Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, voter interests
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | Net (Labor-
Liberal |
Net
May 11 |
||
| Families with young children | 42% | 31% | 5% | 23% | +11 | +3 | |
| Students | 36% | 26% | 12% | 27% | +10 | +2 | |
| Working people on average incomes | 44% | 33% | 5% | 18% | +11 | +8 | |
| Working people on low incomes | 50% | 25% | 6% | 19% | +25 | +16 | |
| Working people on high incomes | 13% | 67% | 2% | 18% | -54 | -50 | |
| People on welfare | 46% | 20% | 9% | 26% | +26 | +15 | |
| Pensioners | 39% | 27% | 7% | 27% | +12 | +5 | |
| Small businesses and self-employed | 22% | 51% | 3% | 24% | -29 | -27 | |
| Big business | 11% | 68% | 1% | 19% | -57 | -49 | |
| The next generation of Australians | 21% | 32% | 17% | 30% | -11 | -12 | |
| Indigenous people | 28% | 17% | 19% | 36% | +11 | +2 | |
| Ethnic communities | 27% | 19% | 15% | 39% | +8 | +1 | |
| Rural and regional Australians | 22% | 35% | 12% | 31% | -13 | -16 |
The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of families with young children, students, working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered substantially better at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business and small business and self-employed. The Greens’ main strengths are in representing the next generation, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
Since this question was last asked in May, the Labor Party has considerably improved its position on representing the interests of families with young children, students, people on low incomes and people on welfare. The perception that the Liberal Party best represents the interest of big business has increased.
business, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, voter interests
Q. Do you think the Labor Party is more concerned about the interests of big business or voters – or do they balance the interests of both?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| More concerned about big business | 33% | 18% | 41% | 30% |
| More concerned about voters | 22% | 18% | 29% | 20% |
| Balance interests of both | 23% | 50% | 10% | 27% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 14% | 20% | 23% |
33% think the Labor Party are more concerned about the interests of big business and 22% think they are more concerned about voters’ interests. 23% think they balance the interests of both.
business, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, voter interests
Q. Do you think the Liberal Party is more concerned about the interests of big business or voters – or do they balance the interests of both?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| More concerned about big business | 41% | 68% | 18% | 67% |
| More concerned about voters | 13% | 8% | 20% | 3% |
| Balance interests of both | 30% | 8% | 56% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 15% | 16% | 7% | 19% |
41% think the Liberal Party are more concerned about the interests of big business and 13% think they are more concerned about voters’ interests. 30% think they balance the interests of both.
corporate interests, Essential Media, Essential Report, ethnic communities, federal politics, generation, Greens, indigenous, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, pensioners, Polling, polls, regional, rural, self-employed, small business, students, voter interests, welfare, working families
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Families with young children | 34% | 31% | 5% | 29% |
| Students | 30% | 28% | 10% | 33% |
| Working people on average incomes | 40% | 32% | 5% | 23% |
| Working people on low incomes | 43% | 27% | 6% | 24% |
| Working people on high incomes | 13% | 63% | 2% | 22% |
| People on welfare | 38% | 23% | 8% | 30% |
| Pensioners | 33% | 28% | 5% | 34% |
| Small businesses and self-employed | 20% | 47% | 4% | 29% |
| Big business | 13% | 62% | 2% | 23% |
| The next generation of Australians | 19% | 31% | 17% | 33% |
| Indigenous people | 23% | 21% | 16% | 40% |
| Ethnic communities | 22% | 21% | 15% | 42% |
| Rural and regional Australians | 18% | 34% | 11% | 36% |
The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered best at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business, small business and self-employed, rural and regional Australians and the next generation. The Greens’ main strengths are in representing the next generation, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
There was little difference between the major parties in terms of representing the interests of families with young children, students, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, online purchasing, voter interests
If bought online in last 12 months –
Q. How important are the following as reasons for you buying online?
| Very important | Quite important | A little important | Not important | Don’t know | |
| Cheaper price | 60% | 29% | 9% | 2% | 1% |
| More choice | 45% | 35% | 15% | 4% | 1% |
| More convenient | 50% | 32% | 13% | 4% | 1% |
* Note – percentages are based on the respondents who said they bought online in the last 12 months.
60% said the cheaper price was very important in their decision to buy online, 50% said convenience was very important and 45% choice.
Of those who bought online more than six times, 66% say price is very important, 63% convenience and 56% choice.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online purchasing, voter interests
Q. In the last 12 months, have you ever looked at items or products in a store, then bought it on line?
Q. In the last 12 months, have you ever looked at items or products on line, then bought it at a store (i.e. an actual shop or store, not an “online store”)?
| Looked at store, bought on-line | 49% |
| Looked on-line, bought at store | 61% |
49% of all respondents said they had looked at products in a store, then bought online – while 61% said they had looked online, then bought at a store.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online purchasing, overseas companies, voter interests
Q. Currently GST is not charged on on-line purchases of less than $1,000 from overseas companies. Would you approve or disapprove GST being applied to on-line purchases of less than $1,000 from overseas companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 18% | 17% | 22% | 19% |
| Total disapprove | 71% | 74% | 67% | 73% |
| Strongly approve | 6% | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Approve | 12% | 9% | 16% | 14% |
| Disapprove | 23% | 22% | 25% | 19% |
| Strongly disapprove | 48% | 52% | 42% | 54% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 9% | 11% | 8% |
71% disapprove of GST being applied to on-line purchases of less than $1,000 from overseas companies and 18% approve.
Strongest disapproval is shown by women (74%), Labor voters (74%), Greens voters (73%) and age groups 35-44 (77%) and 25-34 (74%).
74% of online shoppers disapprove and 17% approve – while for those who buy online more often (more than six times a year) 80% disapprove and 12% approve.
corporate interests, EMC, ER, Essential Report, GST, online purchasing, voter interests
Q. Governments often need to consider the interests of a number of stakeholders when making decisions, including those of corporate interests. In general, do you think when governments make decisions, they –
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total favour corporate interests | 60% | 64% | 55% | 76% |
| Total favour voter interests | 9% | 4% | 14% | 2% |
| Very strongly favour corporate interests | 26% | 27% | 20% | 40% |
| Somewhat favour corporate interests | 34% | 37% | 35% | 36% |
| Balance the interests of voters and corporate interests | 19% | 21% | 22% | 15% |
| Somewhat favour the interests of voters | 5% | 2% | 9% | – |
| Very strongly favour the interests of voters | 4% | 2% | 5% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 8% | 6% |
60% of respondents think that governments in general make decisions in favour of corporate interests. 9% think they make decisions in favour of voter interests and 19% think they balance the interests of voters and corporations.
By gender – men split 56% corporate interests, 12% voters interests, 24% balanced and women 65% corporate, 4% voters, 15% balanced.