28 May 2012, 280512, Election, federal politics, Labor, liberal.greens, poll, 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 = 1,884 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago 30/4/12 |
2 weeks ago 14/5/12 |
Last week 21/5/12 |
This week 28/5/12 |
| Liberal |
46% |
47% |
46% |
47% |
|
| National |
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
|
| Total Lib/Nat |
43.6% |
50% |
50% |
49% |
50% |
| Labor |
38.0% |
31% |
30% |
33% |
33% |
| Greens |
11.8% |
11% |
11% |
10% |
10% |
| Other/Independent |
6.6% |
9% |
9% |
8% |
7 |
| 2PP |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago |
2 weeks ago |
Last week |
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat |
49.9% |
57% |
57% |
56% |
57% |
| Labor |
50.1% |
43% |
43% |
44% |
43% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from 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. These estimates have a confidence interval of approx. + or – 2%.
Barack Obama, ER, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, Obama, Obama Visit, PM, poll, Polling, Prime Minister, US President
Q. How would you rate the performance of the Prime Minister Julia Gillard during the recent visit by US President Barack Obama?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 38% | 76% | 16% | 51% |
| Total poor | 23% | 2% | 42% | 10% |
| Very good | 12% | 36% | 2% | 6% |
| Good | 26% | 40% | 14% | 45% |
| Average | 31% | 18% | 37% | 32% |
| Poor | 8% | – | 15% | 5% |
| Very poor | 15% | 2% | 27% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 7% | 3% | 5% | 7% |
Overall, the Prime Minister’s performance during the recent visit by US President Barack Obama was rated positively.
38% rated her performance during the recent visit by US President Barack Obama as good and 23% rated it poor. 31% thought it was average.
76% of Labor voters and 51% of Greens voters rated it good, while 42% of Liberal/National voters rated it poor and 37% rated it as average.
43% of women rated her performance goods compared to 33% of men.
Barack Obama, ER, Essential Report, Obama, Obama Visit, Opposition leader, poll, Polling, tony abbott, US President
Q. How would you rate the performance of the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott during recent visit by US President Barack Obama?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 18% | 9% | 31% | 2% |
| Total poor | 30% | 49% | 9% | 54% |
| Very good | 4% | 2% | 7% | – |
| Good | 14% | 7% | 24% | 2% |
| Average | 37% | 32% | 46% | 26% |
| Poor | 14% | 17% | 7% | 24% |
| Very poor | 16% | 32% | 2% | 30% |
| Don’t know | 15% | 10% | 13% | 17% |
Overall, the Opposition Leader’s performance during the recent visit by US President Barack Obama was rated negatively.
18% rated his performance during the recent visit by US President Barack Obama as good and 30% rated it poor. 37% thought it was average.
Liberal/National voters were more likely to rate it as average (46%) – only 31% rated it good.
There was little difference between the ratings of men and women.
ER, Essential Report, mineral exports, Mineral Resource Rent Tax, mineral resources, minerals exports, Mining Boom, mining profits, poll, Polling
Q. How much do the following groups benefit from the current boom in Australia’s mineral exports?
| Benefit a lot | Some benefit | A little benefit | No benefit | Don’t know | |
| Mining company executives | 68% | 10% | 5% | 3% | 14% |
| Mining company shareholders | 48% | 28% | 7% | 3% | 14% |
| Foreign companies | 42% | 25% | 8% | 3% | 23% |
| Federal government | 37% | 35% | 10% | 2% | 15% |
| State governments | 31% | 38% | 12% | 2% | 16% |
| Regional communities | 12% | 30% | 29% | 10% | 17% |
| All Australians | 11% | 29% | 32% | 13% | 16% |
The main beneficiaries of the current boom in Australia’s mineral exports were thought to be mining company executives (68% benefit a lot), mining company shareholders (48%) and foreign companies (42%). Only 11% thought that all Australians benefit a lot and 12% thought regional communities benefit a lot.
Views were mostly similar across demographics.
Labor voters were a little more likely to think that there was a lot of benefit to all Australians (18%) and mining company shareholders (53%).
Liberal/National voters were a little more likely to think that there was a lot of benefit to State Governments (37%) and the Federal Government (46%).
ER, Essential Report, Mineral Resource Rent Tax, mineral resources, minerals exports, Mining Boom, mining profits, poll, Polling
Q. And should the following groups receive more or less benefit from the current boom in minerals exports or is the current benefit they receive about right?
| Should benefit more | Should benefit less | Current benefit about right | Don’t know | |
| All Australians | 68% | 1% | 15% | 16% |
| Regional communities | 58% | 6% | 19% | 17% |
| State governments | 30% | 17% | 32% | 20% |
| Federal government | 27% | 23% | 30% | 20% |
| Mining company shareholders | 12% | 28% | 41% | 18% |
| Foreign companies | 4% | 56% | 18% | 22% |
| Mining company executives | 4% | 57% | 21% | 18% |
A majority of respondents think there should be more benefits to all Australians (68%) and regional communities (58%). A majority also believe there should be less benefit to mining company executives (57%) and foreign companies (56%).
75% of Labor voters, 65% of Liberal/National voters and 84% of Greens voters think all Australians should benefit more.
budget, Budget Surplus, ER, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Federal Budget Surplus, Federal Government, poll, Polling, 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?
| April 4 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Return to surplus by 2012/13, cut services, raise taxes | 14% | 13% | 13% | 19% | 7% |
| Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure | 69% | 71% | 76% | 68% | 82% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 15% | 11% | 13% | 11% |
13% support the return to surplus by 2012/13 if it means cutting services and raising taxes and 69% think the Government should delay the return to surplus and maintain services and investment. Opinions are unchanged since this question was asked in April.
No more than 19% of any demographic or voter group supported the return to surplus by 2012/13.
budget, Budget Surplus, ER, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Federal Budget Surplus, Federal Government, poll, Polling, surplus
Q. In order to meet their commitment to return to surplus in 2012-13, which measures should the Government take?
| April 4 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Increase taxes for big corporations | 63% | 72% | 81% | 65% | 86% |
| Reduce tax breaks for high income earners | 51% | 59% | 63% | 57% | 64% |
| Reduce defence spending | 32% | 37% | 32% | 37% | 67% |
| Cut “middle class welfare” such as the Baby Bonus, first home buyers grant and Family Tax Benefit payments | 36% | 35% | 31% | 40% | 29% |
| Cut spending on unemployment and disability benefits | 21% | 21% | 15% | 28% | 13% |
| It does not need to return to surplus so quickly | 38% | 58% | 65% | 56% | 61% |
The most favoured measures for returning the budget to surplus were increasing taxes for big corporations (72%) and reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (59%).
Labor voters were more likely to support increasing taxes for big corporations (81%).
Liberal/National voters were more likely to support cutting spending on unemployment and welfare benefits (28%), and cutting “middle class welfare” (40%).
Since this question was last asked in April, support has increased for increasing taxes for big corporations (+9%) and reducing tax breaks for high income earners (+8%).
However, the major change since April has been a substantial increase in support for the position that the Government does not need to return to surplus so quickly – up 20% to 58%. This position is supported by 65% of Labor voters and 56% of Liberal/National voters.
fair work, Greens, industrial laws, IR, Labor, Liberal Party, Liberals, Nationals, poll, Polling, rights at work, tony abbott, WorkChoices, workers
Q. If they won the next election, how likely do you think it would be that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices?
| 31 May 10 | 12 July 10 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total likely | 58% | 56% | 51% | 75% | 33% | 78% |
| Total unlikely | 21% | 24% | 27% | 13% | 44% | 11% |
| Very likely | 28% | 26% | 22% | 45% | 4% | 41% |
| Quite likely | 30% | 30% | 29% | 30% | 29% | 37% |
| Not very likely | 18% | 18% | 19% | 9% | 31% | 8% |
| Not at all likely | 3% | 6% | 8% | 4% | 13% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 20% | 22% | 11% | 23% | 11% |
Respondents were less likely to think that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices than when a similar question was asked last year. 51% (down 5%) think it is likely that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices if they won the next election and 27% (up 3%) think it is unlikely.
75% of Labor voters and 78% of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 33% likely to 44% unlikely.