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  • Nov, 2011

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    Mining Tax

    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%.

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  • Feb, 2011

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    The great rock ‘n’ coal swindle

    First published on The Drum: 22/02/2011

    If there is any silver lining from the mining industry’s 20,800 per cent return on investment for knocking over the Rudd Government’s Resource Rent Tax, it’s that the punters are beginning to wise up.

    As interest groups around the nation hone their scare campaigns in expectation of a price on carbon, this week’s Essential Report suggests the mining industry has dealt themselves out of any credible role in the debate.

    With record profits the size of many sovereign nation’s GDPs and ongoing plans to extract even more of the national wealth, a majority of the public say they support forcing the mining industry to pay a greater share of their profits in tax.

    Q: Would you approve or disapprove of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies?

    Total Vote
    Labor
    Vote
    Lib/Nat
    Vote
    Greens
    Total approve 56% 75% 36% 83%
    Total disapprove 27% 13% 49% 6%
    Strongly approve 21% 32% 6% 46%
    Approve 35% 43% 30% 37%
    Disapprove 20% 11% 35% 4%
    Strongly disapprove 7% 2% 14% 2%
    Don’t know 17% 13% 15% 11%

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  • Dec, 2010

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    The Past Year – The Economy and Industries

      Q. Thinking about the last 12 months, has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?

      Total good Total bad Very good Good Neither good nor bad Bad Very bad Don’t know
    The banks 69% 13% 42% 27% 14% 9% 4% 4%
    The mining industry 57% 14% 27% 30% 24% 11% 3% 6%
    Large companies and corporations 44% 15% 10% 34% 35% 13% 2% 7%
    The Australian economy 41% 20% 5% 36% 36% 17% 3% 4%
    The media 30% 14% 8% 22% 45% 10% 4% 10%
    The environment 14% 37% 2% 12% 43% 28% 9% 5%
    Small business 14% 45% 2% 12% 35% 34% 11% 6%
    Farming and agriculture 14% 50% 2% 12% 31% 35% 15% 5%

     A majority of respondents think it has been a good year for the banks (69%) and the mining industry (57%). They are also more likely to think it has been a good year for large companies and corporations (44% good/15% bad), the economy (41%/20%), and the media (30%/14%).

     However, they are more likely to think the year has been bad for farming and agriculture (50%), small business (45%) and the environment (37%).

    In terms of the economy, all voter groups were more likely to think it has been a good year – Labor 55% good/11% bad, Liberal/National 33%/29% and Greens 53%/12%. Comments »

  • Jul, 2010

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    Influence of Mining Companies

    Q. Do you think the mining companies have had too much or not enough influence on Government policies?

    Too much 41%
    Not enough 12%
    About the right influence 25%
    Don’t know 21%

      41% think mining companies have had too much influence of Government policies, 12% think they have not had enough and 25% think they have had about the right influence. 57% of Labor voters and 69% of Greens voters think mining companies have had too much influence. Liberal voters were evenly split – 22% think they have had too much influence, 22% not enough and 40% about the right influence. Comments »

  • Nov, 2009

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    Politically Influential Bodies in Australia

    Q. Which of the following do you think are the most powerful and politically influential organisations in Australia?

    35% of people surveyed think that media companies (e.g. News Ltd, TV stations) are the most powerful and politically influential organisations in Australia, 22% think that the most powerful and politically influential organisations in Australia are major banks, and 10% think power is held by mining companies (e.g. BHP-Billiton).

    Labor voters were more likely to think that the most influential and powerful organisations in Australia are the major banks (28%), while Coalition voters were more likely than the average to think trade unions are (16%).  Green voters were more likely to think that most power and influence is vested with mining companies (18%).

    People aged 55 years and over were more likely to think that media companies are the most powerful organisations in Australia (40%), while people aged 25 – 34 were more likely to think power and influence in Australia is held by mining companies (16%).

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