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  • Feb, 2012

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    Approval of Tony Abbott

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?

    18 Jan

    2010

    5 Jul

    2010

    20 Dec 2010 14 Mar

    2011

    14 June 12 Sept 17 Oct 14 Nov 12 Dec 16 Jan 2012 13 Feb
    Total approve 37% 37% 39% 38% 38% 39% 40% 36% 32% 35% 35%
    Total disapprove 37% 47% 39% 47% 48% 50% 51% 52% 53% 51% 53%
    Strongly approve 5% 8% 9% 7% 6% 8% 8% 6% 6% 7% 6%
    Approve 32% 29% 30% 31% 32% 31% 32% 30% 26% 28% 29%
    Disapprove 20% 23% 21% 24% 25% 23% 23% 26% 25% 25% 23%
    Strongly disapprove 17% 24% 18% 23% 23% 27% 28% 26% 28% 26% 30%
    Don’t know 26% 16% 22% 16% 15% 11% 9% 12% 14% 13% 12%

    Tony Abbott’s approval rating has also changed little over the last month. 35% (no change) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 53% (up 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -16 to -18 over the last 4 weeks.

    67% (down 1%) of Coalition voters approve and 21% (no change) disapprove.

    By gender – men 40% approve/52% disapprove, women 31% approve/54% disapprove.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Better Prime Minister

    Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott?

    5 Jul 2010 14 Mar 14 June 12 Sept 17 Oct 14 Nov 12 Dec 16 Jan 2012 13 Feb Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Julia Gillard 53% 44% 41% 36% 38% 41% 39% 39% 41% 85% 5% 76%
    Tony Abbott 26% 33% 36% 40% 39% 36% 35% 36% 34% 3% 73% 7%
    Don’t know 21% 23% 24% 24% 23% 24% 26% 25% 25% 12% 22% 17%

    41% (up 2%) believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 34% (down 2%) prefer Tony Abbott – a net change from +3% to +7% for Julia Gillard. This is Julia Gillard’s best result since May last year.

    Men prefer Julia Gillard 42%/37% and women favour Julia Gillard 40%/32%.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Impact of Gina Rinehart on Independence of Fairfax Newspapers

    Q. Gina Rinehart (mining company owner and Australia’s wealthiest person) has recently bought a major stake in Fairfax newspapers (publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age). Do you think this will make Fairfax newspapers reporting of politics and business more balanced and independent, less balanced and independent or will It make no difference?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens NSW Victoria
    More balanced and independent 7% 7% 8% 6% 11% 5%
    Less balanced and independent 31% 35% 22% 62% 33% 31%
    Make no difference 44% 36% 55% 23% 38% 46%
    Don’t know 19% 22% 15% 9% 18% 18%

    44% think that Gina Rinehart’s purchase of a major stake in Fairfax will make no difference to the balance and independence of the newspapers. 31% think this will make the newspapers less balanced and independent and only 7% think the newspapers will become more balanced and independent.

    Greens voters (62%) and respondents aged under 35 (37%) were most likely to think the newspapers will become less balanced and independent and Liberal/National voters least likely (22%).

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Government Control of Media ownership

    Q. Do you think the Government should have more or less control of media ownership in Australia?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens NSW Victoria
    Should have more control 24% 29% 17% 38% 28% 22%
    Should have less control 24% 17% 30% 30% 23% 29%
    Has about the right control now 34% 38% 38% 18% 34% 34%
    Don’t know 18% 16% 15% 14% 16% 16%

    Respondents were evenly divided over whether the Government should have more or less control of media ownership in Australia. 24% think they should have more control and 24% think they should have less – and 34% think they have about the right control.

    Greens voters (38%) and Labor voters (29%) are more likely to think the Government should have more control and 30% of Liberal/National voters think they should have less control.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Australia – Fair and Just

    Q. Compared to other advanced industrial countries would you say Australia is fairer and more just, about average, or less fair and just?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total more fair and just 46% 53% 47% 40%
    A lot more fair and just 14% 18% 14% 7%
    A little more fair and just 32% 35% 33% 33%
    About average 38% 35% 39% 47%
    A little less fair and just 8% 7% 7% 8%
    A lot less fair and just 3% 2% 3% 3%
    Don’t know 5% 3% 3% 1%

    46% think that Australia is fairer and more just than other advanced industrial countries.

    Labor voters (53%) are more likely to think Australia is more fair and just than Liberal/National voters (47%) or Greens voters (40%).

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Australia – Fair and Just Compared

    Q. Would you say that Australia is more or less fair and just as a nation and society than the following countries?

    More fair and just About the same Less fair and just Don’t know
    China 66% 11% 11% 12%
    The United States 47% 33% 10% 10%
    Japan 41% 30% 12% 18%
    France 34% 34% 13% 19%
    The UK 26% 58% 7% 9%
    Canada 12% 61% 13% 14%
    New Zealand 12% 68% 11% 9%

    66% think Australia is a more fair and just society than China and 47% think Australia is more fair than the United States.

    More than half think Australia is about as fair and just as New Zealand (68%), Canada (61%) and the UK (58%).

    Views about the United States are similar across most demographic groups except for those on higher incomes – 51% of those on incomes over $1,600 pw think Australia is more fair and just than the United States.

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  • Jan, 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 = 1,899 respondents

    First preference/leaning to Election

    21 Aug 10

    2 weeks ago Last week

    This week
    Liberal 45% 45% 44%
    National 3% 3% 3%
    Total Lib/Nat 43.6% 48% 48% 47%
    Labor 38.0% 35% 35% 34%
    Greens 11.8% 9% 10% 10%
    Other/Independent 6.6% 8% 7% 8%
    2PP Election

    21 Aug 10

    2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 54% 54% 54%
    Labor 50.1% 46% 46% 46%

    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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  • Jan, 2012

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    Benefit to Schools of Building program

    If children at school –

    Q. How much did the schools those children attend benefit from the Government’s school building program?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Children at primary school Children at secondary school
    A lot 19% 25% 16% 26% 15%
    Moderately 30% 37% 31% 32% 29%
    A little 23% 15% 33% 24% 22%
    Not at all 12% 10% 11% 7% 17%
    Don’t know 15% 13% 9% 11% 17%

    Of the respondents with children at school, 49% thought their schools had benefited a lot of moderately, 23% thought they had benefited a little and 12% not at all. 58% of those with children at primary school thought their schools had benefited a lot/moderately compared to 44% of those with children at secondary schools.

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