disability pensions, dole, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, tony abbott, unemployment benefits, welfare, welfare proposal, welfare system
Q. Tony Abbott has proposed changes to Australia’s welfare system – including cutting back the pension for people whose disabilities can be treated, suspending the dole for young people in areas where job vacancies have not been filled and making work-for-the-dole mandatory for those under 50 receiving unemployment benefits for more than six months.
Do you think Tony Abbott’s proposal will significantly reduce unemployment in Australia or will it just make things more difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Will reduce unemployment | 36% | 18% | 61% | 20% |
| Will just make things difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits | 47% | 67% | 24% | 74% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 15% | 16% | 6% |
36% believe that Tony Abbott’s changes to the welfare system will reduce unemployment and 47% think they will just make things difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits.
The only groups more likely to think it would reduce unemployment were Liberal/National voters (61%/21%), full-time workers (43%/39%)and those on income over $1,600 pw (48%/36%). 59% of those on incomes under $1,000 pw agreed that it will just make things difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits.
benefits, disability pensions, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, party trust, pension, pensions, Polling, polls, unemployment benefits, welfare
Q. Which party would you trust more to handle welfare issues like unemployment benefits and disability pensions?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Labor Party | 34% | 75% | 6% | 53% |
| Liberal Party | 31% | 4% | 66% | 8% |
| No difference | 25% | 16% | 21% | 26% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 55 | 6% | 13% |
34% trust the Labor Party more to handle welfare issues and 31% trust the Liberal Party more. 25% think there is no difference.
The Liberal Party is trusted more by people earning $1,600+ pw (40% to 29%) while those on incomes under $1,000 pw favor the Labor Party 39% to 22%.
ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Labor Party, Liberal, Nationals, policies, Policy, Polling, polls, The Greens
Q. How much difference do you think there is between the policies of the Labor Party and the Greens?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| They are completely different | 8% | 10% | 10% | 12% |
| Different on most issues | 15% | 15% | 16% | 26% |
| Different of some and similar on some | 41% | 54% | 33% | 47% |
| Similar on most issues | 14% | 7% | 22% | 8% |
| They are exactly the same | 5% | 2% | 7% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 13% | 13% | 5% |
19% think the Labor and Greens policies are similar or exactly the same, 23% think they are mostly or completely different and 41% think they are different on some and the similar on some issues.
Labor voters are more likely to think they are different on some and similar on some (54%), Liberal/National voters more likely to think they are similar or the same (29%) and Greens voters more likely to think they are different (38%).
asylum seekers, budget, East Timor, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, processing centre for asylum seekers
Q. Do you support or oppose the Australian Government’s proposal to establish a regional processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total support | 37% | 47% | 33% | 38% | 42% | 32% | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Total oppose | 38% | 27% | 46% | 38% | 39% | 36% | 29% | 39% | 46% |
| Strongly support | 11% | 13% | 9% | 5% | 12% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 13% |
| Support | 26% | 34% | 24% | 33% | 30% | 23% | 32% | 26% | 22% |
| Oppose | 18% | 16% | 20% | 22% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Strongly oppose | 20% | 11% | 26% | 16% | 21% | 18% | 12% | 19% | 28% |
| Don’t know | 25% | 25% | 21% | 25% | 19% | 32% | 31% | 24% | 20% |
Opinions on the Australian Government’s proposal to establish a regional processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor are evenly divided – 37% support the proposal and 38% oppose.
Strongest support comes from Labor voters (47%) and those aged 18-34 (40%). Strongest opposition comes form Liberal/National voters (46%) and those aged 55+ (46%).
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 =1,860
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 44% | 44% | 43% | 43% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 47% | 46% | 46% | 46% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 36% | 36% | 37% | 36% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 7% | 8% | 7% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 53% | 53% | 52% | 53% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 47% | 47% | 48% | 47% |
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.
Australian economy, economy, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, State of the Economy
Q. Compared to other developed countries (e.g. USA, UK, Japan, European nations) how would you rate the current state of the Australian economy?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 69% | 82% | 66% | 75% |
| Total poor | 7% | 2% | 9% | 1% |
| Very good | 24% | 37% | 15% | 38% |
| Good | 45% | 45% | 51% | 37% |
| Average | 21% | 14% | 24% | 21% |
| Poor | 4% | 2% | 5% | 1% |
| Very poor | 3% | – | 4% | – |
| Don’t know | 3% | 2% | 1% | 2% |
69% believe that, compared to other developed countries, the current state of the Australian economy is good and 7% think it is poor. 82% of Labor voters think it is good compared to 75% of Greens voters and 66% of Liberal/National voters.
Those on higher incomes are more likely to think it is good – 75% of those on $1,600+ per week compared to 66% of those under $600 per week.
budget, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, spending on programs, spending on services
Q. Thinking about the next Federal Budget, overall do you think the Government should increase, maintain or cut spending on services and programs?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Increase spending | 15% | 16% | 13% | 20% |
| Maintain spending | 49% | 58% | 46% | 54% |
| Cut spending | 22% | 14% | 31% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 12% | 10% | 11% |
49% think the Government should maintain spending in the next Federal Budget, 22% think spending should be cut and 15% think it should be increased.
By voting intention, 74% of Labor voters and Greens voters think spending should be maintained or increased compared to 59% of Liberal/National voters. 31% of Liberal/National voters think spending should be cut.
Budget Surplus, cutting services, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget Surplus, Greens, invest in infrastructure, Labor, Liberal, maintain services, Nationals, Polling, polls, raising taxes, return to surplus
Q. Do you think it is more important for the Government to return the budget to surplus by 2012/13 as planned – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – OR should they delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Return to surplus by 2012/13 | 14% | 16% | 16% | 9% |
| Delay return to surplus | 69% | 72% | 70% | 72% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 12% | 13% | 19% |
69% support delaying the return to surplus if it means cutting services and raising taxes – while 14% think it is more important to return to surplus by 2012/13.
78% of those aged 45+ support delaying the return to surplus.