Essential Report, federal politics, Minerals Resource Rent Tax, mining, Mining tax, Polling, Taxing Mining Companies
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | 12 Jul 2010 | ||
| Total approve | 46% | 72% | 27% | 82% | 50% | |
| Total disapprove | 34% | 13% | 57% | 2% | 28% | |
| Strongly approve | 18% | 33% | 7% | 43% | 13% | |
| Approve | 28% | 39% | 20% | 39% | 37% | |
| Disapprove | 18% | 10% | 29% | 1% | 18% | |
| Strongly disapprove | 16% | 3% | 28% | 1% | 10% | |
| Don’t know | 19% | 15% | 17% | 16% | 22% |
46% approve the Government’s proposed mining tax and 34% disapprove. This represents a weakening in support since this question was asked in July 2010.
Labor voters (72%) and Greens voters (82%) strongly support the tax – but Liberal/National voters disapprove 57% to 27%.
agriculture, construction, Finance, hospitality, manufacturing, media, mining, protection of local industries, Retail, telecommunications, tourism
Q. Thinking about Australian industries, how would you rate the current state of the following industries?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Poor | Very poor | |
| Mining | 85% | 15% | 76% | 9% | 2% | 13% |
| Construction | 77% | 23% | 47% | 30% | 7% | 16% |
| Hospitality | 81% | 19% | 46% | 35% | 7% | 12% |
| Tourism | 81% | 19% | 45% | 36% | 7% | 12% |
| Finance | 76% | 24% | 44% | 32% | 8% | 16% |
| Telecommunications | 78% | 22% | 43% | 35% | 11% | 11% |
| Media | 72% | 28% | 38% | 34% | 12% | 16% |
| Agriculture | 75% | 25% | 36% | 39% | 9% | 16% |
| Retail | 75% | 25% | 26% | 49% | 16% | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 62% | 38% | 19% | 43% | 22% | 16% |
76% rate the state of the mining industry as very good – the only industry to score above 50%. However at least 75% think all other industries except manufacturing are in a very good or good state.
Only 19% rate manufacturing as very good – and 38% rate it poor or very poor.
agriculture, construction, economy, Finance, future, hospitality, management of the economy, manufacturing, media, mining, Retail, telecommunications, tourism
Q. And which of these industries are the three most important for Australia’s economic future?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Mining | 67% | 77% | 67% | 61% |
| Agriculture | 58% | 57% | 59% | 58% |
| Tourism | 46% | 47% | 43% | 56% |
| Manufacturing | 37% | 30% | 40% | 36% |
| Construction | 25% | 26% | 26% | 31% |
| Finance | 21% | 18% | 23% | 17% |
| Retail | 17% | 18% | 17% | 12% |
| Telecommunications | 14% | 16% | 11% | 20% |
| Hospitality | 10% | 10% | 9% | 6% |
| Media | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 4% | * | 4% | 3% |
Australia’s most important industries are thought to be mining (67%), agriculture (58%), tourism (46%) and manufacturing (37%). Opinions are consistent across voter groups in terms of order of importance.
Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, mining, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the current mining boom in Australia has benefited you personally?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Yes | 16% | 18% | 18% | 19% |
| No | 69% | 67% | 69% | 72% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 15% | 13% | 9% |
Only 16% agree that they have personally benefited from the mining boom and 69% think they have not benefited.
There was little difference across voter groups.
Those on higher incomes are a little more likely to say they have benefited – 24% of those earning $1,600+ per week compared to 13% of those earning less than $1,000 per week.
actu, EMC, Essential Media, Essential Report, GDP, mining, mining companies, mining industry, Mining tax, peter lewis, Resource Rent Tax, The Drum
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% |
agriculture, banking, car manufacturing, goverment support for industries, media, mining, renewable energy
Q. Thinking about Australian industries and the ways in which the Government can give them assistance and support – which forms of assistance and support do you think the Government should give to the following industries? (multi-response)
| Lower tax rates | Direct subsidies and grants | Protection from overseas competition | Total should give assistance | Should not give any assistance | Don’t know | |
| Agriculture | 34% | 44% | 45% | 79% | 7% | 14% |
| Renewable energy e.g. solar panels, wind farms | 34% | 56% | 19% | 79% | 7% | 14% |
| Other manufacturing e.g. clothing, whitegoods | 24% | 16% | 43% | 69% | 14% | 17% |
| Car manufacturing | 22% | 18% | 39% | 66% | 16% | 18% |
| Mining | 13% | 9% | 19% | 37% | 42% | 21% |
| Banking and finance | 13% | 3% | 12% | 25% | 57% | 18% |
| Media e.g. newspapers, TV stations | 5% | 5% | 12% | 21% | 58% | 21% |
More than three-quarters of respondents are in favour of Government assistance and support for agriculture and renewable energy industries. 45% believe that agriculture should receive protection from overseas competition and 56% support direct grants and subsidies for renewable energy.
About two-thirds are in favour of Government support for car and other manufacturing industries – especially protection from overseas competition.
Media (21%) and banking and finance (25%) are thought to be least deserving of Government support.
By voting intention Liberal/National voters were a little more likely to favour Government support for agriculture (87%) and mining (44%). Comments »
Labor, Mineral Resource Rent Tax, mining, resources super profits tax, RSPT
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the new mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) recently negotiated between the Government and major mining companies?
| Total approve | 50% |
| Total disapprove | 28% |
| Strongly approve | 13% |
| Approve | 37% |
| Disapprove | 18% |
| Strongly disapprove | 10% |
| Don’t know | 22% |
50% of respondents approved the new mining tax negotiated with the mining companies and 28% disapproved. Labor voters approved 75% to 10% and Greens voters approved 52% to 26%. 33% of Liberal/National voters approved and 53% disapproved. Comments »
Gillard, Gillard's performance, mining, resources super profits tax, RSPT
Q. How would you rate the job Prime Minister Julia Gillard has done in handling the mining tax issue?
| Total good | 58% |
| Total poor | 25% |
| Very good | 14% |
| Good | 44% |
| Poor | 15% |
| Very poor | 10% |
| Don’t know | 16% |
58% rated the Prime Minister’s handling of the mining tax issue as good and 25% rated it poor. Labor voters rated it 87% good and 6% poor and Greens voters rated it 60% good and 27% poor. 40% of Liberal/National voters rated it good and 49% poor. Comments »