bin Laden, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Osama bin Laden, Polling, polls, Terrorism
Q. Do you think the death of Osama bin Laden will make the world a safer or less safe place or will it make no difference?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Liberal/ National | Vote Greens | |
| Make the world safer | 12% | 16% | 12% | 8% |
| Make the world less safe | 19% | 17% | 20% | 28% |
| Make no difference | 63% | 60% | 65% | 59% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 7% | 2% | 5% |
The majority (63%) of respondents think that the death of Osama bin Laden will make no difference to making the world safer or less safe. 12% think it will make the world safer and 19% think it will make the world less safe.
28% of Greens voters and 23% of those aged 55+ think it will make the world less safe.
bin Laden, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Osama bin Laden, Polling, polls, Terrorism, terrorist
Q. Do you think the death of Osama bin Laden will result in less terrorism or more terrorism or will it make no difference?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Liberal/ National | Vote Greens | |
| Result in more terrorism | 37% | 32% | 40% | 40% |
| Result in less terrorism | 7% | 8% | 7% | 9% |
| Make no difference | 48% | 51% | 48% | 45% |
| Don’t know | 8% | 9% | 5% | 6% |
About half (48%) think that the death of Osama bin Laden will make no difference to terrorism. However, 37% think it will result in more terrorism and only 7% think it will result in less terrorism. Views are broadly similar across demographic groups.
Greens and Liberal/National voters (40%) are a little more likely to think it will result in more terrorism than Labor voters (32%).
ADF, afghanistan, Afghanistan War, Australian Defence Force, Australian troops, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, Troops in Afghanistan
Q. Thinking about the Australian troops in Afghanistan, do you think Australia should –
| 25 Oct 10 | 21 Mar 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Increase the number of troops in Afghanistan | 10% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 8% | 1% |
| Keep the same number of troops in Afghanistan | 30% | 30% | 36% | 37% | 43% | 25% |
| Withdraw our troops from Afghanistan | 47% | 56% | 48% | 49% | 41% | 65% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 8% | 9% |
42% think that the Australian troops in Afghanistan should be increased or maintained and 48% think Australia should withdraw its troops. This is a significant drop (-8%) in support for withdrawal since this question was last asked in March.
2PP, Election, EMC, ER, Essential Media, 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 =1,857
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 43% | 43% | 43% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 46% | 47% | 47% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 36% | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 10% | 11% | 10% | 9% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 8% | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 53% | 54% | 54% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 47% | 46% | 46% | 46% |
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.
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Interest in Federal Politics, Interest in Politics, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Politics, Polling, polls
Q. When it comes to following Federal politics, which best describes you?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | |
| I follow it closely | 10% | 12% | 13% | 8% | 7% | 10% | 17% |
| I follow it enough to know what’s happening | 45% | 46% | 49% | 45% | 30% | 49% | 57% |
| I follow it when something big is happening | 18% | 19% | 20% | 24% | 27% | 14% | 15% |
| I only pay attention when there’s an election | 8% | 7% | 9% | 6% | 13% | 8% | 3% |
| I have no interest in politics | 14% | 14% | 8% | 15% | 17% | 16% | 6% |
| Can’t say | 4% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 4% | 2% |
55% say they follow Federal politics closely or enough to know what’s happening, 26% follow it only at elections or when something big is happening and 14% have no interest in politics.
Older respondents tended to follow Federal politics more closely than younger respondents – 74% of those aged 55+ follow it closely or enough to know what’s happening compared to only 37% of those aged 18-34. Greens voters (53%) were a little less likely to follow politics than Labor (58%) or Liberal/National voters (62%).
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Interest in Federal Politics, Interest in Politics, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Over the last few years has your interest in following Federal politics increased or decreased?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | |
| Total increased | 29% | 30% | 35% | 32% | 37% | 26% | 25% |
| Total decreased | 11% | 11% | 6% | 15% | 11% | 12% | 11% |
| Increased a lot | 8% | 10% | 10% | 7% | 11% | 7% | 8% |
| Increased a little | 21% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 26% | 19% | 17% |
| Stayed much the same | 56% | 56% | 59% | 54% | 47% | 60% | 62% |
| Decreased a little | 6% | 7% | 4% | 7% | 4% | 6% | 8% |
| Decreased a lot | 5% | 4% | 2% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 3% |
| Can’t say | 4% | 3% | * | – | 7% | 3% | 1% |
56% say their interest in following Federal politics has stayed much the same, 29% have more interest and 11% less interest.
Respondents aged 18-34 were more likely to have more interest in following Federal politics (37%) while older voters’ interest was more likely to have stayed much the same.
2PP, Election, EMC, ER, Essential Media, 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 =1,837
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 43% | 43% | 43% | 43% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 46% | 46% | 47% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 37% | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 10% | 11% | 11% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 52% | 53% | 54% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 48% | 47% | 46% | 46% |
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.
ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party, Labor Party Attributes, Labor Party policies, Polling, polls
Q. Here is a list of things both favourable and unfavourable that have been said about various political parties. Which statements do you feel fit the Labor Party?
| 6 Jul 09 | 14 Mar 10
|
27 April 11
|
% change | |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 57% | 63% | 72% | +9% |
| Divided | 30% | 36% | 66% | +30% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 44% | 48% | 61% | +13% |
| Moderate | 65% | 63% | 51% | -12% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 46% | n.a. | ||
| Have a vision for the future | 43% | n.a. | ||
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 62% | 54% | 40% | -14% |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 39% | n.a. | ||
| Extreme | 25% | 26% | 38% | +12% |
| Has a good team of leaders | 60% | 52% | 34% | -18% |
| Clear about what they stand for | 28% | n.a. | ||
| Keeps its promises | 44% | 33% | 20% | -13% |
The Labor Party’s main attributes were – will promise anything to win votes (63%), divided (66%) and out of touch with ordinary people (61%).
Since these questions were last asked in March 2010, all of Labor’s positive attributes have declined and the negative attributes increased. Main changes since last March were divided (up 30% to 66%), has a good team of leaders (down 18% to 34%) and understands the problems facing Australia (down 14% to 40%).
Note that the 2PP voting intention for 14 March 2010 was 56%-44% to Labor compared to the current 46%-54%.