The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Aug, 2012

    , , , ,

    Effectiveness of Recommendations

    Q. How effective do you think the panel recommendations will be in terms of –

     

    Very effective

    Quite effective

    A little effective

    Not effective

    Don’t know

    Stopping boats of asylum seekers landing in Australia

    12%

    19%

    34%

    24%

    11%

    Providing fair treatment for genuine asylum seekers

    11%

    29%

    32%

    18%

    11%

    Keeping Government costs down

    8%

    13%

    27%

    36%

    16%

    31% think the recommendations will be very/quite effective in stopping boats, 40% very/quite effective in providing fair treatment for genuine asylum seekers and 21% very/quite effective in keeping Government costs down.

    38% of Liberal/National voters, 32% of Labor voters and 15% of Greens voters think they will be very/quite effective in stopping boats.

    48% of Liberal/National voters, 41% of Labor voters and 16% of Greens voters think they will be very/quite effective in providing fair treatment for genuine asylum seekers.

    27% of Liberal/National voters, 20% of Labor voters and 12% of Greens voters think they will be very/quite effective in keeping Government costs down.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Important election issues

    Q.  Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?

     

    First

    Second

    Third

    Total

    30 Jul 12

    5 Dec 11

    6 June 11

    25 Jan 10

    Management of the economy

    38%

    16%

    10%

    64%

    62%

    61%

    63%

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    5%

    10%

    11%

    26%

    22%

    26%

    23%

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    10%

    19%

    18%

    47%

    47%

    49%

    48%

    Protecting the environment

    3%

    4%

    4%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    16%

    A fair industrial relations system

    4%

    3%

    5%

    12%

    11%

    8%

    *

    Political leadership

    11%

    7%

    7%

    25%

    18%

    17%

    23%

    Addressing climate change

    3%

    3%

    3%

    9%

    10%

    15%

    16%

    Controlling interest rates

    2%

    2%

    5%

    9%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    13%

    15%

    13%

    41%

    36%

    32%

    33%

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    *

    1%

    2%

    3%

    4%

    5%

    12%

    Housing affordability

    3%

    5%

    5%

    13%

    13%

    16%

    14%

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    4%

    7%

    7%

    18%

    16%

    17%

    14%

    Security and the war on terrorism

    1%

    1%

    3%

    5%

    4%

    8%

    9%

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    3%

    4%

    3%

    10%

    8%

    5%

    *

    Managing population growth

    2%

    3%

    3%

    8%

    8%

    12%

    *

    *Not asked

    64% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 47% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 41% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.

    Since December, there has been an increase in the importance of political leadership (+7%), Australian jobs and protection of local industries (+5%) and ensuring a quality education for all children (+4%).

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , , ,

    Asylum Seeker Debate

    Q. Do you think the current debate over handling of asylum seekers shows that Australian politicians are genuinely concerned about the welfare of asylum seekers or are they just playing politics over the issue?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Genuinely concerned bout asylum seekers

    11%

    16%

    13%

    7%

    Just playing politics

    78%

    74%

    81%

    85%

    Don’t know

    11%

    10%

    6%

    8%

    Only 11% think that Australian politicians are genuinely concerned about the welfare of asylum seekers and 78% think they are just playing politics over the issue.

    There were no substantial differences across demographic groups.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , ,

    Party Most Concerned about Finding Fair and Reasonable Solution

    Q. Which party do you think is most concerned about finding a fair and reasonable solution to how Australia handles asylum seekers?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    The Labor Party

    14%

    46%

    1%

    4%

    The Liberal Party

    28%

    2%

    59%

    2%

    The Greens

    13%

    11%

    6%

    60%

    None of them

    32%

    30%

    28%

    20%

    Don’t know

    13%

    11%

    7%

    13%

    32% think no party is concerned about finding a fair and reasonable solution to how Australia handles asylum seekers. 28% think the Liberal Party is most concerned, 14% the Labor Party and 13% the Greens.

    Labor voters were the least likely to think their preferred party was most concerned (46%) – while 60% of Greens voters and 59% of Liberal/National voters thought their party was most concerned.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , ,

    Too Soft or Too Tough on Asylum Seekers

    Q. Do you think the Federal Labor Government is too tough or too soft on asylum seekers or is it taking the right approach?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    25 Oct 10

    12 July 10

    4 April 10

    Too tough

    12%

    18%

    6%

    35%

    7%

    10%

    6%

    Too soft

    60%

    42%

    82%

    30%

    63%

    56%

    65%

    Taking the right approach

    11%

    26%

    4%

    14%

    18%

    21%

    18%

    Don’t know

    17%

    14%

    8%

    21%

    12%

    13%

    11%

    60% think the Government is too soft on asylum seekers, 12% think they are too tough and 11% think they are taking the right approach.

    Since this question was last asked in October 2010, those thinking they are too tough has increased from 7% to 12% – while too soft has declined from 63% to 60% and taking the right approach declined from 18% to 11%.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , , , , ,

    Why has the UN accused Australia of failing children?


    Norman Gillespie says Australia broke its promise to the UN to take children out of detention centres.

    Last month the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child gave its five yearly report card on Australia’s children and the findings were not good — especially regarding our treatment of asylum seeking children.

    UNICEF Australia’s CEO Norman Gillespie tells 3Q that the UN’s recommendation seven years ago to release these children into the community has been ignored with over 400 children still in detention. He hopes the recent announcement to appoint a National Children’s Commissioner will ensure Australian meets its obligations for children seeking asylum and all children who continue to fall through the gaps.

  • Jul, 2012

    , , , , ,

    Negotiate a Solution for Handling Asylum Seekers

    Q. The Government has offered to negotiate with Tony Abbott and the Liberals to reach a compromise solution for handling asylum seekers. Tony Abbott has refused to negotiate and says the Government should adopt the Liberal policy. Do you think the Government and the Opposition should negotiate a solution or should the Government adopt the Liberal policy?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Should negotiate a solution

    57%

    86%

    34%

    85%

    Should adopt the Liberal policy

    26%

    5%

    50%

    1%

    Don’t know

    17%

    9%

    15%

    13

    57% agreed that the Government and the Opposition should negotiate a solution to handling asylum seekers and 26% think the Government should adopt the Liberal policy.

    Those most in favour of adopting the Liberal policy were men (33%), Liberal/National voters (50%) and those aged 65+ (40%).

  • Jun, 2012

    , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Party trust to handle important election issues

    Q.  Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    Greens

    Don’t know

    Difference

    18 Jun 12

    Difference

    5 Dec 11

    Management of the economy

    26%

    44%

    3%

    27%

    -18

    -18

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    33%

    35%

    5%

    26%

    -2

    -2

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    30%

    36%

    7%

    27%

    -6

    -3

    Protecting the environment

    17%

    21%

    38%

    24%

    +17

    +14

    A fair industrial relations system

    36%

    30%

    6%

    28%

    +6

    +4

    Political leadership

    21%

    37%

    7%

    36%

    -16

    -17

    Addressing climate change

    18%

    24%

    31%

    27%

    +7

    +6

    Controlling interest rates

    22%

    40%

    3%

    35%

    -18

    -18

    Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    29%

    35%

    6%

    31%

    -6

    -3

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    16%

    28%

    23%

    33%

    -12

    -12

    Housing affordability

    22%

    33%

    5%

    39%

    -11

    -10

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    26%

    36%

    5%

    32%

    -10

    -9

    Security and the war on terrorism

    18%

    40%

    4%

    38%

    -22

    -19

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    16%

    36%

    13%

    36%

    -20

    -19

    Managing population growth

    17%

    36%

    7%

    40%

    -19

    -17

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Liberal % from Labor % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Greens minus Liberal.

    Labor does not have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party on any item measured. The Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.

    There is little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health systerm and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries. Overall, there has been very little change in these results since December.

Error: