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Whether Government favours Businesses or Workers

31 Oct 2011

Q. Do you think the Federal Labor Government favours the interests of businesses or workers?

Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
Total favour businesses 28% 21% 31% 40%
Total  favour workers 41% 40% 50% 28%
Favour businesses a lot more than workers 13% 7% 16% 18%
Favour businesses a little more than workers 15% 14% 15% 22%
Favour workers a little more than businesses 24% 32% 21% 20%
Favour workers a lot more than businesses 17% 8% 29% 8%
Balance the interests of businesses and workers 14% 29% 5% 15%
Don’t know 17% 10% 14% 17%

41% think that the Federal Labor Government favours the interests of workers, 28% think they favour the interests of businesses and 14% think they balance their interests.

Labor voters think the favour workers over business by 40% to 21% and 29% think they balance their interests.

Liberal /National voters are much less likely to think they balance their interests – 50% think they favour workers’ interests and 31% think they favour businesses. Greens voters are more likely to think they favour the interests of businesses (40%) over workers (28%).

The only substantial difference across demographic groups is that 20% of older respondents (aged 55+) think the Government balances the interests of businesses and workers.

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