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  • Jan, 2012

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    Support for Other Manufacturing Sectors

    Q. Do you think other manufacturing sectors that are under pressure from the high Australian dollar should receive similar assistance from Governments, or do you think the car industry needs special assistance?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Other manufacturing industries should receive similar assistance 62% 61% 66% 68%
    The car industry needs special assistance 12% 15% 15% 9%
    Don’t know 26% 24% 19% 23%

    62% thought that other manufacturing industries should receive similar assistance and only 12% thought the car industry needs special assistance. There were no major differences across demographic and voter groups – although strongest support for similar assistance for other industries came from Greens voters (68%), aged 45+ (69%) and Victorian residents (68%).

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  • Jan, 2012

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    Should Australia be a Country that “Makes things”

    Q. A number of politicians have said about the manufacturing industry that Australia should be an economy that “makes things.” Do you agree or disagree?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total agree 79% 84% 84% 76%
    Total disagree 6% 6% 7% 6%
    Strongly agree 25% 27% 27% 16%
    Agree 54% 57% 57% 60%
    Disagree 6% 5% 7% 5%
    Strongly disagree * * 1%
    Don’t know 14% 10% 9% 18%

    There was strong agreement with the idea that Australia should be an economy that “makes things”. 79% agreed and only 6% of respondents disagreed.

    84% of both Labor and Liberal/National voters agreed – but generally results were similar across demographic groups.

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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

    Last poll

    (19.12.11)

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

    21 Aug 10

    Last poll This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 54% 54%
    Labor 50.1% 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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    Approval of Julia Gillard

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?

    19 Jul 2010 20 Dec 2010 14 Mar

    2011

    14 June 12 Sept 17 Oct 14 Nov 12 Dec 16 Jan 2012
    Total approve 52% 43% 41% 34% 28% 34% 37% 34% 37%
    Total disapprove 30% 40% 46% 54% 64% 59% 55% 54% 52%
    Strongly approve 11% 10% 7% 6% 5% 7% 8% 6% 6%
    Approve 41% 33% 34% 28% 23% 27% 29% 28% 31%
    Disapprove 17% 24% 22% 29% 28% 27% 25% 25% 27%
    Strongly disapprove 13% 16% 24% 25% 36% 32% 30% 29% 25%
    Don’t know 18% 17% 13% 13% 8% 7% 9% 11% 12%

    Julia Gillard’s approval rating has improved a little since last month. 37% (up 3%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 52% (down 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -20 to -15 over the last 5 weeks. This is the best net rating for the Prime Minister since May last year.

    76% of Labor voters approve (up 3%) and 15% disapprove (down 4%).

    By gender – men 34% approve/57% disapprove, women 37% approve/47% disapprove.

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

    Tony Abbott’s approval rating has also improved a little over the last month. 35% (up 3%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 51% (down 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -21 to -16 over the last 5 weeks.

    68% (up 3%) of Coalition voters approve and 21% (down 1%) disapprove.

    By gender – men 41% approve/49% disapprove, women 29% approve/53% disapprove.

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  • Jan, 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 Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Julia Gillard 53% 44% 41% 36% 38% 41% 39% 39% 83% 5% 69%
    Tony Abbott 26% 33% 36% 40% 39% 36% 35% 36% 5% 76% 4%
    Don’t know 21% 23% 24% 24% 23% 24% 26% 25% 12% 20% 27%

    39% believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 36% prefer Tony Abbott – no significant change from last month’s result.

    Men prefer Tony Abbott 41%/37% and women favour Julia Gillard 41%/31%.

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  • Dec, 2011

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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 = 1,896 respondents

    First preference/leaning to Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Liberal 46% 44% 44% 45%
    National 3% 3% 3% 3%
    Total Lib/Nat 43.6% 48% 47% 48% 47%
    Labor 38.0% 34% 34% 34% 35%
    Greens 11.8% 10% 10% 10% 9%
    Other/Independent 6.6% 7% 9% 9% 8%
    2PP Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 55% 54% 55% 54%
    Labor 50.1% 45% 46% 45% 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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  • Dec, 2011

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    2012 Outlook – Economy and Family

    Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think 2012 will be a good or bad year for each of the following?

    Total good

    Dec 10

    Total bad

    Dec10

    Total good Total bad Very good Good Neither good nor bad Bad Very bad Don’t know/Not applicable
    The Australian economy 48% 16% 29% 35% 3% 26% 32% 28% 7% 3%
    Your personal financial situation 39% 20% 33% 27% 4% 29% 38% 20% 7% 2%
    Your workplace * 47% 16% 45% 20% 6% 39% 36% 15% 5% 2%
    You and your family overall 51% 14% 52% 16% 10% 42% 30% 12% 4% 2%

    * based on working people

    Overall, respondents were optimistic that 2012 would be a good year for themselves overall (52%) and their workplace (45%). They tended to be less optimistic about their financial situation (33% good/27% bad) and somewhat pessimistic about the Australian economy (29%/35%).

    Compared to expectations 12 months ago, respondents were much less optimistic about the Australian economy (48% good last year compared to 29% good this year) and also rather less optimistic about their own financial situation (39%/20% last year compared to 33%/27% this year).

    When compared with last week’s questions on perceptions of 2011, these figures suggest that respondents expect 2012 to be better than 2011 for themselves and their family (net +36% for next year compared to net +24% for this year), a little better for their workplace (+25% next year, +20% last year) and their own financial situation (+6% next year, -2% this year). The Australian economy is expected to be a little worse in 2012 (-6% next year compared to +2% last year).

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