economy, Essential Report, GFC, global financial crisis, Greens, Joe Hockey, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Labor, leadership, Liberal, malcolm turnbull, Nationals, Polling, tony abbott
Q. If there was another global financial crisis or a recession, which of the following would be best to lead Australia?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Kevin Rudd | 24% | 34% | 13% | 37% |
| Tony Abbott | 20% | 4% | 44% | – |
| Julia Gillard | 13% | 42% | 1% | 18% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 13% | 7% | 17% | 17% |
| Joe Hockey | 7% | 1% | 11% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 12% | 15% | 25% |
24% think Kevin Rudd would be best to lead Australia if there was another GFC and 20% favour Tony Abbott.
Among Labor voters Julia Gillard is preferred over Kevin Rudd 42% to 34%. Support for the current party leaders among their own voters is very similar – 42% of Labor voters prefer Julia Gillard and 44% of Liberal/National voters prefer Tony Abbott.
2PP, Essential Report, 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 = 1,865
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 46% | 46% | 46% | |
| National | 3% | 4% | 4% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 49% | 50% | 50% | 49% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 31% | 31% | 32% | 32% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 9% | 8% | 8 |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 57% | 56% | 56% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 43% | 44% | 44% |
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.
approval of PM, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Gillard, Greens, healthcare system, Julia Gillard, Labor, Labor Party policies, Liberal, management of the economy, Nationals, pension, Polling, superannuation
Q. Thinking about what the Labor Government has done over the last few years, do you approve or disapprove of the following Government actions?
| Total approve | Total disapprove | Strongly approve | Approve | Disapprove | Strongly disapprove | Don’t know | |
| Increased funding of health services | 89% | 5% | 42% | 47% | 3% | 2% | 6% |
| Increasing the age pension | 78% | 14% | 34% | 44% | 8% | 6% | 8% |
| Increasing superannuation to 12% | 75% | 13% | 28% | 47% | 9% | 4% | 12% |
| Managing the economy to keep unemployment and interest rates low | 70% | 21% | 21% | 49% | 12% | 9% | 10% |
| Spending on new school buildings | 68% | 24% | 19% | 49% | 15% | 9% | 8% |
| Introducing a national disability insurance scheme | 63% | 13% | 18% | 45% | 9% | 4% | 24% |
| Stimulus spending to tackle the GFC | 61% | 28% | 21% | 40% | 15% | 13% | 11% |
| Paid parental leave | 60% | 30% | 19% | 41% | 17% | 13% | 10% |
| Introducing a tax on large profits of mining companies | 58% | 29% | 27% | 31% | 16% | 13% | 13% |
| Building the NBN (National Broadband Network) | 54% | 34% | 19% | 35% | 17% | 17% | 12% |
| Stopping live cattle exports until welfare concerns were addressed | 53% | 34% | 24% | 29% | 17% | 17% | 12% |
| Abolished WorkChoices | 51% | 33% | 23% | 28% | 21% | 12% | 16% |
| Sending asylum seekers to Malaysia | 39% | 45% | 17% | 22% | 20% | 25% | 16% |
| Introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change | 33% | 53% | 15% | 18% | 14% | 39% | 14% |
Government decisions and policies with highest approval were increased funding of health services (89% approve), increasing the age pension (78%) and increasing superannuation to 12% (75%).
Only two of the actions listed received less than majority approval – sending asylum seekers to Malaysia was 39% approve/45% disapprove and introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change was 33% approve/53% disapprove.
Labor voters showed majority approval of all decisions and policies, Greens voters showed majority approval for all except sending asylum seekers to Malaysia (21% approve/63% disapprove).
Liberal/National voters approved of half the items listed – increased funding of health services (89% approve), increasing the age pension (79%), increasing superannuation to 12% (71%), managing the economy to keep unemployment and interest rates low (54%), spending on new school buildings (54%), introducing a national disability insurance scheme (60%) and paid parental leave (52%).
2PP, 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 = 1,846
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 47% | 46% | 46% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 48% | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 32% | 30% | 31% | 32% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 10% | 9% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 55% | 57% | 57% | 56% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 45% | 43% | 43% | 44% |
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.
Australia’s health system, Essential Report, Greens, Health, healthcare system, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Overall, which party do you think would be best at handling Australia’s health system?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| The Labor Party | 26% | 69% | 3% | 39% |
| The Liberal Party | 33% | 2% | 71% | 3% |
| No difference | 27% | 18% | 18% | 39% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 10% | 8% | 19% |
Opinions of party best to handle Australia’s health system very much follow voting preferences. Overall the Liberal Party is favoured over labor by 33% to 26%. 41% either don’t know or think there is no difference. 69% of Labor voters favour the Labor Party and 71% of Liberal/National voters favor the Liberals.
Men favour the Liberals 40% to 27% while women are more evenly divided – 25% Labor, 26% Liberal and 49% no difference/don’t know.
Those on incomes under $600pw favour Labor over the Liberals by 34% to 22% – all other income groups favour the Liberal Party.
2PP, Essential Report, 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 = 2,023
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 46% | 46% | 47% | 46% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 49% | 49% | 50% | 50% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 31% | 31% | 30% | 31% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 11% | 11% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 9% | 10% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 56% | 56% | 57% | 57% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 44% | 44% | 43% | 43% |
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.
2PP, 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 = 2,023
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 47% | 45% | 46% | 47% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 50% | 48% | 49% | 50% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 30% | 32% | 31% | 30% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 9% | 9% | 10% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 57% | 55% | 56% | 57% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 43% | 45% | 44% | 43% |
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.
economy, Essential Report, GFC, global financial crisis, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, the economy
Q. Which party would you trust most to handle the economy if there was another Global Financial Crisis (GFC)?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| The Labor Party | 27% | 77% | 3% | 41% |
| The Liberal Party | 43% | 6% | 86% | 3% |
| No difference | 19% | 13% | 9% | 42% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 4% | 2% | 13% |
43% said they would trust the Liberal Party most to handle the economy if there was another GFC, 27% would trust the Labor Party most and 19% said there was no difference.
Those aged under 35 were more likely to think there was no difference (25%) while those aged 55+ were more likely to prefer the Liberal Party (54%)