afghanistan, Afghanistan War, army, Australian troops, Greens, Labor, Liberals, military, Nationals, Polling, polls, war
Q. Thinking about the Australian troops in Afghanistan, do you think Australia should –
| 25 Oct 2010 | 21 Mar 2011 | 29 Aug 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Increase the number of troops in Afghanistan | 10% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Keep the same number of troops in Afghanistan | 30% | 30% | 26% | 22% | 21% | 29% | 11% |
| Withdraw our troops from Afghanistan | 47% | 56% | 64% | 64% | 66% | 57% | 76% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 9% | 7% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
64% (no change) think Australia should withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, 22% (down 4%) think we should maintain troop numbers and 3% (down 1%) think we should increase them.
Since October last year, support for withdrawal of Australian troops has increased from 47% to 64%. There was majority support for withdrawal by all voting groups – 57% of Lib/Nat voters, 66% Labor and 76% Greens. Support for withdrawal was also similar across age groups but women were more likely than men to support withdrawal of troops (72% to 55%).
Greens, Labor, Liberals, Minerals Resource Rent Tax, mining, mining companies, Mining tax, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?
| 12 Jul 2010 | 5 Sep 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 50% | 46% | 51% | 74% | 32% | 85% |
| Total disapprove | 28% | 34% | 33% | 13% | 55% | 7% |
| Strongly approve | 13% | 18% | 18% | 32% | 5% | 51% |
| Approve | 37% | 28% | 33% | 42% | 27% | 34% |
| Disapprove | 18% | 18% | 20% | 11% | 30% | 7% |
| Strongly disapprove | 10% | 16% | 13% | 2% | 25% | – |
| Don’t know | 22% | 19% | 15% | 12% | 12% | 9% |
51% approve the Government’s proposed mining tax and 33% disapprove. This represents a strengthening in support since this question was asked in September (from net +12% to net +18%).
Labor voters (74%) and Greens voters (85%) strongly support the tax – but Liberal/National voters disapprove 55% to 32%.
Carbon emissions, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, environment, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls, Pollution
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s carbon pricing scheme which, from July 2012, will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 18 April | 23 May | 14 June | 18 July | 1 Aug | 19 Sep | 17 Oct | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 39% | 38% | 66% | 13% | 86% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 53% | 26% | 80% | 11% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 28% | 1% | 48% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 25% | 24% | 38% | 12% | 38% |
| Oppose | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 11% | 22% | 5% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 34% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 36% | 36% | 15% | 58% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 7% | 2% |
Views on the carbon pricing scheme have changed very little since June and there has been no significant change since the legislation was passed. 38% support the scheme (down 1% since October) and 53% oppose (no change).
The only demographic group to support the scheme were aged under 35’s – 45% support/40% oppose. Among those aged 55+, 37% support and 59% oppose.
fair work, Greens, industrial laws, IR, Labor, Liberal Party, Liberals, Nationals, poll, Polling, rights at work, tony abbott, WorkChoices, workers
Q. If they won the next election, how likely do you think it would be that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices?
| 31 May 10 | 12 July 10 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total likely | 58% | 56% | 51% | 75% | 33% | 78% |
| Total unlikely | 21% | 24% | 27% | 13% | 44% | 11% |
| Very likely | 28% | 26% | 22% | 45% | 4% | 41% |
| Quite likely | 30% | 30% | 29% | 30% | 29% | 37% |
| Not very likely | 18% | 18% | 19% | 9% | 31% | 8% |
| Not at all likely | 3% | 6% | 8% | 4% | 13% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 20% | 22% | 11% | 23% | 11% |
Respondents were less likely to think that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices than when a similar question was asked last year. 51% (down 5%) think it is likely that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices if they won the next election and 27% (up 3%) think it is unlikely.
75% of Labor voters and 78% of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 33% likely to 44% unlikely.
Election, fair work, Greens, IR, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, poll, Polling, rights at work, work, WorkChoices, workers
Q. If the Liberals won the election and reintroduced WorkChoices or similar laws, how concerned would you be?
| 31 May 10 | 12 July 10 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very concerned | 28% | 29% | 26% | 53% | 4% | 54% |
| Quite concerned | 17% | 19% | 15% | 22% | 11% | 15% |
| A little concerned | 20% | 16% | 20% | 12% | 24% | 21% |
| Not concerned | 24% | 25% | 27% | 6% | 52% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 11% | 11% | 7% | 9% | 4% |
Respondents were also less concerned about the re-introduction of WorkChoices than last year. 41% (down 7%) would be quite or very concerned if WorkChoices or similar laws were re-introduced and 47% (up 6%) were only a little or not concerned.
75% of Labor voters and 69% of Greens voters would be concerned. 76% of Liberal/National voters would be a little/not concerned and 15% concerned. Those most concerned were aged 25-34 (47%) and aged 45-54 (48%).
ER, Essential Report, Exporting Uranium, Greens, India, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, trade, Uranium, uranium export
Q. Do you support or oppose the proposal for Australia to export uranium to India?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 30% | 31% | 35% | 17% |
| Total oppose | 45% | 40% | 47% | 66% |
| Strongly support | 7% | 6% | 10% | 1% |
| Support | 23% | 25% | 25% | 16% |
| Oppose | 24% | 25% | 25% | 30% |
| Strongly oppose | 21% | 15% | 22% | 36% |
| Don’t know | 25% | 28% | 17% | 17% |
30% support the proposal for Australia to export uranium to India and 45% oppose – 25% had no opinion. All voter groups were more likely to oppose the sale of uranium to India.
All age groups were more likely to oppose the proposal – and men were split 43% support to 41% oppose, compared to women 18% support/49% oppose.
electricity, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Nuclear Power, nuclear power plants, Polling
Q. Do you support or oppose Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity?
| 27 Jan 2009 | 20 Dec 2010 | 21 Mar 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 43% | 43% | 35% | 39% | 31% | 50% | 27% |
| Total oppose | 35% | 37% | 53% | 45% | 53% | 37% | 68% |
| Strongly support | 14% | 16% | 12% | 13% | 7% | 20% | 9% |
| Support | 29% | 27% | 23% | 26% | 24% | 30% | 18% |
| Oppose | 21% | 21% | 21% | 22% | 27% | 18% | 25% |
| Strongly oppose | 14% | 16% | 32% | 23% | 26% | 19% | 43% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 19% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 13% | 6% |
45% oppose Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity and 39% support. This is a considerable shift in opinion since this question was last asked in March following the problems with the nuclear power plants in Japan after the tsunami. However, there remains net opposition to nuclear power plants – compared to net support in surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010.
Those that intend to vote Lib/Nat were more likely to support (50%) than oppose (37%) Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity.
There was majority opposition from Labor (53% oppose or strongly oppose) and the Greens (68% oppose or strongly oppose).
There is a considerable difference between the attitudes of males and females towards nuclear power plants – 56% of males, compared to just 24% of females support or strongly support Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity.
2PP, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, two party preferred, 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 = 1,898 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 44% | 43% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 47% | 46% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 33% | 34% | 35% | 35% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 9% | 9% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 55% | 55% | 54% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 45% | 45% | 46% | 46% |
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.