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  • Jun, 2012

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    Will Australia ever become a Republic?

    Q. Do you think that Australia is likely or unlikely to ever become a republic?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total likely

    52%

    65%

    48%

    57%

    Total unlikely

    34%

    26%

    38%

    32%

    Very likely

    12%

    16%

    9%

    16%

    Somewhat likely

    40%

    49%

    39%

    41%

    Somewhat unlikely

    25%

    21%

    26%

    28%

    Very unlikely

    9%

    5%

    12%

    4%

    Don’t know

    15%

    9%

    13%

    11%

    52% think that it is very or somewhat likely that Australia will ever become a republic – and 34% think it is somewhat or very unlikely.

    For people aged 45+, 61%+ think it is likely and 29% unlikely while for those aged under 35, 42% think it is likely and 40% unlikely.

  • Jun, 2012

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    Importance of Craig Thomson Issue

    Q. In your opinion, how important is this issue concerning the behaviour of Craig Thomson?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Very important

    30%

    17%

    49%

    7%

    Quite important

    36%

    38%

    33%

    43%

    Not very important

    18%

    25%

    10%

    30%

    Not at all important

    7%

    11%

    2%

    11%

    Don’t know

    10%

    9%

    6%

    9%

    30% think the Craig Thomson issue is very important and 36% quite important – only 25% think it is not very or not at all important.

    Those most likely to think it is very important were aged 55+ (40%), Liberal/National voters (49%) and full-time workers (34%).

    58% of those who had read/heard a lot about it thought it was very important.

    Only 17% of union members thought it was very important.

  • Mar, 2012

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    Leadership Challenge Good or Bad for Government

    Q. Do you think the recent leadership challenge has been good or bad for the Labor Government?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total good

    13%

    30%

    7%

    16%

    Total bad

    62%

    39%

    80%

    50%

    Very good

    4%

    10%

    2%

    4

    Good

    9%

    20%

    5%

    12%

    Neither good nor bad

    18%

    26%

    12%

    28%

    Bad

    24%

    25%

    22%

    28%

    Very bad

    38%

    14%

    58%

    22%

    Don’t know

    6%

    4%

    2%

    6%

    62% think that the recent leadership challenge was bad for the Labor Party and only 13% think it was good.

    Labor voters were split – 39% think it was bad, 30% good and 26% neither good nor bad.

    Comments »

  • Mar, 2012

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    More or Less Likely to Vote Labor

    Q. Has the re-election of Julia Gillard as leader of the Labor Party made you more or less likely to support the ALP at the next federal election.

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total more likely

    13%

    33%

    5%

    18%

    Total less likely

    47%

    21%

    64%

    38%

    Much more likely

    6%

    17%

    1%

    5%

    A little more likely

    7%

    16%

    4%

    13%

    A little less likely

    10%

    11%

    7%

    16%

    Much less likely

    37%

    10%

    57%

    22%

    Makes no difference

    34%

    42%

    30%

    43%

    Don’t know

    5%

    3%

    1%

    47% say that the re-election of Julia Gillard as leader has made them less likely to support the Labor Party and only 13% say it has made them more likely to support the Labor Party at the next election.

    Among Labor voters, 33% say it has made them more likely and 21% less likely to support Labor.

    Comments »

  • Apr, 2011

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    Green-baiting and the art of product differentiation

    First published on The Drum: 12/04/2011

    The Prime Minister has been dedicating a significant slice of stump time in recent weeks to explaining the differences between the ALP and the Greens, how one emerges from real-world struggles and the other is a group of out-of-touch extremists.

    A similar debate has been being waged within the Greens following their underwhelming NSW state election performance, where a local candidate’s intervention in the Middle East peace provided the platform to portray the party as a collective of bat-faced ideologues.

    But as the debate about the Greens’ orientation gains pertinence as they move to assume the balance of power in the Senate a more basic fact is being missed: Labor voters and Green voters agree on just about everything.

    A review of findings to Essential Research questions over the past few months finds that on nearly every big debate the similarities between Greens voters and Labor voters far outweigh their differences.

    Comments »

  • Mar, 2011

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    Turning around the Titanic

    First published on The Drum: 08/03/2011

    The media works in eight-hour news cycles, politicians live and die by three-year cycles, while the planet’s climate is working on a significantly longer time frame.

    The way these three cycles interplay over the next few months will determine not only the outcome of the next federal election but whether Australia will be a beneficiary or a victim of the shift in energy use that climate change will inevitably require*.

    As this week’s Essential Report shows the Government has taken a short-term hammering after it’s decision to move on a carbon price. Not only has the Government failed to win popular support for its carbon pricing scheme, this has translated into a 4 per cent turnaround in the Two Party Preferred.

    Of particular concern to Labor would be the high level of strong opposition, compared to strong support for the plan and the fact that barely half of Labor voters are backing the scheme.

    Comments »

  • Feb, 2011

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    Approval of Julia Gillard

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?

    Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
    31 May 5 Jul 19 Jul 16 Aug 20 Sep 18 Oct 22 Nov 20 Dec 17 Jan 2011 14 Feb 2011
    Total approve 41% 48% 52% 46% 45% 45% 43% 43% 51% 48%
    Total disapprove 47% 27% 30% 40% 37% 37% 38% 40% 36% 41%
    Strongly approve 7% 14% 11% 13% 12% 10% 7% 10% 8% 9%
    Approve 34% 34% 41% 33% 33% 36% 36% 33% 43% 39%
    Disapprove 25% 13% 17% 24% 21% 20% 23% 24% 24% 25%
    Strongly disapprove 22% 14% 13% 16% 16% 17% 15% 16% 12% 16%
    Don’t know 12% 26% 18% 13% 19% 18% 18% 17% 14% 11%

    48% (down 3%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 41% (up 5%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +15 to +7 over the last 4 weeks.

    88% of Labor voters approve and 8% disapprove.

    By gender – men 45% approve/45% disapprove, women 51% approve/36% disapprove.

    Comments »

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