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  • Apr, 2012

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    Role of Government

    Q.  For each of the following issues, do you think the Government does too much, too little or just about the right amount:

     

    Too much

    Too little

    About right

    Don’t know

     Providing quality health care services

    2%

    74%

    19%

    5%

     Protecting citizens from industrial and other kinds of pollution.

    10%

    43%

    36%

    11%

     Making sure the banks and other large financial institutions operate honestly and treat their clients fairly

    3%

    62%

    28%

    6%

     Making sure that the roads, bridges and other public transportation facilities are in good repair and safe.

    1%

    63%

    30%

    5%

     Ensuring that there is adequate, affordable and accessible public transport.

    2%

    67%

    25%

    6%

    Ensuring that our population is protected from crime, terrorism and other threats.

    5%

    47%

    41%

    7%

    Providing a quality education system

    2%

    54%

    37%

    7%

    Respondents were more likely to think the Government does too little on each of the issues measured.

    In particular, they think the Government does too little in terms of health care services (74%), adequate, affordable and accessible public transport (67%), roads, bridges and other public transportation (63%) and making sure the banks and other large financial institutions operate honestly and treat their clients fairly (62%).

    Issues over which they were more divided were protecting citizens from industrial and other kinds of pollution (46% about right/too much) and ensuring that our population is protected from crime, terrorism and other threats (46% about right/too much).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Appropriate Police Responses

    Q. There is a debate in many parts of Australia on the appropriate response of police to a range of situations.

    In your opinion which of the following are appropriate responses for police in the following situations? (Version A – asked of half the sample)

     

    Appropriate police responses

     

    Situation

    Firearm

    Taser

    Capsicum spray

    Baton

    Physical restraint

    Verbal response

    Don’t know

    Police confronted with an armed individual

    67%

    42%

    30%

    20%

    26%

    23%

    6%

    Police confronted with a drug (eg ice amphetamines) or alcohol affected individual

    10%

    44%

    47%

    22%

    43%

    26%

    5%

    Police confronted with a mentally ill individual (eg schizophrenic episode)

    6%

    31%

    39%

    15%

    48%

    34%

    7%

    Police confronted with a gang or mob

    47%

    44%

    43%

    33%

    32%

    26%

    9%

    A substantial proportion of respondents think that firearms are an appropriate police response when confronted with an armed individual (67%) or confronted with a gang or mob (47%).

    Tasers are more likely to be considered appropriate when confronted with a drug or alcohol affected individual (44%), a gang or mob (44%) or an armed individual (42%).

    Capsicum spray is more likely to be considered appropriate when confronted with a drug or alcohol affected individual (47%) or a gang or mob (43%).

    Physical restraint is thought to be more appropriate to situations where police are confronted with a mentally ill individual (48%) or a drug or alcohol affected individual (43%).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Most Appropriate Police Response

    Q. There is a debate in many parts of Australia on the appropriate response of police to a range of situations.

    In your opinion which of the following is the most appropriate response for police in the following situations? (Version B – asked of half the sample).

     

    Most appropriate police response

     

    Situation

    Firearm

    Taser

    Capsicum spray

    Baton

    Physical restraint

    Verbal response

    Don’t know

    Police confronted with an armed individual

    55%

    25%

    7%

    2%

    2%

    1%

    8%

    Police confronted with a drug (eg ice amphetamines) or alcohol affected individual

    5%

    37%

    28%

    3%

    18%

    2%

    7%

    Police confronted with a mentally ill individual (eg schizophrenic episode)

    2%

    24%

    24%

    1%

    31%

    10%

    7%

    Police confronted with a gang or mob

    39%

    19%

    19%

    8%

    3%

    2%

    9%

    A firearm was considered to be the most appropriate police response when confronted with an armed individual (55%) or a gang or mob (39%).

    When confronted with a drug or alcohol affected individual the most appropriate responses were thought to be taser (37%) and capsicum spray (28%).

    When confronted with a mentally ill individual the most appropriate responses were thought to be physical restraint (31%), taser (24%) and capsicum spray (24%).

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  • Mar, 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 = 1,923 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    27/2/12

    2 weeks ago

    12/3/12

    Last week

    19/3/12

    This week

    26/3/12

    Liberal

    46%

    46%

    45%

    45%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    49%

    49%

    48%

    47%

    Labor

    38.0%

    32%

    31%

    32%

    34%

    Greens

    11.8%

    11%

    10%

    11%

    10%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    8%

    10%

    9%

    9%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    56%

    57%

    56%

    54%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    43%

    44%

    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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  • Mar, 2012

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    The Economy – Heading in the Right/Wrong Direction

    Q. Overall, from what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?

     

    17 May 10

    (Post 2010 budget)

    9 May 11

    (Post 2011 budget)

    4 Jul 11

    26 Mar 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Liberal/ National

    Vote Greens

    The right direction

    51%

    45%

    37%

    36%

    65%

    19%

    47%

    The wrong direction

    25%

    29%

    43%

    41%

    15%

    64%

    23%

    Don’t know

    24%

    25%

    20%

    22%

    21%

    17%

    30%

    36% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction – 41% think it is heading in the wrong direction. Opinions have changed little since this question was asked in July last year – “right direction” has dropped 1% and “wrong direction” dropped 2%.

    65% of Labor voters, 19% of Liberal/National voters and 47% of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Party Best at Handling Economy

    Q. Which party do you think would be best at handling the Australian economy in the interests of you and people like you?

     

    4 Jul 11

    26 Mar 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    The Labor Party

    26%

    29%

    76%

    1%

    39%

    The Liberal Party

    43%

    41%

    2%

    89%

    7%

    No difference

    23%

    20%

    14%

    7%

    45%

    Don’t know

    8%

    10%

    7%

    4%

    9%

     

    41% (down 2% since July last year) think the Liberal Party would be best at handling the Australian economy in their interests and 29% (up 3%) nominated the Labor Party. 20% think there is no difference.

    There were significant differences by income – those earning under $600pw split 38% Labor/30% Liberal while those earning over $1,600pw favoured the Liberal Party 49% to 23% Labor.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    The Economy

    Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?  

     

     

    1 Dec

    08

    15 Jun 09

    5 Oct

    09

    28 Jun

    10

    18 Oct

    10

    4 April

    11

    4 Jul

    11

    3 Oct

    11

    26 Mar 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total better

    21%

    43%

    66%

    33%

    40%

    27%

    22%

    16%

    25%

    42%

    17%

    26%

    Total worse

    61%

    37%

    15%

    31%

    30%

    37%

    49%

    58%

    46%

    29%

    60%

    37%

    Get a lot better

    2%

    5%

    8%

    5%

    6%

    4%

    3%

    2%

    3%

    5%

    2%

    1%

    Get a little better

    19%

    38%

    58%

    28%

    34%

    23%

    19%

    14%

    22%

    37%

    15%

    25%

    Get a little worse

    45%

    28%

    11%

    23%

    20%

    27%

    31%

    41%

    31%

    25%

    36%

    34%

    Get a lot worse

    16%

    9%

    4%

    8%

    10%

    10%

    18%

    17%

    15%

    4%

    24%

    3%

    Stay much the same

    13%

    17%

    15%

    30%

    24%

    27%

    25%

    22%

    21%

    24%

    19%

    26%

    No opinion

    5%

    3%

    4%

    7%

    6%

    8%

    4%

    4%

    7%

    4%

    4%

    12%

    Confidence in the economic outlook has strengthened with the percentage of respondents believing conditions to be getting better increasing 9 points to 25%, from 16% in October last year.  Those believing that economic conditions will get worse over the next 12 months has fallen 12 points from 58% to 46%.

    Labor voters are optimistic overall – 42% better/29% worse.  Coalition voters are the most pessimistic, with 60% believing that thing will get worse over the next 12 months and only 17% better.

    There was little difference across income groups.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Personal financial situation

    Q, Over the next 12 months do you think your personal financial situation will get better, get worse or stay much the same? 

     

    28 Jun

    10

    18 Oct

    10

    4 April

    11

    4 Jul

    11

    3 Oct

    11

    26 Mar 12

    Vote

    Labor

    Vote

    Lib/Nat

    Vote

    Greens

    Total better

    29%

    33%

    32%

    28%

    24%

    28%

    34%

    25%

    36%

    Total worse

    31%

    29%

    31%

    36%

    41%

    37%

    29%

    42%

    34%

    Get a lot better

    5%

    6%

    7%

    5%

    4%

    5%

    5%

    4%

    14%

    Get a little better

    24%

    27%

    25%

    23%

    20%

    23%

    29%

    21%

    22%

    Get a little worse

    21%

    21%

    22%

    23%

    27%

    27%

    22%

    30%

    27%

    Get a lot worse

    10%

    8%

    9%

    13%

    14%

    10%

    7%

    12%

    7%

    Stay much the same

    37%

    32%

    32%

    32%

    32%

    29%

    32%

    31%

    25%

    No opinion

    4%

    5%

    5%

    3%

    3%

    5%

    5%

    2%

    5%

    28% (up 4% since October last year) of respondents believe that their personal financial situation will get better in the next 12 months and 37% worse (down 4%). 29% (down 3%) expect it to stay much the same. However, these results are very similar to those of July 2011.

    Greens voters (36% better) and Labor voters (34%) are the most likely to believe that their personal financial situation will get better over the next 12 months, whereas Coalition voters are the most likely to believe that theirs will get worse (42%).

    People on lower incomes were more pessimistic about their personal financial outlook – those earning under $600 per week split 22% better/49% worse – compared to those earning more than $1,600pw who split 36%better/30% worse.

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