The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , , ,

    Liberal Party and WorkChoices

    Q. If they won the next election, how likely do you think it would be that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices?

     

    31 May 10

    12 July 10

    21 Nov 11

    Total

    23 Jul 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Work full time

    Work part time

    Total likely

    58%

    56%

    51%

    53%

    78%

    40%

    55%

    53%

    53%

    Total unlikely

    21%

    24%

    27%

    22%

    11%

    34%

    14%

    24%

    15%

    Very likely

    28%

    26%

    22%

    26%

    52%

    9%

    38%

    27%

    23%

    Quite likely

    30%

    30%

    29%

    27%

    26%

    31%

    17%

    26%

    30%

    Not very likely

    18%

    18%

    19%

    16%

    6%

    26%

    13%

    18%

    11%

    Not at all likely

    3%

    6%

    8%

    6%

    5%

    8%

    1%

    6%

    4%

    Don’t know

    20%

    20%

    22%

    26%

    11%

    26%

    30%

    23%

    32%

    Respondents were a little more likely to think that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices than when a similar question was asked last year. 53% (up 2%) think it is likely that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices if they won the next election and 22% (down 5%) think it is unlikely.

    78% of Labor voters and 55% of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 40% likely (up 7%) to 34% unlikely (down 10%).

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , ,

    Concern about Liberals Bringing Back WorkChoices

    Q. If the Liberals won the election and reintroduced WorkChoices or similar laws, how concerned would you be?  

     

    31 May 10

    12 July 10

    21 Nov 11

    Total

    23 Jul 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Work full time

    Work part time

    Very concerned

    28%

    29%

    26%

    30%

    60%

    7%

    39%

    33%

    28%

    Quite concerned

    17%

    19%

    15%

    16%

    16%

    14%

    17%

    16%

    21%

    A little concerned

    20%

    16%

    20%

    15%

    11%

    18%

    20%

    14%

    17%

    Not concerned

    24%

    25%

    27%

    26%

    7%

    48%

    5%

    28%

    19%

    Don’t know

    11%

    11%

    11%

    14%

    6%

    12%

    20%

    11%

    15%

    Respondents were also more concerned about the re-introduction of WorkChoices than last year. 46% (up 5%) would be quite or very concerned if WorkChoices or similar laws were re-introduced and 41% (down 6%) were only a little or not concerned.

    76% of Labor voters and 56% of Greens voters would be concerned. 66% of Liberal/National voters would be a little/not concerned and 21% concerned.  49% of full-time workers and part-time workers said they would be very/quite concerned.

    51% of those aged 45-64 said they would be very/quite concerned.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , ,

    Australian Workers under a Liberal Government

    Q. Do you think Australian workers would be better off or worse off under a Liberal Government lead by Tony Abbott?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Work full time

    Work part time

    Total better off

    32%

    8%

    65%

    8%

    35%

    27%

    Total worse off

    37%

    75%

    4%

    65%

    34%

    40%

    A lot better off

    15%

    3%

    33%

    17%

    12%

    A little better off

    17%

    5%

    32%

    8%

    18%

    15%

    Make no difference

    19%

    12%

    22%

    15%

    21%

    20%

    A little worse off

    9%

    12%

    3%

    17%

    10%

    11%

    A lot worse off

    28%

    63%

    1%

    48%

    24%

    29%

    Don’t know

    11%

    5%

    8%

    12%

    9%

    12%

    32% think that Australian workers would be better off under a Liberal Government lead by Tony Abbott and 37% think they would be worse off – and 19% think it would make no difference.

    Full-time workers split 35% better off and 34% worse off while part-time workers were more likely to think workers would be worse off (40% worse off/27% better off).

    43% of respondents aged 45-64 think workers would be worse off and 31% better off. 40% of those earning under $1,000 pw thought workers would be worse off and 33% better off.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , , ,

    Surveillance and Intelligence-gathering

    Q. The Government has recently proposed a number of amendments to the laws governing surveillance and intelligence-gathering. Do you support or oppose the following suggestions?

     

    Total support

    Total oppose

    Strongly support

    Support

    Oppose

    Strongly oppose

    Don’t know

    Extend the power of government agencies to intercept communications from major to lesser offences

    40%

    37%

    9%

    31%

    21%

    16%

    24%

    Enable government agencies to intercept messages on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook

    40%

    46%

    10%

    30%

    26%

    20%

    14%

    Require internet service providers to keep a record of every customers’ internet usage for 2 years

    28%

    57%

    7%

    21%

    26%

    31%

    14%

    Making it an offence not to assist government agencies with decryption e.g. reveal your password

    26%

    60%

    8%

    18%

    28%

    32%

    15%

    Allowing ASIO agents to plant or destroy material on computers if they have a warrant

    27%

    52%

    7%

    20%

    23%

    29%

    20%

    A majority of respondents were opposed to making it an offence not to assist government agencies with decryption e.g. reveal your password (60%), requiring internet service providers to keep a record of every customers’ internet usage for 2 years (57%) and allowing ASIO agents to plant or destroy material on computers if they have a warrant (52%).

    They were more evenly divided over enabling government agencies to intercept messages on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook (40% support/46% oppose) and extending the power of government agencies to intercept communications from major to lesser offences (40% support/37% oppose).

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , , , , , ,

    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 = 1,857 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    18/6/12

    2 weeks ago

    2/7/12

    Last week

    9/7/12

    This week

    16/7/12

    Liberal

    46%

    45%

    46%

    46%

    National

    3%

    3%

    4%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    49%

    49%

    49%

    49%

    Labor

    38.0%

    33%

    32%

    31%

    31%

    Greens

    11.8%

    10%

    10%

    11%

    10%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    8%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    56%

    56%

    56%

    57%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    44%

    44%

    43%

    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. + or – 2%.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , ,

    Approval of Julia Gillard

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

     

    19 Jul 2010

    20 Dec

    14 Mar

    2011

    14 June

    12 Sept

    12 Dec

    12 Mar 2012

    12 Jun

    16 Jul

    Total approve

    52%

    43%

    41%

    34%

    28%

    34%

    32%

    32%

    32%

    Total disapprove

    30%

    40%

    46%

    54%

    64%

    54%

    61%

    56%

    58%

    Strongly approve

    11%

    10%

    7%

    6%

    5%

    6%

    8%

    6%

    5%

    Approve

    41%

    33%

    34%

    28%

    23%

    28%

    24%

    26%

    27%

    Disapprove

    17%

    24%

    22%

    29%

    28%

    25%

    29%

    22%

    26%

    Strongly disapprove

    13%

    16%

    24%

    25%

    36%

    29%

    32%

    34%

    32%

    Don’t know

    18%

    17%

    13%

    13%

    8%

    11%

    7%

    12%

    10%

    Julia Gillard’s approval rating has changed little since last month. 32% (no change) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 58% (up 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -24 to -26 over the last 5 weeks.

    73% of Labor voters approve (down 1%) and 19% disapprove (up 3%).

    By gender – men 32% approve/60% disapprove, women 33% approve/57% disapprove.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , ,

    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 Mar

    2011

    14 June

    12 Sept

    12 Dec

    12 Mar 2012

    12 Jun

    16 Jul

    Total approve

    37%

    37%

    39%

    38%

    38%

    39%

    32%

    36%

    32%

    35%

    Total disapprove

    37%

    47%

    39%

    47%

    48%

    50%

    53%

    52%

    54%

    53%

    Strongly approve

    5%

    8%

    9%

    7%

    6%

    8%

    6%

    7%

    6%

    7%

    Approve

    32%

    29%

    30%

    31%

    32%

    31%

    26%

    29%

    26%

    28%

    Disapprove

    20%

    23%

    21%

    24%

    25%

    23%

    25%

    23%

    24%

    23%

    Strongly disapprove

    17%

    24%

    18%

    23%

    23%

    27%

    28%

    29%

    30%

    30%

    Don’t know

    26%

    16%

    22%

    16%

    15%

    11%

    14%

    12%

    13%

    12%

    Tony Abbott’s approval rating has improved a little over the last month. 35% (up 3%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 53% (down 1%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -22 to -18 over the last 5 weeks.

    67% (no change) of Coalition voters approve and 26% (up 4%) disapprove.

    By gender – men 38% approve/53% disapprove, women 32% approve/53% disapprove.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , ,

    Better Prime Minister

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

     

    5 Jul 2010

    14 Mar 2011

    14 June

    12 Sept

    12 Dec

    12 Mar 2012

    12 Jun

    Total

    16 Jul

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Julia Gillard

    53%

    44%

    41%

    36%

    39%

    40%

    37%

    37%

    76%

    5%

    83%

    Tony Abbott

    26%

    33%

    36%

    40%

    35%

    37%

    37%

    38%

    4%

    76%

    5%

    Don’t know

    21%

    23%

    24%

    24%

    26%

    23%

    26%

    26%

    19%

    19%

    13%

    37% (no change) believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 38% (up 1%) prefer Tony Abbott.

    Men prefer Tony Abbott 40%/36% and women prefer Julia Gillard 37%/35%.

Error: