EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Question, Essential Report, Federal Leaders, Julia Gillard, Network 10, Network Ten, Polling, polls, tony abbott, trust in leaders
Q. Who do you trust most to deliver good policies for Australia’s future?
(Question commissioned by Network Ten)
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Julia Gillard | 40% | 81% | 5% | 62% |
| Tony Abbott | 31% | 1% | 72% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 29% | 18% | 23% | 36% |
40% have most trust in Julia Gillard to deliver good policies for Australia’s future and 31% trust Tony Abbott most.
Opinions closely follow party preference although Julia Gillard is overwhelmingly trusted more by Greens voters (62% to 2%).
Women are less trusting of Tony Abbott – 40% of men trust Julia Gillard and 36% trust Tony Abbott while 41% of women trust Julia Gillard and only 26% trust Tony Abbott.
Younger people are also less likely to trust Tony Abbott – those aged 55+ trust Tony Abbott (44%) more than Julia Gillard (36%) while those aged under 35 trust Julia Gillard more (42% Gillard/24% Abbott).
Download the Network Ten Essential Question of the Week. (1.1 MB pdf)
2PP, Election, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls, two party preferred, 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 = 1,913
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 42% | 43% | 41% | 40% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 45% | 46% | 44% | 43% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 37% | 38% | 40% | 39% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 11% | 10% | 10% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 7% | 7% | 6% | 7% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 51% | 51% | 50% | 49% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 49% | 49% | 50% | 51% |
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.
Approval of Healthcare Agreement, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Healthcare, Healthcare Agreement, healthcare system, Labor, Liberal, Liberal Party, Polling, polls
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the recent agreement between the Federal and State Governments for the Federal Government to provide 50% of growth funding for Australia’s healthcare system?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 67% | 81% | 62% | 74% |
| Total disapprove | 9% | 4% | 15% | 4% |
| Strongly approve | 18% | 31% | 10% | 25% |
| Approve | 49% | 50% | 52% | 49% |
| Disapprove | 6% | 4% | 10% | 3% |
| Strongly disapprove | 3% | * | 5% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 24% | 15% | 24% | 21% |
Two-thirds of respondents approved of the recent agreement between the Federal and State Governments for the Federal Government to provide 50% of growth funding for Australia’s healthcare system and only 9% disapproved. All voter groups showed strong majority approval.
Older people were more supportive than younger people – 71% of those aged 55+ approved compared to 60% of those aged under 18-35. By state, Victoria had the highest approval at 72%.
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Healthcare, Healthcare Agreement, healthcare system, Impact of Healthcare Agreement, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think this funding agreement will result in a better or a worse healthcare system or will it make no difference?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better | 49% | 67% | 39% | 65% |
| Total worse/no difference | 34% | 20% | 49% | 20% |
| A lot better | 8% | 16% | 4% | 8% |
| A little better | 41% | 51% | 35% | 57% |
| Make no difference | 28% | 19% | 38% | 18% |
| A little worse | 3% | 1% | 5% | 1% |
| A lot worse | 3% | * | 6% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 16% | 13% | 12% | 16% |
About half the respondents thought the agreement will result in a better healthcare system. Two thirds of Labor and Greens voters thought it would result in a better system but Liberal/National voters were more likely to think it would make no difference or be worse.
Although showing higher approval of the agreement, older people were more likely to think it would make no difference or be worse – those aged 45+ were split 49% better/40% no difference or worse compared to aged 18-44 at 50% better/29% no difference or worse.
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Healthcare Agreement, Liberal Party, Liberal Party and Healthcare Agreement, Liberal Party Support, Polling, polls, tony abbott
Q. Do you think Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party should support or oppose this health care agreement between the Federal and State Governments?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should support | 51% | 72% | 36% | 69% |
| Should oppose | 11% | 2% | 20% | 6% |
| Should neither support nor oppose | 10% | 5% | 16% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 28% | 20% | 28% | 20% |
Half the respondents thought Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party should support the health care agreement and only 11% thought they should oppose it. Only 20% of Liberal/National voters thought Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party should oppose it – 36% though they should support it and 44% thought they should do neither or had no opinion.
ALP, better leader, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Labor, Labor Party, PM, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think that Julia Gillard has been a better or a worse leader than Kevin Rudd?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better | 28% | 47% | 13% | 30% |
| Total worse | 33% | 18% | 48% | 35% |
| A lot better | 7% | 15% | 2% | 3% |
| A little better | 21% | 32% | 11% | 27% |
| No difference | 33% | 32% | 37% | 30% |
| A little worse | 15% | 10% | 17% | 23% |
| A lot worse | 18% | 8% | 31% | 12% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 3% | 2% | 5% |
Overall, respondents were split over whether Julia Gillard has been a better or worse leader than Kevin Rudd – 28% thought she had been better, 33% worse and 33% no different.
Labor voters were more likely to think she had been better (47%/18%) while Liberal/National voters though she had been worse (13%/48%). Greens voters were split 30% better/35% worse and 30% no different.
By gender – men split 24% better/37% worse compared to women 31% better/29% worse.
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, higher mining taxes, Labor, Liberal, mine tax, Mining Company Profits, Mining tax, Polling, polls, Taxing Mining Companies
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 56% | 75% | 36% | 83% |
| Total disapprove | 27% | 13% | 49% | 6% |
| Strongly approve | 21% | 32% | 6% | 46% |
| Approve | 35% | 43% | 30% | 37% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 11% | 35% | 4% |
| Strongly disapprove | 7% | 2% | 14% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 13% | 15% | 11% |
There was majority approval of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies – 56% approved and 27% disapproved. Labor and Greens voters showed very high approval while Liberal/National voters split 36% approve/49% disapprove.
There were no significant differences by demographic groupings (age/income/work status).
EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, mine tax, Mining Company Profits, Mining tax, Polling, polls, Taxing Mining Companies
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies if the funds raised were used to provide higher superannuation for all workers?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 56% | 68% | 44% | 84% |
| Total disapprove | 24% | 14% | 39% | 8% |
| Strongly approve | 20% | 33% | 8% | 37% |
| Approve | 36% | 35% | 36% | 47% |
| Disapprove | 16% | 11% | 25% | 4% |
| Strongly disapprove | 8% | 3% | 14% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 18% | 17% | 8% |
When asked whether they approved of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies if the funds raised were used to provide higher superannuation for all workers, 56% approved (no change) and 24% disapproved (down 3%).
Labor voters were slightly less supportive if the funds were tied to super increases (approval down 7%) while Liberal/National voters were more supportive (approval up 8% and disapproval down 10%).
Full-time workers split 58% approve/27% disapprove, part-time workers 57% approve/17% disapprove and those not working 53% approve/25% disapprove. Highest disapproval was shown by workers earning over $1,600 per week – 56% approved but 32% disapproved.