Q. Below is a list of some of the achievements of Gough Whitlam’s Government from 1972-75. Which of them do you think were the three most important achievements?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| Established Medibank – the national health insurance system |
68% |
73% |
66% |
75% |
67% |
61% |
65% |
84% |
||
| Abolished university fees |
39% |
47% |
32% |
57% |
32% |
42% |
39% |
35% |
||
| Ended conscription |
28% |
28% |
30% |
17% |
41% |
20% |
29% |
38% |
||
| Protected the Great Barrier Reef |
25% |
21% |
28% |
22% |
30% |
24% |
27% |
22% |
||
| Established diplomatic relations with China |
25% |
26% |
31% |
13% |
20% |
23% |
22% |
31% |
||
| Aboriginal land rights |
22% |
26% |
14% |
30% |
23% |
23% |
19% |
26% |
||
| Passed the Racial Discrimination Act |
22% |
25% |
16% |
39% |
18% |
27% |
25% |
11% |
||
| Direct Commonwealth funding to non-Government schools |
14% |
13% |
17% |
3% |
10% |
14% |
16% |
10% |
||
| Introduced the policy of multiculturalism |
13% |
11% |
11% |
25% |
9% |
20% |
12% |
5% |
||
| Lowered voting age to 18 |
11% |
6% |
15% |
9% |
20% |
7% |
13% |
13% |
||
| Cut tariffs on imports |
10% |
6% |
14% |
5% |
5% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
||
| Independence for PNG |
5% |
2% |
6% |
* |
9% |
8% |
4% |
4% |
The most important achievements of the Whitlam Government were thought to be establishing Medibank (68%), abolishing university fees (39%) and ending conscription (28%).
Among those aged 55+ (who were more likely to recall the Whitlam Government) the most important achievements were establishing Medibank (84%), ending conscription (38%), abolishing university fees (35%) and establishing diplomatic relations with China (31%).
Australia as a republic, Republic
Q. Are you in favour or against Australia becoming a republic?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Jan 2010 |
March 2011 |
Oct 2011 |
Jun 2012 |
Apr 2014 |
|
Shift since April 2014 |
|
| In favour |
31% |
42% |
23% |
42% |
29% |
41% |
39% |
41% |
39% |
33% |
-2 |
|||
| Against |
31% |
20% |
48% |
15% |
34% |
32% |
34% |
33% |
35% |
42% |
-11 |
|||
| No opinion |
38% |
38% |
29% |
43% |
37% |
27% |
27% |
26% |
27% |
25% |
+13 |
31% of respondents were in favour of Australian becoming a republic and 31% were against. 38% could not give an opinion – the highest response in the last 4 years.
Greens (42%) and Labor (42%) voters were more likely to be in favour of a republic. Lib/Nat voters (23%) were less likely.
Males (40%) were far more likely than females (22%) to be in favour of a republic.
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 = 1,801 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 23/9/14 |
2 weeks ago 7/10/14 |
Last week 14/10/14 |
This week 21/10/14 |
| Liberal |
|
36% |
38% |
38% |
37% |
|
| National |
3% |
2% |
3% |
3% |
||
| Total Liberal/National |
45.6% |
39% |
40% |
41% |
40% |
|
| Labor |
33.4% |
39% |
39% |
39% |
39% |
|
| Greens |
8.6% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
|
| Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
4% |
4% |
3% |
3% |
|
| Other/Independent |
6.9% |
8% |
7% |
7% |
8% |
| 2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 23/9/14 |
2 weeks ago 7/10/14 |
Last week 14/10/14 |
This week 21/10/14 |
| Liberal National |
53.5% |
47% |
48% |
48% |
47% |
|
| Labor |
46.5% |
53% |
52% |
52% |
53% |
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 2013 election.
Q. Do you think the following have become better or worse compared to 12 months ago?
|
Total better |
Total worse |
|
A lot better |
A little better |
No change |
A little worse |
A lot worse |
Don’t know |
|
| Company profits |
31% |
19% |
9% |
22% |
29% |
12% |
7% |
19% |
|
| Wages |
9% |
36% |
* |
9% |
44% |
21% |
15% |
11% |
|
| Your personal financial situation |
16% |
44% |
2% |
14% |
35% |
28% |
16% |
5% |
|
| The economy overall |
18% |
50% |
|
1% |
17% |
27% |
33% |
17% |
6% |
| National debt |
15% |
51% |
1% |
14% |
26% |
29% |
22% |
9% |
|
| Unemployment |
11% |
60% |
|
* |
11% |
23% |
36% |
24% |
6% |
| Job security |
6% |
61% |
1% |
5% |
26% |
32% |
29% |
7% |
|
| Electricity costs |
7% |
67% |
* |
7% |
19% |
33% |
34% |
6% |
|
| Cost of living |
6% |
72% |
* |
6% |
17% |
40% |
32% |
5% |
A substantial majority believe that, in the last 12 months, cost of living (72%), electricity costs (67%), job security (61%) and unemployment (60%) have all got worse.
The only economic measure that has got better is company profits (31% better/19% worse).
Q. In the next two years, do you expect your job to be more secure, less secure or about the same?
|
Total |
|
Work full time |
Work part time |
Income less than $1,000 pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income $1,600+ pw |
|
| Total more secure |
14% |
16% |
7% |
18% |
11% |
15% |
|
| Total less secure |
31% |
33% |
30% |
31% |
32% |
31% |
|
| Much more secure |
5% |
5% |
2% |
9% |
2% |
5% |
|
| Somewhat more secure |
9% |
11% |
5% |
9% |
9% |
10% |
|
| About the same |
50% |
49% |
53% |
44% |
53% |
52% |
|
| Somewhat less secure |
17% |
17% |
20% |
17% |
15% |
17% |
|
| Much less secure |
14% |
16% |
10% |
14% |
17% |
14% |
|
| Don’t know |
4% |
2% |
9% |
7% |
3% |
3% |
(Based on working people : n = 613)
14% of workers expect their job to be more secure in the next two years and 31% think it will be less secure – 50% think it will be about the same.
Only 7% of part-time workers think their job will become more secure. At least 30% of all work and income groups think their job will be less secure.
Q. In the last two years, do you think your and your household’s income has gone up more than the cost of living, fallen behind or stayed even with the cost of living?
|
Total |
|
Work full time |
Work part time |
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income $1,600+ pw |
|
| Gone up more |
13% |
19% |
11% |
13% |
12% |
8% |
18% |
|
| Fallen behind |
48% |
44% |
52% |
58% |
57% |
49% |
43% |
|
| Stayed even |
31% |
32% |
29% |
26% |
25% |
35% |
35% |
|
| Don’t know |
8% |
5% |
9% |
3% |
6% |
7% |
4% |
48% believe that, in the last two years, their income has fallen behind the cost of living. 31% think it has stayed even with the cost of living and 13% think it has gone up more.
58% of those earning under $600 pw and 57% of those earning $600-$1,000 pw think their income has fallen behind while 53% of those earning over $1,600 pw think it has stayed the same or gone up.
Q. Which of the following statements best describes your financial situation?
|
Total |
|
Work full time |
Work part time |
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income $1,600+ pw |
|
| I don’t have enough money for basic essentials like housing food and electricity |
7% |
5% |
6% |
27% |
7% |
3% |
2% |
|
| I have enough money for basic essentials but I cannot save any money |
35% |
30% |
35% |
52% |
44% |
37% |
25% |
|
| I have enough money for basic essentials and I can save a little money |
47% |
52% |
49% |
20% |
41% |
51% |
56% |
|
| I have enough money for basic essentials and I can save a lot of money |
8% |
10% |
6% |
1% |
4% |
6% |
15% |
|
| Don’t know |
4% |
3% |
4% |
– |
3% |
3% |
2% |
47% say they have enough money for basic essentials and can save a little money and 35% say they have enough money for basic essentials but cannot save any money. Only 8% say they can save a lot of money.
Only 21% of those earning less than $600 pw say they can save any money – compared to 71% of those earning over $1,600 pw.
Q. When a person has a disease that cannot be cured and is living in severe pain, do you think doctors should or should not be allowed by law to assist the patient to commit suicide if the patient requests it?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Sep 2010 |
Nov 2013 |
|
| Should be allowed |
66% |
70% |
64% |
71% |
63% |
69% |
68% |
||
| Should not be allowed |
14% |
12% |
16% |
7% |
23% |
14% |
19% |
||
| Don’t know |
20% |
18% |
20% |
21% |
14% |
17% |
13% |
66% of respondents think that that doctors should be allowed by law to assist a patient commit suicide – which is little changed since this question was asked last year. 14% think it should not be allowed – down 5%.
71% of Green voters, 70% of Labor and 64% of Lib/Nat voters agreed that doctors should be allowed by law to assist a patient to commit suicide.
67% of women and 65% of men supported voluntary euthanasia – as do 74% of those aged 45-64.