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  • Aug, 2013

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    Party attributes comparison – Labor vs Liberal

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    Difference

    Divided

    66%

    31%

    +35

    Looks after the interests of working people

    53%

    36%

    +17

    Have good policies

    46%

    38%

    +8

    Understands the problems facing Australia

    50%

    48%

    +2

    Will promise to do anything to win votes

    65%

    65%

    Moderate

    48%

    48%

    Has a good team of leaders

    36%

    36%

    Trustworthy

    30%

    30%

    Have a vision for the future

    49%

    51%

    -2

    Extreme

    34%

    39%

    -5

    Keeps its promises

    27%

    32%

    -5

    Out of touch with ordinary people

    51%

    58%

    -7

    Clear about what they stand for

    38%

    45%

    -7

    Too close to the big corporate and financial interests

    31%

    60%

    -29

    The Labor Party is viewed more favourably than the Liberal Party in terms of looking after the interest of working people, being too close to the big corporate and financial interests, having good policies and less out of touch with ordinary people.

    The Liberal Party is seen more favourably in terms of being divided and clear about what they stand for.

  • Aug, 2013

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    Trust in media coverage of election campaign

    Q. How much trust do you have in the way the following media have reported and commented on the election campaign so far?

     

    Total a lot/sometrust

     

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    Not much trust

    No trust at all

    Don’t know

    Don’t use

    ABC TV

    58%

    22%

    36%

    10%

    7%

    8%

    17%

    SBS TV

    52%

    16%

    36%

    9%

    5%

    10%

    24%

    Commercial TV

    29%

    3%

    26%

    34%

    19%

    9%

    9%

    ABC radio

    49%

    16%

    33%

    10%

    8%

    8%

    25%

    Commercial radio

    25%

    4%

    21%

    27%

    19%

    10%

    18%

    The Australian

    31%

    5%

    26%

    15%

    16%

    9%

    27%

    The Telegraph (NSW)

    25%

    7%

    18%

    21%

    28%

    7%

    19%

    Sydney Morning Herald (NSW)

    39%

    7%

    32%

    21%

    16%

    8%

    17%

    The Age (Victoria)

    42%

    7%

    35%

    21%

    13%

    9%

    15%

    Herald Sun (Victoria)

    30%

    5%

    25%

    25%

    26%

    8%

    12%

    Courier Mail (Queensland)

    23%

    2%

    21%

    20%

    21%

    9%

    27%

    The most trusted media for coverage of the election campaign were ABC TV (58% trust), SBS TV (52%) and ABC radio (49%).

    The most trusted newspapers were The Age (42%) and the Sydney Morning Herald (39%).

    The least trusted media were the Courier Mail (23%), The Telegraph (25%) and commercial radio (25%).

  • Aug, 2013

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    Shifted voting position

    Q. Since the election campaign began, have you shifted your position on voting in any of the following ways?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Yes, I have changed my mind about who I will vote for

    6%

    6%

    5%

    10%

    Yes, I have become more certain about who I will vote for

    13%

    17%

    8%

    22%

    Yes, I have become less certain about who I will vote for

    11%

    9%

    7%

    18%

    No, I haven’t changed my position at all about who I will vote for

    62%

    63%

    76%

    42%

    Don’t know

    8%

    5%

    3%

    8%

    62% of respondents said they had not changed their voting position since the election campaign began. 6% said they had changed their vote, 13% had become more certain about their vote and 11% less certain. 17% of Labor voters said they had become more certain while 76% of Liberal/National voters had not changed their position at all.

    51% of respondents aged 18-34 had not changed their voting position compared to 65% of those aged 35-54 and 72% of those aged 55+.

  • Aug, 2013

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    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 = 1,899 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

     

    4 weeks ago

    15/7/13

    2 weeks ago

    29/7/13

    Last week

    5/8/13

    This week

    13/8/13

    Liberal

     

    42%

    41%

    40%

    40%

    National

    4%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    46%

    44%

    43%

    43%

    Labor

    38.0%

    39%

    39%

    38%

    39%

    Greens

    11.8%

    7%

    9%

    9%

    8%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    8%

    8%

    10%

    10%

     

    2 Party Preferred

    Election

    21 Aug 10

     

    4 weeks ago

    15/7/13

    2 weeks ago

    29/7/13

    Last week

    5/8/13

    This week

    13/8/13

    Liberal National

    49.9%

    52%

    51%

    51%

    51%

    Labor

    50.1%

    48%

    49%

    49%

    49%

    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 2010 election.

  • Aug, 2013

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    Approval of Kevin Rudd

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Kevin Rudd is doing as Prime Minister?

     

    Julia Gillard

    11 Jun 13

     

    Kevin Rudd

    15 Jul

     

    Kevin Rudd

    13 Aug

    Total approve

    37%

    50%

    45%

    Total disapprove

    54%

    35%

    43%

    Strongly approve

    10%

    18%

    11%

    Approve

    27%

    32%

    34%

    Disapprove

    21%

    15%

    21%

    Strongly disapprove

    33%

    20%

    22%

    Don’t know

    9%

    16%

    12%

    Kevin Rudd’s approval ratings have fallen since last measured 4 weeks ago. 45% (down 5%) approve of the job Kevin Rudd is doing as Prime Minister and 43% (up 8%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +15 to +2.

    88% of Labor voters approve (up 3%) and 6% disapprove (up 2%).

    By gender – men 49% approve/43% disapprove, women 42% approve/43% disapprove.  In net terms this represents a shift with men from +19 to +6 and with women from +10 to -1.

  • Aug, 2013

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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

    5 Jul

     

    20 Dec

    14 June  2011

    12 Dec

    12 Jun 2012

    10 Dec

    11 Mar 2013

    11 Jun

    15 Jul

     

    13 Aug

    Total approve

    37%

    37%

    39%

    38%

    32%

    32%

    33%

    37%

    40%

    39%

    37%

    Total disapprove

    37%

    47%

    39%

    48%

    53%

    54%

    56%

    51%

    49%

    51%

    51%

    Strongly approve

    5%

    8%

    9%

    6%

    6%

    6%

    8%

    7%

    10%

    11%

    9%

    Approve

    32%

    29%

    30%

    32%

    26%

    26%

    25%

    30%

    30%

    28%

    28%

    Disapprove

    20%

    23%

    21%

    25%

    25%

    24%

    25%

    22%

    17%

    21%

    21%

    Strongly disapprove

    17%

    24%

    18%

    23%

    28%

    30%

    31%

    29%

    32%

    30%

    30%

    Don’t know

    26%

    16%

    22%

    15%

    14%

    13%

    12%

    12%

    11%

    11%

    11%

    Tony Abbott’s approval ratings have dropped slightly over the past month. 37% (down 2%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 51% (no change disapprove – a change in net rating from -12 to -14 over the last 4 weeks.

    76% (up 1%) of Coalition voters approve and 14% (no change) disapprove.

    By gender – men 45% approve/47% disapprove, women 31% approve/55% disapprove. In net terms this represents a shift with men from -7 to -2 and with women from -16 to -24.

  • Aug, 2013

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    Better Prime Minister

    Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott?

     

    Gillard/ Abbott

    11 Jun 13

     

    Rudd/ Abbott

    15 Jul 13

     

     

    Rudd/ Abbott

    13 Aug 13

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Julia Gillard/Kevin Rudd

    39%

    50%

    47%

    92%

    7%

    68%

    Tony Abbott

    40%

    35%

    35%

    3%

    76%

    7%

    Don’t know

    21%

    15%

    18%

    5%

    17%

    25%

    47% (down 3%) believe Kevin Rudd would make the better Prime Minister and 35% (no change) prefer Tony Abbott.

    Men prefer Kevin Rudd 47%/39% and women prefer Kevin Rudd 47%/30%.

  • Aug, 2013

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    Australia’s national debt

    Q. Compared to other developed countries, do you think Australia’s national debt is higher, lower or about the same?

     

    6 May 13

     

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total higher

    25%

    25%

    15%

    37%

    18%

    Total lower

    48%

    46%

    59%

    38%

    54%

    A lot higher

    9%

    10%

    5%

    15%

    3%

    A little higher

    16%

    15%

    10%

    22%

    15%

    About the same

    18%

    19%

    18%

    19%

    7%

    A little lower

    29%

    24%

    23%

    27%

    21%

    A lot lower

    19%

    22%

    36%

    11%

    33%

    Don’t know

    10%

    10%

    9%

    6%

    21%

    25% think that Australia’s National debt is higher than other developed countries and 46% think it is lower – 19% think it about the same. These figures are very similar to the results when this question was previously asked in May.

    A majority of Labor (59%) and Greens voters (54%) think our debt is lower than other countries while Liberal National voters were split – 38% think it is lower and 37% think it is higher.

    Those with higher levels of education were more likely to think Australia’s debt was lower – 20% of respondents with university degrees thought it was higher and 53% thought it was lower.

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