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  • Apr, 2013

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    NBN

    Q. The Government’s NBN (National Broadband Network) is a fast, high capacity fibre network to the home reaching 93% of Australian homes and businesses.

    The Coalition has proposed a broadband plan in which the NBN would be replaced with broadband fibre to local “nodes” (or exchanges) and the existing telephone copper network would connect the rest of the way to homes. This would mean slower broadband speeds than the NBN but cost less to build. Do you support the Government’s or the Coalition’s broadband policy?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Support Government’s policy

    54%

    83%

    31%

    74%

    Support the Coalition’s policy

    23%

    4%

    46%

    7%

    Don’t know

    23%

    12%

    23%

    19%

    54% support the Government’s broadband policy and 23% support the Coalition’s policy.

    For those aged 18-34, 61% support the Government’s policy and 15% support the Coalition’s. 51% of those aged 35-54 and 49% of those aged 55+ support the Government’s policy.

  • Apr, 2013

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    Influence on vote

    Q. When deciding your vote in Federal elections, which of the following are you mostly influenced by?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    The individual candidate

    21%

    22%

    18%

    29%

    The candidate’s political party

    47%

    48%

    56%

    47%

    The leader of the political party

    21%

    21%

    22%

    17%

    Don’t know

    11%

    9%

    4%

    7%

    47% of respondents said the political party is the main influence on their vote at Federal elections- 21% say they are mostly influenced by the individual candidate and 21% by the party leader.

    Liberal/National voters (56%), those aged 55+ (53%) and incomes $1,600+ pw (56%) are more influenced by the party while Greens voters tend to be more influenced by the candidate (29%) and less by the leader (17%).

  • Apr, 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 = 1,896 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    11/3/13

    2 weeks ago

    25/2/13

    Last week

    2/4/13

    This week

    8/4/13

    Liberal

    45%

    45%

    47%

    47%

    National

    3%

    2%

    2%

    2%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    48%

    47%

    49%

    49%

    Labor

    38.0%

    34%

    33%

    31%

    32%

    Greens

    11.8%

    9%

    11%

    11%

    9%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    9%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

     

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    55%

    54%

    56%

    56%

    Labor

    50.1%

    45%

    46%

    44%

    44%

    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. These estimates have a confidence interval of approx. plus or minus 2-3%.

  • Apr, 2013

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    State of the economy

    Q. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total good

    35%

    45%

    63%

    33%

    63%

    Total poor

    29%

    26%

    13%

    37%

    10%

    Very good

    6%

    8%

    18%

    3%

    9%

    Good

    29%

    37%

    45%

    30%

    54%

    Neither good nor poor

    33%

    28%

    23%

    30%

    27%

    Poor

    20%

    17%

    10%

    24%

    7%

    Very poor

    9%

    9%

    3%

    13%

    3%

    Don’t know

    2%

    2%

    1%

    *

    1%

    45% described the economy as good or very good and 26% poor/very poor – 28% said it was neither. This represents a net improvement from +6 to +19 since May last year.

    Those most likely to think the economy was good/very good were people with incomes $1,000-$1,600pw (52%).

    Those most likely to think the economy was poor/very poor were aged 55+ (33%) and people with incomes under $600pw (35%).

  • Apr, 2013

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    Agreement with economic figures

    Q. Some say that official figures show Australia’s economy is doing very well, especially compared to the rest of the world.  The interest rate, the unemployment rate and the inflation rate are all at relatively low levels. Do you agree or disagree that this shows the state of the economy is good?

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total agree

    52%

    56%

    76%

    42%

    77%

    Total disagree

    37%

    37%

    20%

    54%

    20%

    Strongly agree

    9%

    12%

    25%

    5%

    23%

    Agree

    43%

    44%

    51%

    37%

    54%

    Disagree

    27%

    29%

    17%

    42%

    17%

    Strongly disagree

    10%

    8%

    3%

    12%

    3%

    Don’t know

    10%

    7%

    4%

    5%

    3%

    When told that official figures show Australia’s economy is doing well, 56% agreed and 37% disagreed.

    Those most likely to disagree were Liberal/National voters (54%), aged 55+ (45%) and people with incomes under $600pw (49%).

  • Apr, 2013

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    Reasons economy is poor

    Q. What is the main reason you don’t think the state of the economy is good? *

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Poor economic management by Government

    27%

    40%

    17%

    52%

    Increasing cost of living

    34%

    27%

    41%

    22%

    Businesses are struggling

    13%

    11%

    7%

    13%

    Increasing gap between rich and poor

    9%

    7%

    15%

    3%

    Incomes aren’t increasing fast enough to keep up

    7%

    6%

    7%

    5%

    Global financial problems

    7%

    5%

    7%

    4%

    Other reason

    2%

    3%

    6%

    2%

    Don’t know

    1%

    1%

    * Based on those who disagree that economy is good.

    Those who disagreed that the economy was good said the main reasons were poor economic management by Government (40%) and the increasing cost of living (27%). Those who blame poor economic management by the Government has increased 13% and cost of living has decreased 7% since May last year.

    62% of respondents aged 55+ blamed poor economic management by Government while the increasing cost of living was the major factor for 41% of respondents aged 25-44.

  • Apr, 2013

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    Reasons Government is unpopular

    Q. Although Australia’s economy is doing very well, according to opinion polls the Government is very unpopular. What do you think is the main reason for this? *

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Voters don’t trust the Prime Minister

    28%

    27%

    19%

    35%

    31%

    The Labor Party is divided and can’t govern properly

    na

    19%

    15%

    23%

    23%

    The economy is doing well for other reasons, like China and the mining boom, not because of the government

    15%

    13%

    9%

    19%

    11%

    Voters would prefer Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister

    na

    9%

    14%

    4%

    7%

    Voters aren’t benefitting from the strong economy.

    12%

    9%

    10%

    5%

    12%

    The carbon tax has increased (will increase) the cost of living

    17%

    7%

    6%

    9%

    Some other reason

    8%

    12%

    21%

    3%

    12%

    Don’t know

    3%

    5%

    7%

    2%

    5%

    * Based on those who agree the economy is good.

    Respondents who thought the economy was doing well, thought the main reasons for the Government’s unpopularity were that voters don’t trust the Prime Minister (27%) and the Labor Party is divided and can’t govern properly (19%).

    Both Liberal/National and Greens voters said trust in the Prime Minister was the key issue.

    Since May last year, those blaming the impact of the carbon tax has declined from 17% to 7%.

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