The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Sep, 2015

    Interests Represented by Parties

    Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –

    Labor

    Liberal

    Greens

    Don’t know

    Net (Labor- Liberal

    Net Nov 2011

    Big business

    9%

    61%

    3%

    27%

    -52

    -57

    Working people on high incomes

    11%

    59%

    3%

    26%

    -48

    -54

    Small businesses and self-employed

    25%

    40%

    4%

    31%

    -15

    -29

    Rural and regional Australians

    19%

    27%

    13%

    41%

    -8

    -13

    The next generation of Australians

    22%

    27%

    12%

    39%

    -5

    -11

    Indigenous people

    22%

    21%

    16%

    41%

    +1

    +11

    Ethnic communities

    21%

    19%

    17%

    43%

    +2

    +8

    Families with young children

    37%

    24%

    6%

    33%

    +13

    +11

    Pensioners

    37%

    22%

    8%

    33%

    +15

    +12

    Students

    36%

    20%

    11%

    33%

    +16

    +10

    Working people on average incomes

    42%

    26%

    5%

    27%

    +16

    +11

    Working people on low incomes

    44%

    21%

    6%

    28%

    +23

    +25

    People on welfare

    41%

    18%

    10%

    31%

    +23

    +26

    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.

    Since this question was asked in November 2011, the Labor Party has improved its position on representing the interests of small business and self- employed (up 14), students (up 6), the next generation (up 6) and people on high incomes (up 6). The Liberal Party has improved its position on representing the interests of indigenous people (up 10) and ethnic communities (up 6).

Error: