Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, voter interests
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | Net (Labor-
Liberal |
Net
May 11 |
||
| Families with young children | 42% | 31% | 5% | 23% | +11 | +3 | |
| Students | 36% | 26% | 12% | 27% | +10 | +2 | |
| Working people on average incomes | 44% | 33% | 5% | 18% | +11 | +8 | |
| Working people on low incomes | 50% | 25% | 6% | 19% | +25 | +16 | |
| Working people on high incomes | 13% | 67% | 2% | 18% | -54 | -50 | |
| People on welfare | 46% | 20% | 9% | 26% | +26 | +15 | |
| Pensioners | 39% | 27% | 7% | 27% | +12 | +5 | |
| Small businesses and self-employed | 22% | 51% | 3% | 24% | -29 | -27 | |
| Big business | 11% | 68% | 1% | 19% | -57 | -49 | |
| The next generation of Australians | 21% | 32% | 17% | 30% | -11 | -12 | |
| Indigenous people | 28% | 17% | 19% | 36% | +11 | +2 | |
| Ethnic communities | 27% | 19% | 15% | 39% | +8 | +1 | |
| Rural and regional Australians | 22% | 35% | 12% | 31% | -13 | -16 |
The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of families with young children, students, working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered substantially better at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business and small business and self-employed. The Greens’ main strengths are in representing the next generation, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
Since this question was last asked in May, the Labor Party has considerably improved its position on representing the interests of families with young children, students, people on low incomes and people on welfare. The perception that the Liberal Party best represents the interest of big business has increased.
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 = 1,906 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 45% | 44% | 43% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 48% | 47% | 46% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 33% | 32% | 34% | 35% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 9% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 9% | 8% | 9% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 55% | 55% | 55% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 45% | 45% | 45% | 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.
Alan Joyce, Essential Report, fair work australia, Julia Gillard, Labor, Liberal, Polling, Qantas, Qantas Dispute, tony abbott, unions
Q. Did you approve or disapprove of the performance of each of the following in the Qantas dispute?
| Regular air travellers | |||||||||
| Total approve | Total disapprove | Strongly approve | Approve | Disapprove | Strongly disapprove | Don’t know | Total approve | Total disapprove | |
| Julia Gillard and the Labor Government | 30% | 49% | 6% | 24% | 22% | 27% | 20% | 30% | 56% |
| Tony Abbott and the opposition | 27% | 45% | 5% | 22% | 21% | 24% | 28% | 36% | 45% |
| Qantas management | 27% | 57% | 6% | 21% | 28% | 29% | 16% | 37% | 56% |
| Qantas workers | 33% | 49% | 7% | 26% | 36% | 13% | 18% | 35% | 55% |
| The Qantas CEO Alan Joyce | 28% | 58% | 8% | 20% | 22% | 36% | 14% | 37% | 55% |
| Union leaders | 24% | 56% | 4% | 20% | 27% | 29% | 19% | 26% | 63% |
| Fair Work Australia | 55% | 21% | 13% | 42% | 15% | 6% | 23% | 62% | 25% |
Overall, respondents disapproved of the performance of all parties to the dispute except for Fair Work Australia, which was approved by 55%.
More than half the respondents disapproved of the Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (58%), Qantas management (57%) and union leaders (56%).
Regular air travellers were more likely to approve of Qantas management and CEO. However, more than half disapproved of all parties except for Tony Abbott and the opposition (45% disapprove) and Fair Work Australia (25%).
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 = 1,899 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 45% | 45% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 48% | 48% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 33% | 33% | 32% | 34% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 55% | 55% | 55% | 55% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 45% | 45% | 45% | 45% |
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.
corporate interests, Essential Report, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, workers interests
Q. Do you think the Federal Liberal/National opposition parties favour the interests of businesses or workers?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total favour businesses | 61% | 79% | 50% | 73% |
| Total favour workers | 8% | 5% | 12% | 5% |
| Favour businesses a lot more than workers | 36% | 63% | 14% | 57% |
| Favour businesses a little more than workers | 25% | 16% | 36% | 16% |
| Favour workers a little more than businesses | 7% | 4% | 11% | 4% |
| Favour workers a lot more than businesses | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Balance the interests of businesses and workers | 14% | 3% | 27% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 12% | 10% | 19% |
61% think that the Federal Opposition favours the interests of businesses, 8% think they favour the interests of workers and 14% think they balance their interests.
Labor voters think they favour businesses over workers by 79% to 5% and Greens voters are also much more likely to think they favour the interests of businesses (73%) over workers (5%).
Liberal /National voters are more likely to think they balance their interests (27%) – although 50% think they favour businesses’ interests and only 12% think they favour workers.
Men are more likely to think they favour the interests of businesses over workers by 66% to 9% compared to women 55% to 8%.
2PP, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, 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 = 1,888 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 45% | 45% | 45% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 49% | 48% | 48% | 48% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 32% | 33% | 33% | 32% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 12% | 10% | 11% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 55% | 55% | 55% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 45% | 45% | 45% |
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.
2PP, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, 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 = 1,905 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 45% | 45% | 45% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 49% | 48% | 48% | 48% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 32% | 33% | 33% | 33% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 55% | 55% | 55% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 45% | 45% | 45% |
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.
2PP, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, 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 = 1909 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 46% | 45% | 45% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 32% | 32% | 33% | 33% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 10% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 56% | 55% | 55% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 44% | 45% | 45% |
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.