EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Libya, Libyan conflict, Military Intervention, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the military intervention in Libya being undertaken by the US, France, Italy, Canada and others?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 57% | 64% | 63% | 53% |
| Total disapprove | 22% | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| Strongly approve | 18% | 20% | 22% | 14% |
| Approve | 39% | 44% | 41% | 39% |
| Disapprove | 14% | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Strongly disapprove | 8% | 5% | 10% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 21% | 17% | 15% | 24% |
57% approve the military intervention in Libya while 22% disapprove. A majority of all voter groups approve – although Greens voters are more likely to be undecided (24% don’t know).
65% of men approve compared to 49% of women. By age – those aged 55+ approve 69%/18% and aged 18-44 approve 51%/23%
China, diplomacy, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Polling, polls, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States
Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?
| Very important | Quite important | Not very important | Don’t know | Very Important 15 Nov | Change | ||
| New Zealand | 69% | 24% | 4% | 3% | 54% | +15 | |
| United States | 60% | 33% | 5% | 2% | 56% | +4 | |
| United Kingdom | 56% | 35% | 6% | 3% | 44% | +12 | |
| China | 48% | 42% | 6% | 4% | 45% | +3 | |
| Japan | 39% | 47% | 9% | 4% | 30% | +9 | |
| Indonesia | 31% | 43% | 20% | 6% | 30% | +1 | |
| India | 26% | 42% | 26% | 5% | 24% | +2 | |
| Germany | 23% | 42% | 29% | 6% | 15% | +8 | |
| South Africa | 16% | 36% | 39% | 8% | 12% | +4 |
More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (69%), United States (60%) and the United Kingdom (56%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with China (48%).
A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 70% of Liberal/National voters and 57% of Labor voters and 48% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked in November, there have been substantial increases in the rating of the importance of relations with New Zealand (+15%), United Kingdom (+12%) and Japan (+9%).
China, diplomacy, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Polling, polls, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States
Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?
| Get closer | Stay the same | Become less close | Don’t know | Get closer
15 Nov |
Change | ||
| New Zealand | 37% | 55% | 3% | 5% | 29% | +8 | |
| China | 32% | 52% | 9% | 7% | 30% | +2 | |
| Japan | 26% | 59% | 8% | 7% | 21% | +5 | |
| United Kingdom | 25% | 62% | 7% | 5% | 20% | +5 | |
| United States | 24% | 61% | 11% | 5% | 20% | +4 | |
| Indonesia | 21% | 51% | 20% | 8% | 23% | -2 | |
| India | 19% | 53% | 18% | 9% | 22% | -3 | |
| Germany | 18% | 62% | 10% | 10% | 14% | +4 | |
| South Africa | 13% | 59% | 17% | 11% | 11% | +2 |
37% think that Australia’s relationship with New Zealand should get closer and 32% think our relationship with China should get closer.
Labor voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with China (31%) and New Zealand (31%).
Liberal/National voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (42%) and United States (34%).
Greens voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (43%), China (38%) and Japan (34%).
Since this question was asked in November, the percentage wanting a closer relationship with New Zealand has increased 8%, and increased 5% for Japan and the United Kingdom.
2PP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Independent, Labor, Liberal, NSW, NSW 2PP, NSW Election, NSW vote, NSW voting intention, Polling, polls, Voting intention
Q. If a State 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?
| First preference /leaning to | Total | Men | Women | Sydney | Other NSW | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ |
| Sample | 971 | 481 | 490 | 622 | 349 | 309 | 391 | 271 |
| Labor | 23% | 23% | 24% | 20% | 29% | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| Liberal/National | 55% | 56% | 53% | 60% | 46% | 55% | 54% | 55% |
| Greens | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 14% | 9% | 9% |
| Independent/Other | 11% | 10% | 12% | 10% | 15% | 10% | 13% | 11% |
| 2PP | ||||||||
| Labor | 34% | 33% | 35% | 29% | 42% | 32% | 35% | 34% |
| Liberal/National | 66% | 67% | 65% | 71% | 58% | 68% | 65% | 66% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 3-week averages derived 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 separately distributing the votes of the Greens and the Independents/other parties according to their preferences at the previous election. This calculation excludes exhausted votes.
economic catastrophe, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Japan, Japanese tsunami, Nuclear, Nuclear Power, nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors, peter lewis, Polling, polls, The Drum
First published on The Drum: 22/03/2011
Beyond its gob-smacking human tragedy and the looming economic catastrophe, the Japanese tsunami has thrown a radioactive wildcard into the global debate over climate change.
The fallout from the meltdown of Japanese nuclear reactors will undermine the until-now successful attempts by the nuclear industry to reposition itself as part of the global warming solution.
As this week’s Essential Report shows, the public had been coming around to the idea that developing nuclear power in Australia was acceptable. This has changed dramatically over the past seven days with one quarter of all Australians changing their position.
Q. Do you support or oppose Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity?
| 27 Jan 09 | 20 Dec 10 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | ||
| Total support | 43% | 43% | 35% | 29% | 46% | 18% | |
| Total oppose | 35% | 37% | 53% | 58% | 43% | 78% | |
| Strongly support | 14% | 16% | 12% | 10% | 17% | 7% | |
| Support | 29% | 27% | 23% | 19% | 29% | 11% | |
| Oppose | 21% | 21% | 21% | 23% | 22% | 15% | |
| Strongly oppose | 14% | 16% | 32% | 35% | 21% | 63% | |
| Don’t know | 22% | 19% | 13% | 13% | 11% | 5% |
carbon emitions, carbon pollution, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, peter lewis, Polling, polls, polluters, The Drum
First published on The Drum: 15/03/2011
Context is everything. All of a sudden Labor’s political predicament does not seem as dire; no-one is dead or missing; nuclear reactors aren’t melting down; the only after-shocks are electoral.
The enormity of the Japan catastrophe wipes everything else from public consciousness, allowing a wounded prime minister and her team to step back from the limelight, reflect and regroup.
As this week’s Essential Report shows, there is a path to repairing the damage the government has suffered and a way of setting up a debate that could, in the long-term, see it regain the political initiative.
Like so much in politics, the secret lies in the questions you ask. Ask whether people support a price on carbon and the answer is a decisive ‘no’.
2PP, Election, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, two party preferred, voting, 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 = 1,947
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 40% | 44% | 45% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 43% | 47% | 47% | 46% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 39% | 36% | 35% | 36% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 7% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 49% | 53% | 54% | 53% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 51% | 47% | 46% | 47% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived 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.
Carbon emissions, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, electricity, electricity costs, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Polling, polls, renewable energy
Q. Thinking about the proposed carbon tax, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| A carbon tax will substantially increase the cost of electricity | 79% | 8% | 47% | 32% | 6% | 2% | 13% |
| The cost of electricity will increase substantially even without a carbon tax | 78% | 11% | 26% | 52% | 10% | 1% | 11% |
| A carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution | 42% | 43% | 13% | 29% | 21% | 22% | 14% |
| A carbon tax will increase investment in renewable energy | 41% | 38% | 14% | 27% | 20% | 18% | 22% |
79% agree that a carbon tax will substantially increase the cost of electricity but 78% agree that the cost of electricity will increase substantially even without a carbon tax.
Respondents were evenly divided over whether a carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution (42% agreer/43% disagree) and whether a carbon tax will increase investment in renewable energy (41% agree/38% disagree).
Males (84%) were more likely than females (74%) to agree or strongly agree that ‘a carbon tax will substantially increase the costs of electricity.’
Females (53%) were more likely than males (41%) to agree or strongly agree that ‘a carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution.’