Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party policies, Liberal, Liberal Party policies, Polling, polls
Q. Thinking about the Federal Parliament, how much difference do you think there is between the policies of the Labor Party and the Liberal Party?
| Total
8 Nov 10 |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very little difference | 29% | 21% | 20% | 13% | 29% |
| Some difference | 43% | 39% | 41% | 40% | 51% |
| A lot of difference | 19% | 31% | 32% | 44% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 9% | 8% | 6% | 4% | 4% |
21% of respondents think that there is very little difference between the policies of the Labor and Liberal parties. This is less than in November 2010 (29%). 39% of respondents think that there is some difference and 31% think there is a lot of difference (up from 19% in November last year).
Green voters (29%) were more likely to think that there is little difference.
There is little difference between the responses by gender or state.
Those aged 65+ were the most likely to think that there is a lot of difference between the policies of Labor and the Liberal parties (55%).
Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party policies, Liberal, Liberal Party policies, Policy
Q. Do you think that in the last few years, the policies of the Labor Party and the Liberal Party have become more similar or do you think their policies have been moving apart?
| Total
8 Nov 10 |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Become more similar | 51% | 40% | 41% | 36% | 56% |
| Moving further apart | 17% | 31% | 28% | 41% | 22% |
| No change | 21% | 17% | 24% | 15% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 11% | 7% | 8% | 11% |
40% of respondents think that the Labor and Liberal parties are becoming more similar – a drop from the 51% who thought the same thing in November 2010.
31% think that they are moving further apart – a big increase from the 17% who thought the same thing in November 2010.
Green voters (56%) were the most likely to think that they were becoming more similar. However 41% of Labor voters and 36% of Lib/Nat voters also thought that they were becoming more similar.
Lib/Nat voters were the most likely to think that they were moving further apart (41%).
There was no substantial differences based on gender, state or age
2PP, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, 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 = 1,899
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 46% | 47% | 46% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 47% | 49% | 50% | 49% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 32% | 32% | 30% | 31% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 12% | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 55% | 56% | 57% | 56% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 45% | 44% | 43% | 44% |
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.
carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, climate change, cost of living, Essential Report, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Government’s carbon pricing scheme?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| The Government has got the balance right in compensating households for a carbon price | 31% | 48% | 6% | 25% | 23% | 25% | 22% |
| A carbon price will lead to a big rise in the cost of living | 68% | 22% | 32% | 36% | 18% | 4% | 11% |
| The carbon price scheme won’t reduce our carbon emissions | 51% | 34% | 25% | 26% | 24% | 10% | 15% |
| There’s too much compensation for industry in the package | 33% | 32% | 9% | 24% | 26% | 6% | 35% |
| There’s not enough compensation for households in the carbon price scheme | 49% | 29% | 20% | 29% | 25% | 4% | 22% |
| Politicians should just get on with taking action on climate change | 59% | 27% | 23% | 36% | 15% | 12% | 15% |
| The cost of living increases are less than I expected | 26% | 52% | 5% | 21% | 29% | 23% | 23% |
| The cost of living increases are less than I expected | 46% | 33% | 14% | 32% | 21% | 11% | 22% |
| The government’s carbon pricing scheme won’t have much effect on me and my family | 25% | 57% | 3% | 22% | 31% | 26% | 18% |
| Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are more interested in votes than tackling climate change | 54% | 32% | 31% | 23% | 17% | 15% | 14% |
These responses suggest that the main concern about the carbon pricing scheme is the cost of living increases. The statement with the highest level of agreement is that a carbon price will lead to a big rise in the cost of living (68% agree/22% disagree). Only 25% agree that the government’s carbon pricing scheme won’t have much effect on me and my family. And 26% agree that the cost of living increases are less than I expected.
The only positive aspect of the scheme is that 46% agree that the cost of living increases are less than I expected.
Regarding the opposition, 54% agree that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are more interested in votes than tackling climate change.
carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, climate change, Essential Report, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls
Q. Which approach do you think would be most effective in reducing carbon emissions – the Government’s carbon pricing scheme or the Coalition’s proposal to pay companies to reduce emissions?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Government carbon pricing scheme | 34% | 72% | 10% | 64% |
| Coalition’s proposal to pay companies | 28% | 5% | 52% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 37% | 23% | 38% | 31% |
34% think that the Government’s carbon pricing scheme would be the most effective in reducing emissions and 28% think the Coalition’s proposal would be more effective.
Strongest support for the Government’s scheme was shown by men (40%) and those aged under 35 (38%).
carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, climate change, Essential Report, federal politics, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls
Q.Which approach do you think would be the most cost effective – the Government’s carbon pricing scheme or the Coalition’s proposal to pay companies to reduce emissions?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Government carbon pricing scheme | 33% | 69% | 10% | 60% |
| Coalition’s proposal to pay companies | 27% | 3% | 51% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 40% | 27% | 39% | 34% |
33% think that the Government’s carbon pricing scheme would be the most cost effective and 27% think the Coalition’s proposal would be more cost effective.
Strongest support for the Government’s scheme was shown by men (38%) and those aged under 35 (38%).
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 = 1,899
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 44% | 45% | 46% | 47% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 46% | 48% | 49% | 50% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 34% | 32% | 32% | 30% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 12% | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 8% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 55% | 56% | 57% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 45% | 44% | 43% |
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.
approval of PM, Essential Report, Gillard, Greens, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, rudd
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?
| Kevin Rudd | Julia Gillard | ||||||||||
| 31 May
2010 |
19 Jul | 20 Sep | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | 9 May | 14 June | 11 July | |
| Total approve | 41% | 52% | 45% | 43% | 51% | 48% | 41% | 37% | 41% | 34% | 29% |
| Total disapprove | 47% | 30% | 37% | 40% | 36% | 41% | 46% | 50% | 48% | 54% | 62% |
| Strongly approve | 7% | 11% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Approve | 34% | 41% | 33% | 33% | 43% | 39% | 34% | 30% | 34% | 28% | 24% |
| Disapprove | 25% | 17% | 21% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% | 26% | 29% | 30% |
| Strongly disapprove | 22% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 12% | 16% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% | 32% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 18% | 19% | 17% | 14% | 11% | 13% | 13% | 11% | 13% | 9% |
29% (down 5%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 62% (up 8%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -20 to -33 over the last 4 weeks.
72% of Labor voters approve (down 4%) and 20% disapprove (up 6%).
By gender – men 31% approve/63% disapprove, women 28% approve/61% disapprove.