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  • Feb, 2013

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    Party with better policies

    Q. Which party do you think has the better policies for the following groups of people?

     

    Labor Party

    Liberal Party

    No difference

    Don’t know

    Net

    11 Feb 13

    Net

    6 Aug 12

    Pensioners

    32%

    23%

    31%

    15%

    +9

    +11

    Unemployed people

    34%

    21%

    30%

    15%

    +13

    +18

    People with disabilities

    35%

    20%

    29%

    17%

    +15

    +16

    Carers

    30%

    22%

    30%

    19%

    +8

    +12

    People on low incomes

    37%

    21%

    26%

    16%

    +16

    +22

    All working people

    32%

    31%

    23%

    14%

    +1

    -1

    The Labor Party was thought to have better policies than the Liberal Party on all issues except “all working people” where both parties had similar ratings. In particular the Labor Party was thought to have better policies for people on low incomes (37% Labor/21% Liberal), unemployed people (34%/21%) and people with disabilities (35%/20%).

    Of those aged 55+, 31% thought Labor had better policies for pensioners and 30% thought the Liberals had better policies.

    32% think Labor has better policies for all working people and 31% think the Liberals have better policies. Employed people are more likely to think the Liberals have the better policies (35% Liberal/31% Labor).

  • Aug, 2012

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    Party with Better Policies

    Q. Which party do you think has the better policies for the following groups of people?

     

    Labor Party

    Liberal Party

    No difference

    Don’t know

    Pensioners

    32%

    21%

    30%

    17%

    Unemployed people

    36%

    18%

    29%

    17%

    People with disabilities

    32%

    16%

    30%

    22%

    Carers

    30%

    18%

    30%

    22%

    People on low incomes

    40%

    18%

    26%

    16%

    All working people

    29%

    30%

    26%

    15%

    The Labor Party was thought to have better policies than the Liberal Party on all issues except “all working people” where both parties had similar ratings. In particular the Labor Party was thought to have better policies for people on low incomes (40% Labor/18% Liberal), unemployed people (36%/18%) and people with disabilities (32%/16%).

    Of those aged 55+, 40% thought Labor had better policies for pensioners and 23% thought the Liberals had better policies.

    30% think the Liberals have better policies for all working people and 29% think Labor has better policies. Full-time workers are more likely to think The Liberals have better policies (37% Liberal/24% Labor) which part-time workers are more likely to favour Labor (37% Labor/29% Liberal).

  • May, 2011

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    Interests Represented by Parties

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

    Labor Liberal Greens Don’t know
    Families with young children 34% 31% 5% 29%
    Students 30% 28% 10% 33%
    Working people on average incomes 40% 32% 5% 23%
    Working people on low incomes 43% 27% 6% 24%
    Working people on high incomes 13% 63% 2% 22%
    People on welfare 38% 23% 8% 30%
    Pensioners 33% 28% 5% 34%
    Small businesses and self-employed 20% 47% 4% 29%
    Big business 13% 62% 2% 23%
    The next generation of Australians 19% 31% 17% 33%
    Indigenous people 23% 21% 16% 40%
    Ethnic communities 22% 21% 15% 42%
    Rural and regional Australians 18% 34% 11% 36%

    The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered best at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business, small business and self-employed, rural and regional Australians and the next generation. The Greens’ main strengths are in representing the next generation, indigenous people and ethnic communities.

    There was little difference between the major parties in terms of representing the interests of families with young children, students, indigenous people and ethnic communities.

    Comments »

  • Apr, 2010

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    Government Support

    Q7. During their term in office, do you think the Rudd Government has given too much support, not enough support or just about the right amount of support to the following –

      Given too much support Given enough support Not given enough support Don’t know
    Pensioners 3% 27% 57% 12%
    Poor families 3% 28% 54% 16%
    Country Australia 2% 31% 46% 21%
    Small businesses 2% 37% 39% 22%
    Working people 2% 47% 37% 13%
    Unemployed workers 10% 37% 34% 19%
    Recent immigrants 41% 26% 17% 17%
    Large businesses 26% 37% 14% 23%
    Unions 19% 42% 13% 26%
    The banks and other large financial institutions 43% 33% 5% 19%

    About half the respondents think that the Rudd Government has not given enough support to pensioners (57%), poor families (54%) and country Australia (46%). A sizable proportion think that too much support has been given to the banks and other large financial institutions (43%) and recent immigrants (41%). 47% think the Rudd Government has given enough support to working people and 42% think they have given enough support to unions.

    Among Labor voters, 50% think the Government has not given enough support to pensioners and 54% think they have not given enough support to poor families. Comments »

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