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  • Apr, 2012

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    Childcare Rebate for Nannies

    Q. Tony Abbott has said that if he became Prime Minister he would ask the Productivity Commission to look into extending the childcare rebate to childcare provided by nannies. Would you support or oppose the Government paying a childcare rebate for nannies?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total support

    44%

    33%

    57%

    33%

    Total oppose

    33%

    49%

    24%

    44%

    Strongly support

    12%

    9%

    17%

    10%

    Support

    32%

    24%

    40%

    23%

    Oppose

    20%

    27%

    18%

    20%

    Strongly oppose

    13%

    22%

    6%

    24%

    No opinion

    22%

    18%

    19%

    23%

    44% support the Government paying a childcare rebate for nannies and 33% oppose. 49% of Labor voters and 44% of Greens voters are opposed but 57% of Liberal/National voters support the measure.

    Support is higher among younger respondents – those aged under 45 split 53% support/24% oppose and those aged 45+ split 36% support/44% oppose.

    48% of those on income under $600pw oppose and 32% support, but all higher income groups are more likely to support.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Reason for Budget Deficit

    Q. The Federal Government is currently running a budget deficit, but intends to return to surplus with the budget for 2012-13 to be announced next month. Which of the following do you think has been most responsible for the deficit over the last few years?

     

    Total 11/4/11

    Total 10/4/12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Poor economic management by the Government

    23%

    28%

    7%

    48%

    7%

    Big companies not paying their fair share of taxes

    17%

    16%

    28%

    5%

    28%

    Lower tax revenues because of the Global Financial Crisis

    13%

    16%

    27%

    10%

    22%

    Spending on big projects like the National Broadband Network

    14%

    15%

    14%

    17%

    10%

    The cost of the Government’s GFC stimulus packages

    19%

    12%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    Don’t know

    15%

    14%

    13%

    8%

    18%

    Overall, respondents believe the main reasons for the budget deficit are poor economic management by the Government (28%), big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (16%) and lower tax revenues because of the Global Financial Crisis (16%).

    Since this question was asked 12 months ago, those blaming the Government for poor economic management has increased from 23% to 28% and those blaming the cost of the Government’s GFC stimulus packages has declined from 19% to 12%.

    Labor voters were most likely to blame big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (28%) and lower tax revenues because of the GFC (27%) while Liberal/National voters blame poor economic management by the Government (48%). Greens voters tended to blame big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (28%).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    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 4/4/11

     

    Total 28/11/11

    Total 10/4/12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Return to surplus by 2012/13, cut services, raise taxes

    14%

    13%

    12%

    13%

    13%

    7%

    Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure

    69%

    71%

    73%

    73%

    76%

    81%

    Don’t know

    17%

    15%

    15%

    13%

    12%

    12%

     

    12% support the return to surplus by 2012/13 if it means cutting services and raising taxes and 73% think the Government should delay the return to surplus and maintain services and investment. Support for a return to surplus has not significantly changed since this question was asked in November last year.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Measures to Return to Surplus

    Q. In order to meet their commitment to return to surplus in 2012-13, which measures should the Government take?

    Total

    11/4/11

    Total 10/4/12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Increase taxes for big corporations

    63%

    67%

    81%

    55%

    80%

    Reduce tax breaks for high income earners

    51%

    57%

    65%

    52%

    71%

    Postpone major infrastructure projects like the NBN

    na

    41%

    29%

    58%

    19%

    Reduce defence spending

    32%

    38%

    42%

    30%

    64%

    Cut “middle class welfare” such as the Baby Bonus, first home buyers grant and Family Tax Benefit payments

    36%

    36%

    37%

    38%

    36%

    Cut spending on unemployment and disability benefits

    21%

    23%

    18%

    32%

    12%

    It does not need to return to surplus so quickly

    38%

    63%

    67%

    66%

    58%

    Overall, the most favoured means of returning the budget to surplus were increasing taxes for big corporations (67%) and reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (57%). Both these measures were strongly favoured by Labor and Greens voters.

    Although support was less strong, these two measures were also two of the three the most preferred among Liberal/National voters – 58% think the Government should postpone major infrastructure projects like the NBN.

    The main changes since this question was asked 12 months ago are increases in support for reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (up 6%) and reducing defence spending (up 6%).

    Note, although 63% thought that the budget does not need to return to surplus so quickly, some of these respondents also agreed with some of the measures listed.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Means Testing Government Subsidies and Benefits

    Q. Do you think the Government subsidies and benefits (such as health insurance rebates, childcare rebates, age pensions) should be means tested (that is, reduced or not paid to people on higher incomes) or should people receive the same subsidies and benefits from the Government regardless of their income?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Subsidies and benefits should be means tested

    68%

    79%

    63%

    74%

    People should receive the same subsidies and benefits regardless of income

    24%

    16%

    30%

    18%

    Don’t know

    8%

    5%

    7%

    8%

    68% agree that Government subsidies and benefits should be means tested and 24% think people should receive the same subsidies and benefits regardless of income.

    Means testing was supported by 77% of respondents aged 45+ and 60% of those aged under 45. 76% of those earning less than $600pw supported means testing compared to 65% of those earning $1,600+.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Party Best At…

    Q. Which party – Labor or Liberal – do you think is best when it comes to:

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    No difference

    Don’t know

    Difference

    Representing the interests of Australian working families

    37%

    25%

    29%

    9%

    +12

    Representing the interests of you and people like you

    29%

    35%

    26%

    10%

    -6

    Standing up for the middle class in Australia

    26%

    33%

    30%

    11%

    -7

    Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests

    10%

    54%

    25%

    11%

    -44

    Being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests

    37%

    22%

    30%

    11%

    +15

    Handling the economy overall

    22%

    41%

    26%

    10%

    -19

    Handling the economy in a way that tries to take the interests of working families into consideration as much as it takes the interests of the large corporate and financial groups

    29%

    34%

    25%

    12%

    -5

    Handling the economy in a way that best helps small business

    22%

    40%

    25%

    13%

    -18

    Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class

    23%

    38%

    27%

    12%

    -15

    Handling the economy in a way that helps you and people like you the most.

    26%

    36%

    27%

    11%

    -10

    Labor was considered best at representing the interests of Australian working families (37%) and being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests (37%). The Liberals were considered best on all the other measures.

    In particular, the Liberal Party was considered much better on representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests (54%), handling the economy overall (41%) and handling the economy in a way that best helps small business (40%).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Weekend Work

    Q. Do you think workers should get a higher hourly rate for working on weekends or should the weekend rate be the same as the weekday rate?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Should get higher hourly rate on weekends

    78%

    82%

    73%

    91%

    Weekend and weekday rates should be the same

    18%

    14%

    23%

    6%

    Don’t know

    4%

    4%

    3%

    3%

    78% think that workers should get a higher hourly rate for working on weekends and 18% think weekend and weekday rates should be the same.

    86% of part-time workers support higher hourly rate for working on weekends. There were no significant differences across income groups.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Federal politics – 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 = 1,904 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    5/3/12

    2 weeks ago

    19/3/12

    Last week

    26/3/12

    This week

    2/4/12

    Liberal

    47%

    45%

    45%

    46%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    49%

    48%

    47%

    48%

    Labor

    38.0%

    32%

    32%

    34%

    33%

    Greens

    11.8%

    10%

    11%

    10%

    11%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    8%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    56%

    56%

    54%

    55%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    44%

    46%

    45%

    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.

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