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  • May, 2011

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    Best Leader of the Liberal Party

    Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Liberal Party?

    27 Sep 2010 28 Feb 2011 30 May 2011
    Total Total Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Tony Abbott 26% 24% 22% 10% 40% 7%
    Malcolm Turnbull 20% 18% 25% 35% 19% 33%
    Joe Hockey 15% 16% 17% 13% 22% 18%
    Julie Bishop 5% 4% 3% 4% 2% 1%
    Andrew Robb na 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
    Someone else na 14% 13% 17% 7% 16%
    Don’t know 33% 22% 19% 20% 8% 22%

    25% (+7%) think Malcolm Turnbull would make the best leader of the Liberal Party, 22% (-3%) prefer Tony Abbott and 17% (+1%) Joe Hockey.

    Among Liberal/National voters, 40% prefer Tony Abbott, 22% Joe Hockey and 19% Malcolm Turnbull.

    Malcolm Turnbull is preferred by 25% of men and 24% of women, Tony Abbott by 24% of men and 19% of women.

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  • May, 2011

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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

    29 Mar 5 Jul 16 Aug 20 Sep 18 Oct 22 Nov 20 Dec 17 Jan 2011 14 Feb 14 Mar 11 Apr 9 May
    Total approve 37% 33% 37% 41% 43% 39% 40% 39% 42% 38% 38% 36% 42%
    Total disapprove 37% 50% 47% 44% 37% 45% 40% 39% 37% 46% 47% 48% 44%
    Strongly approve 5% 8% 8% 9% 12% 8% 6% 9% 7% 8% 7% 7% 8%
    Approve 32% 25% 29% 32% 31% 31% 34% 30% 35% 30% 31% 29% 34%
    Disapprove 20% 28% 23% 22% 21% 22% 22% 21% 22% 24% 24% 25% 25%
    Strongly disapprove 17% 22% 24% 22% 16% 23% 18% 18% 15% 22% 23% 23% 19%
    Don’t know 26% 16% 16% 15% 19% 17% 19% 22% 20% 16% 16% 17% 14%

    42% (up 6%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 44% (down 4%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -12 to -2 over the last 4 weeks.

    77% of Coalition voters approve and 13% disapprove.

    By gender – men 47% approve/43% disapprove, women 37% approve/45% disapprove.

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  • May, 2011

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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 20 Sep 20 Dec 17 Jan 2011 14 Feb 14 Mar 11 Apr 9 May Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Kevin Rudd v Tony Abbott

    21 Jun 10

    Julia Gillard 53% 47% 45% 47% 48% 44% 42% 43% 91% 7% 71% 47%
    Tony Abbott 26% 35% 34% 32% 31% 33% 33% 35% 4% 76% 2% 30%
    Don’t know 21% 18% 21% 21% 20% 23% 24% 22% 5% 17% 27% 23%

    43% believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 35% prefer Tony Abbott – a net decrease for Julia Gillard of 1% on last month’s figures (from +9% to +8%).

    Men are split 41%/41% and women favour Julia Gillard 45%/29%.

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  • Apr, 2011

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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

    29 Mar 5 Jul 16 Aug 20 Sep 18 Oct 22 Nov 20 Dec 17 Jan 2011 14 Feb 14 Mar 11 Apr
    Total approve 37% 33% 37% 41% 43% 39% 40% 39% 42% 38% 38% 36%
    Total disapprove 37% 50% 47% 44% 37% 45% 40% 39% 37% 46% 47% 48%
    Strongly approve 5% 8% 8% 9% 12% 8% 6% 9% 7% 8% 7% 7%
    Approve 32% 25% 29% 32% 31% 31% 34% 30% 35% 30% 31% 29%
    Disapprove 20% 28% 23% 22% 21% 22% 22% 21% 22% 24% 24% 25%
    Strongly disapprove 17% 22% 24% 22% 16% 23% 18% 18% 15% 22% 23% 23%
    Don’t know 26% 16% 16% 15% 19% 17% 19% 22% 20% 16% 16% 17%

    36% (down 2%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 48% (up 1%) disapprove.

    69% of Coalition voters approve and 17% disapprove.

    By gender – men 40% approve/46% disapprove, women 31% approve/48% disapprove.

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  • Apr, 2011

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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 20 Sep 20 Dec 17 Jan 2011 14 Feb 2011 14 Mar 2011 11 Apr 2011 Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Kevin Rudd v Tony Abbott

    21 Jun 10

    Julia Gillard 53% 47% 45% 47% 48% 44% 42% 86% 8% 75% 47%
    Tony Abbott 26% 35% 34% 32% 31% 33% 33% 2% 72% 5% 30%
    Don’t know 21% 18% 21% 21% 20% 23% 24% 12% 20% 20% 23%

    42% believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 33% prefer Tony Abbott – a net decrease for Julia Gillard of 2% on last month’s figures (from +11% to +9%).

    Men favour Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott 42%/38% and women 42%/29%.

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  • Apr, 2011

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    Tony Abbott’s Welfare Proposal

    Q. Tony Abbott has proposed changes to Australia’s welfare system – including cutting back the pension for people whose disabilities can be treated, suspending the dole for young people in areas where job vacancies have not been filled and making work-for-the-dole mandatory for those under 50 receiving unemployment benefits for more than six months.

    Do you think Tony Abbott’s proposal will significantly reduce unemployment in Australia or will it just make things more difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Will reduce unemployment 36% 18% 61% 20%
    Will just make things difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits 47% 67% 24% 74%
    Don’t know 17% 15% 16% 6%

    36% believe that Tony Abbott’s changes to the welfare system will reduce unemployment and 47% think they will just make things difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits.

    The only groups more likely to think it would reduce unemployment were Liberal/National voters (61%/21%), full-time workers (43%/39%)and those on income over $1,600 pw (48%/36%). 59% of those on incomes under $1,000 pw agreed that it will just make things difficult for the unemployed and people on disability benefits.

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  • Mar, 2011

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    Tony Abbott and Climate Change

    Q. As far as you know, do Tony Abbott and the Coalition support action to address climate change or are they opposed to taking any action?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Support action to address climate change 36% 27% 59% 31%
    Are opposed to any action to address climate change 33% 47% 17% 48%
    Don’t know 29% 26% 24% 21%

    Overall, respondents were divided over the position of Tony Abbott and the Coalition on climate change – 36% believe they support action to address climate change and 33% think are they opposed to taking any action.

    Those that intend to vote Lib/Nat were far more likely to believe that Tony Abbott and the Coalition support action to address climate change (59%).

    Those that intend to vote for Labor (47%) or the Green (48%) were more likely to state that Tony Abbott and the Coalition are opposed to any action to address climate change.

    Males (42%) were more likely than females (34%) to state that Tony Abbott and the Coalition support action to address climate change.

    Females (39%) were more likely than males (19%) to state ‘Don’t know.’

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  • Mar, 2011

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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

    29 Mar 5 Jul 16 Aug 20 Sep 18 Oct 22 Nov 20 Dec 17 Jan 2011 14 Feb 14 Mar
    Total approve 37% 33% 37% 41% 43% 39% 40% 39% 42% 38% 38%
    Total disapprove 37% 50% 47% 44% 37% 45% 40% 39% 37% 46% 47%
    Strongly approve 5% 8% 8% 9% 12% 8% 6% 9% 7% 8% 7%
    Approve 32% 25% 29% 32% 31% 31% 34% 30% 35% 30% 31%
    Disapprove 20% 28% 23% 22% 21% 22% 22% 21% 22% 24% 24%
    Strongly disapprove 17% 22% 24% 22% 16% 23% 18% 18% 15% 22% 23%
    Don’t know 26% 16% 16% 15% 19% 17% 19% 22% 20% 16% 16%

    38% (no change) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 47% (up 1%) disapprove.

    70% of Coalition voters approve and 17% disapprove.

    By gender – men 41% approve/45% disapprove, women 33% approve/49% disapprove.

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