Federal politics – voting intention
Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
*1,908 sample size
2 week average | % | 2PP | 2PP shift from last week |
Liberal | 35% | ||
National | 3% | ||
Total Lib/Nat | 38% | 44% | -2% |
Labor | 45% | 56% | +2% |
Greens | 9% | ||
Family First | 2% | ||
Other/Independent | 6% |
NB. The data in the above table is derived from our weekly first preference voting question. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ as their first preference are not included in the results.
* Sample is the culmination of two week’s polling data. Comments »
Attributes of the Labor Party
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
|
% change | |
Moderate | 65% | 63% | -2% |
Will promise to do anything to win votes | 57% | 63% | +6% |
Looks after the interests of working families | 61% | 57% | -4% |
Professional in its approach | 59% | 55% | -4% |
Understands the problems facing Australia | 62% | 54% | -8% |
Has a good team of leaders | 60% | 52% | -8% |
Out of touch with ordinary people | 44% | 48% | +4% |
Too dominated by its leader | 39% | 45% | +6% |
Divided | 30% | 36% | +6% |
Keeps its promises | 44% | 33% | -11% |
Extreme | 25% | 26% | +1% |
The Labor Party’s main attributes were being moderate (63%), will promise anything to win votes (63%), looks after the interests of working families (57%) and professional in its approach (55%).
Since these questions were last asked in July 2009, most of Labor’s positive attributes have declined a little and the negative attributes increased. Main changes since last July were keeps its promises (down 11% to 33%), has a good team of leaders (down 8% to 52%) and understands the problems facing Australia (down 8% to 54%).
Note that the 2PP voting intention for 6 July 2009 was 59%-41% compared to the current 56%-44%. Comments »
Party Attributes Comparison
Labor | Liberal
|
% difference | |
Looks after the interests of working families | 57% | 35% | +22% |
Has a good team of leaders | 52% | 31% | +21% |
Moderate | 63% | 50% | +13% |
Understands the problems facing Australia | 54% | 43% | +11% |
Keeps its promises | 33% | 23% | +10% |
Professional in its approach | 55% | 47% | +8% |
Too dominated by its leader | 45% | 44% | +1% |
Will promise to do anything to win votes | 63% | 72% | -9% |
Out of touch with ordinary people | 48% | 58% | -10% |
Extreme | 26% | 38% | -12% |
Divided | 36% | 66% | -30% |
The Labor Party maintains significant leads over the Liberal Party on all positive attributes – in particular, looks after the interest of working families (+22%), has a good team of leaders (+21%), moderate (+11%), understands the problems facing Australia (+11%) and keeps its promises (+10).
The Liberal Party is more likely to be considered divided (-30%), extreme (-12%) and out of touch with ordinary people (-10%). Comments »
Federal politics – voting intention
Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
*1816 sample size
2 week average | % | 2PP | 2PP shift from last week |
Liberal | 37% | ||
National | 3% | ||
Total Lib/Nat | 40% | 47% | +1% |
Labor | 42% | 53% | -1% |
Greens | 9% | ||
Family First | 2% | ||
Other/Independent | 7% |
NB. The data in the above table is derived from our weekly first preference voting question. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ as their first preference are not included in the results.
* Sample is the culmination of two week’s polling data. Comments »
Means testing the private health insurance rebate
Q. The Government proposes to phase out the 30 per cent rebate on private health insurance for singles on incomes over $75,000 and couples on $150,000-plus. Do you support or oppose means testing the heath insurance rebate for people on higher incomes?
Total
% |
Voter ID | Weekly income | ||||||
Labor | Coalition | Green | < $600
per week |
$600 – $1000 per week | $1000 – $1600 per week | $1600 +
per week |
||
Total support | 51% | 66% | 39% | 57% | 63% | 60% | 53% | 41% |
Total oppose | 34% | 20% | 50% | 32% | 24% | 25% | 28% | 50% |
Strongly support | 23% | 33% | 14% | 28% | 36% | 25% | 24% | 14% |
Support | 28% | 33% | 25% | 29% | 27% | 35% | 29% | 27% |
Oppose | 17% | 11% | 23% | 20% | 16% | 13% | 15% | 19% |
Strongly oppose | 17% | 9% | 27% | 12% | 8% | 12% | 13% | 31% |
Don’t know | 15% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 14% | 15% | 19% | 10% |
When it comes to the Government’s proposed plan to phase out the 30 per cent rebate on private health insurance for singles on incomes over $75 000 and couples on $150,000 plus, just over half (51%) support means testing the health insurance rebate for people on higher incomes. 34% oppose means testing for people on higher incomes and 15% don’t know.
Labor voters were more likely to support means testing the health insurance rebate for people on higher incomes (66%), while Coalition voters were more likely to oppose it (50%).
Support for a means test decreased as weekly income increased – people earning less than $600 per week were more likely to support means testing the health insurance rebate for people on higher incomes (63%), while those earning $1600 per were more likely to oppose (50%).
People not working were more likely to support the means test (57%), while those in full-time work were more likely to oppose (37%). Comments »
Federal politics – voting intention
Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
*1834 sample size
2 week average | % | 2PP | 2PP shift from last week |
Liberal | 37% | ||
National | 3% | ||
Total Lib/Nat | 40% | 46% | +1% |
Labor | 43% | 54% | -1% |
Greens | 8% | ||
Family First | 2% | ||
Other/Independent | 7% |
NB. The data in the above table is derived from our weekly first preference voting question. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ as their first preference are not included in the results.
* Sample is the culmination of two week’s polling data. Comments »
Approval of Environment Minister, Peter Garrett
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Peter Garrett is doing as Environment Minister?
% | |
Strongly approve | 4% |
Approve | 24% |
Disapprove | 26% |
Strongly disapprove | 30% |
Don’t know | 16% |
Total approve | 28% |
Total disapprove | 56% |
Just over half (56%) of those surveyed disapprove of the job Peter Garrett is doing as Environment Minister, 28% approve and 16% don’t know.
This gives Peter Garrett an approval rating of -28%.
Results followed party lines – Labor voters were more likely to approve (47%), while Coalition voters were more likely to disapprove (84%). 37% of Labor voters disapprove of the job Garrett is doing as Environment Minister.
Green voters were reasonably split in terms of their level of approval of the Environment Minister – 42% approve and 46% disapprove of the job Garrett is doing.
People aged 65 years and over were more likely to disapprove (82%) while those aged 35 – 44 were more likely to approve (35%).
We asked a similar question in June 2008 asking people to rate the performance of Peter Garrett – 32% rated his performance as very good/good and 47% rated it as very poor/poor. Comments »
Federal politics – voting intention
Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
*1830 sample size
2 week average | % | 2PP | 2PP shift from last week |
Liberal | 36% | ||
National | 2% | ||
Total Lib/Nat | 38% | 45% | – |
Labor | 44% | 55% | – |
Greens | 10% | ||
Family First | 2% | ||
Other/Independent | 6% |
NB. The data in the above table is derived from our weekly first preference voting question. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ as their first preference are not included in the results.
* Sample is the culmination of two week’s polling data.

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In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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