The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Sep, 2014

    Action on climate change

    Q. Which of the following actions on climate change would you most support?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Incentives for renewable energy

    50%

    52%

    45%

    61%

    59%

    An emissions trading scheme

    12%

    20%

    5%

    24%

    6%

    The Government’s direct action policy

    10%

    10%

    12%

    7%

    14%

    No action required

    11%

    4%

    21%

    13%

    Don’t know

    17%

    14%

    17%

    8%

    8%

    In taking action on climate change, 50% most support incentives for renewable energy, 12% most support an emissions trading scheme and 10% most support the Government‘s direct action policy – while 11% say no action is required.

    All groups are most likely to support incentives for renewable energy. Those more likely to support an emissions trading scheme were Greens voters (24%) and Labor voters (20%).

  • Sep, 2014

    , ,

    Concern about funding cuts to ABC

    Q. How concerned are you that funding cuts may result in the ABC cutting back or dropping some of its current affairs programs? 

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Total concerned

    53%

    64%

    34%

    85%

    57%

    Total not concerned

    39%

    29%

    57%

    12%

    39%

    Very concerned

    25%

    32%

    10%

    59%

    31%

    Somewhat concerned

    28%

    32%

    24%

    26%

    26%

    Not very concerned

    21%

    18%

    26%

    8%

    28%

    Not at all concerned

    18%

    11%

    31%

    4%

    11%

    Don’t know

    9%

    7%

    9%

    4%

    4%

    53% were concerned that funding cuts may result in the ABC cutting back or dropping some of its current affairs programs and 39% were not concerned.

    Those most likely to be concerned were Greens voters (85%), Labor voters (64%) and university educated (62%).

  • Sep, 2014

    ,

    National security

    Q. When it comes to issues of national security, do you think there should be more restrictions on rights and freedom for some people so there can be more security for others or do you think our current laws strike the right balance between freedom and security?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Should be more restrictions

    50%

    48%

    66%

    14%

    50%

    Current laws strike the right balance

    34%

    38%

    21%

    72%

    42%

    Don’t know

    16%

    14%

    13%

    13%

    8%

    50% think there should be more restrictions on rights and freedom for some people so there can be more security for others and 34% are more likely to think the current laws strike the right balance between freedom and security.

    Those most in favour of more restrictions on rights and freedoms were Liberal/National voters (66%), aged 55+ (68%) and people who hadn’t completed secondary education (66%).

    Those most likely to think current laws strike the right balance were Greens voters (72%), men (41%), aged 18-34 (43%) and university educated (43%).

  • Sep, 2014

    ,

    Detention without charge

    Q. Do you agree or disagree with restrictions such as detention of people without charging them in relation to allegations of terrorism?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Total agree

    59%

    58%

    78%

    19%

    58%

    Total disagree

    24%

    26%

    10%

    64%

    30%

    Strongly agree

    28%

    23%

    43%

    7%

    28%

    Agree

    31%

    35%

    35%

    12%

    30%

    Disagree

    14%

    18%

    7%

    20%

    19%

    Strongly disagree

    10%

    8%

    3%

    44%

    11%

    Don’t know

    17%

    16%

    12%

    16%

    12%

    59% agree with restrictions such as detention of people without charging them in relation to allegations of terrorism and 24% disagree.

    Those most likely to agree were Liberal/National voters (78%), aged 55+ (70%) and people who hadn’t completed secondary education (67%).

    Those most likely to disagree were Greens voters (64%) and university educated (32%).

  • Sep, 2014

    , ,

    Concern about surveillance of social media

    Q. How concerned are you about privacy and surveillance of social media? 

     

    Total

     

    Men

    Women

    Aged 18-34

    Aged 35-54

    Aged 55+

    Total concerned

    71%

    69%

    73%

    76%

    71%

    65%

    Total not concerned

    25%

    27%

    24%

    20%

    26%

    35%

    Very concerned

    28%

    27%

    29%

    31%

    27%

    26%

    Somewhat concerned

    43%

    42%

    44%

    45%

    43%

    39%

    Not very concerned

    19%

    19%

    19%

    16%

    18%

    28%

    Not at all concerned

    6%

    8%

    5%

    4%

    8%

    7%

    Don’t know

    3%

    3%

    3%

    4%

    3%

    (based on the  74% of respondents who use social media)

    71% of social media users were concerned about privacy and surveillance of social media.
    Those most likely to be concerned were aged under 35 (76%) and university educated (77%).

  • Sep, 2014

    , ,

    Actions taken on social media

    Q. Have you taken any of the following actions in that last 12 months because of concerns about privacy and surveillance of social media?

     

    Total

     

    Men

    Women

    Aged 18-34

    Aged 35-54

    Aged 55+

    Increased my security settings

    55%

    50%

    58%

    60%

    55%

    46%

    Changed the types of things I say or put up on social media

    49%

    47%

    51%

    59%

    44%

    42%

    Removed information about myself

    41%

    38%

    43%

    51%

    38%

    28%

    Cut back my list of friends or people I follow

    39%

    36%

    41%

    48%

    36%

    27%

    Taken other actions

    20%

    20%

    20%

    25%

    18%

    16%

    (based on the 74% of respondents who use social media)

    A majority had taken some form of action in the last 12 months because of concerns about privacy and surveillance of social media. The most common actions taken were increasing security settings (55%) and changing the types of things said or put up on social media (49%).

  • Sep, 2014

    , , , , ,

    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 = 1,756 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    7 Sep 13

     

    4 weeks ago 26/8/14

    2 weeks ago

    9/9/14

    Last week

    16/9/14

    This week

    23/9/14

    Liberal

     

    36%

    36%

    35%

    36%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Liberal/National

    45.6%

    39%

    39%

    39%

    39%

    Labor

    33.4%

    37%

    38%

    38%

    39%

    Greens

    8.6%

    10%

    10%

    11%

    10%

    Palmer United Party

    5.5%

    6%

    4%

    4%

    4%

    Other/Independent

    6.9%

    8%

    9%

    9%

    8%

     

    2 Party Preferred

    Election

    7 Sep 13

     

    4 weeks ago 26/8/14

    2 weeks ago

    9/9/14

    Last week

    16/9/14

    This week

    23/9/14

    Liberal National

    53.5%

    48%

    48%

    47%

    47%

    Labor

    46.5%

    52%

    52%

    53%

    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.

  • Sep, 2014

    Attributes of the Labor Party

    Q. Here is a list of things both favourable and unfavourable that have been said about various political parties. Which statements do you feel fit the Labor Party?

     

    Jul 2009

    Mar 2010

    April 2011

    May 2012

    Aug 2013

    Mar 2014

     

    Total

    23 Sep

    Change

    Will promise to do anything to win votes

    57%

    63%

    72%

    70%

    65%

    63%

    62%

    -1

    Divided

    30%

    36%

    66%

    73%

    66%

    58%

    54%

    -4

    Looks after the interests of working people

    39%

    47%

    53%

    54%

    54%

    Moderate

    65%

    63%

    51%

    50%

    48%

    52%

    54%

    +2

    Out of touch with ordinary people

    44%

    48%

    61%

    58%

    51%

    49%

    51%

    +2

    Understands the problems facing Australia

    62%

    54%

    40%

    46%

    50%

    49%

    46%

    -3

    Have good policies

    46%

    44%

    42%

    -2

    Have a vision for the future

    43%

    41%

    49%

    43%

    42%

    -1

    Clear about what they stand for

    28%

    31%

    38%

    42%

    36%

    -6

    Too close to the big corporate and financial interests

    46%

    36%

    31%

    34%

    36%

    +2

    Has a good team of leaders

    60%

    52%

    34%

    29%

    36%

    34%

    33%

    -1

    Trustworthy

    30%

    31%

    30%

    -1

    Keeps its promises

    44%

    33%

    20%

    22%

    27%

    30%

    29%

    -1

    Extreme

    25%

    26%

    38%

    31%

    34%

    30%

    27%

    -3

    The Labor Party’s main attributes were – will promise anything to win votes (62%), divided (54%), looks after the interests of working people (54%) and moderate (54%).

    Main changes since March were – clear about what they stand for (down 6% to 36%) and divided (down 4% to 54%).

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