Some business leaders have recently claimed that to increase productivity, industrial relations laws need to be changed to give businesses more flexibility around how they employ workers, including re-introducing individual contracts. Do you agree or disagree?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total agree | 40% | 27% | 59% | 17% |
| Total disagree | 42% | 61% | 24% | 61% |
| Strongly agree | 11% | 6% | 19% | 2% |
| Agree | 29% | 21% | 40% | 15% |
| Disagree | 22% | 29% | 17% | 23% |
| Strongly disagree | 20% | 32% | 7% | 38% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 11% | 17% | 21% |
Opinions about the need for changes to industrial laws to increase productivity were divided. 40% agreed with the need to change IR laws and 42% disagreed. 61% of Labor voters and Greens voters disagreed, while 59% of Liberal/National voters agreed.
Those aged 35-54 tended to disagree (35% agree/47% disagree) while those aged under 35 (40%/34%) and 55+ (48%/42%) were more likely to agree. 46% of full-time workers disagreed and 43% agreed.
Party best at Handling Issues
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 45% | 24% | 5% | 26% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 41% | 25% | 4% | 29% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 42% | 28% | 3% | 27% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 38% | 27% | 4% | 31% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 36% | 28% | 4% | 32% |
| Housing affordability | 30% | 24% | 4% | 41% |
| Political leadership | 33% | 30% | 5% | 33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 23% | 23% | 22% | 32% |
| Managing population growth | 24% | 27% | 9% | 40% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 25% | 30% | 3% | 42% |
| Management of the economy | 32% | 38% | 3% | 27% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 23% | 29% | 11% | 37% |
| Controlling interest rates | 28% | 35% | 2% | 35% |
| Addressing climate change | 18% | 16% | 36% | 29% |
| Protecting the environment | 17% | 13% | 47% | 23% |
Labor have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party as the best party to handle a fair industrial relations system (+21%), quality education for all (+16%), Australian jobs and protection of industries (+14%) and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (+11%).
The Liberal Party’s main strengths were controlling interest rates (+7%), treatment of asylum seekers (+6%) and management of the economy (+6%).
The Greens were thought to be the best party for protecting the environment (47%) and addressing climate change (36%). Comments »
Important Election Issues
Q8. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| One | Two | Three | Total | Total
25 Jan 10 |
Difference | |
| Management of the economy | 34% | 18% | 10% | 62% | 63% | -1% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 14% | 20% | 16% | 50% | 48% | +2% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 8% | 10% | 11% | 29% | 33% | -4% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 5% | 8% | 9% | 22% | 18% | +4% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 3% | 7% | 9% | 19% | 23% | -4% |
| Housing affordability | 6% | 5% | 6% | 17% | 14% | +3% |
| Controlling interest rates | 5% | 5% | 6% | 16% | 15% | +1% |
| Managing population growth | 3% | 4% | 7% | 14% | * | |
| Protecting the environment | 3% | 5% | 5% | 13% | 16% | -3% |
| Political leadership | 5% | 3% | 4% | 12% | 23% | -11% |
| Addressing climate change | 4% | 4% | 4% | 12% | 16% | -4% |
| Fair immigration policies | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% | * | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 2% | 4% | 3% | 9% | 10% | -1% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 2% | 2% | 3% | 7% | 12% | -5% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 2% | 2% | 3% | 7% | 9% | -2% |
*Not asked in January 2010 poll
62% of people surveyed rate management of the economy is one of their three most important issues, followed by 50% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 29% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.
Only 9% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues and 7% rate security and the war on terrorism and ensuring a quality water supply.
The major change since the previous survey in January, was a drop in the importance of political leadership from 23% to 12%. Ensuring a fairer tax system has risen slightly from 18% to 22%. Comments »
Government Performance
Q6. How would you rate the Federal Government’s performance in handling the following issues?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Poor | Very poor | Not sure | |
| Stimulating the economy to address the economic crisis | 63% | 29% | 21% | 42% | 19% | 10% | 8% |
| Handling the economy in such a way as to minimize job losses during the recent economic crisis | 59% | 29% | 15% | 44% | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| Trying to find ways to improve the health care system | 50% | 39% | 10% | 39% | 24% | 15% | 12% |
| Replacing the Workchoices industrial laws | 44% | 36% | 13% | 31% | 22% | 14% | 20% |
| Standing up for Australian working families | 43% | 45% | 9% | 34% | 24% | 21% | 13% |
| Balancing the interests of business and Australian workers | 39% | 43% | 5% | 34% | 25% | 18% | 18% |
| The school buildings program | 31% | 56% | 5% | 25% | 29% | 27% | 14% |
| Introducing an emissions trading scheme | 28% | 57% | 3% | 25% | 28% | 29% | 15% |
| Handling the issue of asylum seekers | 18% | 72% | 3% | 15% | 28% | 43% | 10% |
A majority of respondents rated the Government’s performance good or very good for “Stimulating the economy to address the economic crisis” (63%), “Handling the economy in such a way as to minimize job losses during the recent economic crisis” (59%) and “Trying to find ways to improve the health care system” (50%).
A majority rated the Government’s performance poor or very poor for “Handling the issue of asylum seekers” (72%), “Introducing an emissions trading scheme” (57%) and “The school buildings program” (56%).
The only issue on which less than half Labor voters rated the Government performance as good/very good was “Handling the issue of asylum seekers” (34% good/58% poor). Comments »
Party best at looking after Australia’s interests
Q. Which party – Labor or Liberal – would by best at the following –
| Labor | Liberal | No difference | Don’t know | |
| Being on the side of Australian working people when it comes to issues affecting them at the workplace | 48% | 18% | 24% | 10% |
| Handling the economy in a way that best protects ordinary working people in Australia | 39% | 30% | 20% | 11% |
| Creating jobs for Australian workers | 36% | 27% | 26% | 11% |
| Representing you and people like you | 35% | 30% | 24% | 11% |
| Handling the economy | 30% | 37% | 23% | 10% |
| Controlling inflation | 24% | 35% | 31% | 11% |
| Keeping interest rates low | 23% | 29% | 35% | 13% |
| Dealing with the budget and keeping government spending down in general | 22% | 42% | 26% | 10% |
Just under half (48%) of those surveyed think that Labor is the best party at being on the side of Australian working people when it comes to issues affecting them at the workplace, 39% think Labor is best at handling the economy in a way that protects ordinary working people in Australia.
The Liberal Party score highest in terms of dealing with the budget and keeping government spending down in general (42%) and handling the economy (37%).
In terms of being on the side of Australian working people when it comes to issues affecting them at the workplace, under half (46%) of Coalition voters surveyed think the Liberal Party is best at handling this, 33% of these voters think there is no difference and 16% of Coalition voters think Labor is best at being on the side of Australian working people when it comes to workplace issues. Comments »
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