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  • Jul, 2011

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    Party Best at Handling Economy

    Q. Which party do you think would be best at handling the Australian economy in the interests of you and people like you?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    The Labor Party 26% 75% 2% 35%
    The Liberal Party 43% 1% 86% 11%
    No difference 23% 19% 9% 43%
    Don’t know 8% 4% 3% 10%

    43% think the Liberal Party would be best at handling the Australian economy in their interests and 26% nominated the Labor Party. 23% think there is no difference.

    The Liberal Party is considered better by all income groups , although more by those on higher incomes. Those earning less than $600 per week favour the Liberal Party 37%/29%, while those earning $1,600+ per week favour the Liberal Party 51%/21%.

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  • Jul, 2011

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    The economy

    Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?

    1 Dec 08 15 Jun 09 5 Oct 09 18 Jan 10 29 Mar 10 28 Jun 10 18 Oct 10 4 April 11 4 Jul 11 Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total better 21% 43% 66% 53% 54% 33% 40% 27% 22% 37% 15% 34%
    Total worse 61% 37% 15% 19% 19% 31% 30% 37% 49% 28% 65% 34%
    Get a lot better 2% 5% 8% 9% 9% 5% 6% 4% 3% 8% 1% 1%
    Get a little better 19% 38% 58% 44% 45% 28% 34% 23% 19% 29% 14% 33%
    Get a little worse 45% 28% 11% 14% 13% 23% 20% 27% 31% 22% 37% 26%
    Get a lot worse 16% 9% 4% 5% 6% 8% 10% 10% 18% 6% 28% 8%
    Stay much the same 13% 17% 15% 24% 22% 30% 24% 27% 25% 33% 18% 29%
    No opinion 5% 3% 4% 4% 6% 7% 6% 8% 4% 3% 2% 3%

    Optimism about Australia’s economic outlook has declined again in the last 3 months. 22% think economic conditions in Australia will get better over the next 12 months and 49% think they will get worse – a net decline of 17% since this question was last asked in April. This is the most negative result recorded since December 2008.

    Younger people are more optimistic than older people – of those aged under 35, 29% think conditions will get better and 42% worse – for those aged 55+, only 15% think it will get better and 58% worse.

    37% of Labor voters think conditions will get better and 28% worse while 15% of Coalition voters think conditions will get better and 65% worse.

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  • Jun, 2011

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    Cost of Living

    Q. What do you think is the main reason for the increasing cost of living?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    The strong Australian dollar 17% 30% 9% 17%
    Excessive company profits 18% 24% 10% 27%
    Lack of competition 14% 18% 9% 24%
    Economic management of the Federal Government 28% 8% 51% 9%
    Economic management of State Governments 6% 3% 8% 6%
    Wage increases 4% 3% 4% 3%
    Don’t know 14% 14% 8% 14%

    28% believe that economic management of the Federal Government is the main reason for the increasing cost of living. 18% blame excessive company profits and 17% the strong Australian dollar. Only 4% said wage increases.

    Most of those blaming the Federal Government were Liberal/National voters. Labor voters nominated the strong Australian dollar and excessive company profits while Greens votes said excessive company profits and lack of competition.

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  • May, 2011

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    Interest in Federal Budget

    Q. Thinking about the Federal Budget – how much attention did you pay to the Federal Budget?

    2009 2010 2011
    Total a lot/some 66% 53% 52%
    Total a little/none 31% 44% 45%
    A lot 29% 18% 19%
    Some 37% 35% 33%
    A little 25% 29% 31%
    None 6% 15% 14%
    Can’t say 3% 3% 2%

    Just over half (52%) of respondents said they paid a lot or some attention to the Federal Budget. This is much the same as the corresponding figure of 53% for last year’s budget.

    Those most interested were Liberal/National voters (64%) and people aged 55+ (63%). Only 42% of respondents aged 18-34 paid a lot or some attention to the budget.

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  • May, 2011

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    Perceived Impact of Budget

    Q. Do you think the Federal Budget was good or bad for you personally?

    Q. Do you think the Federal Budget was good or bad for Australian businesses?

    Q. Do you think the Federal Budget was good or bad for the Australian economy overall?

    You personally Businesses The economy overall
    2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011
    Total good 22% 11% 27% 20% 36% 27%
    Total bad 26% 29% 32% 25% 28% 29%
    Very good 3% 2% 3% 3% 6% 4%
    Good 19% 9% 24% 17% 30% 23%
    Neither good nor bad 33% 44% 9% 31% 10% 25%
    Bad 18% 21% 22% 19% 18% 21%
    Very bad 8% 8% 10% 6% 10% 8%
    Don’t know 20% 16% 31% 23% 26% 20%

    Overall there was a less positive response to the 2011 budget than to the 2010 budget. The main differences were that respondents were less likely to rate the budget good and more likely to think it was neither good nor bad. The proportions who thought it was bad were similar to last year.

    44% of respondents thought the Federal budget was nether good nor bad for them personally – 11% said it was good and 29% bad. The only substantial differences by demographics were that 51% of respondents aged 55+ thought it was nether good nor bad.

    25% thought the budget was bad for business, 20% good and 31% said it was neither. 35% of Labor voters said it was good for business and 45% of Liberal/National voters said it was bad.

    Respondents were split over whether it was good or bad for the economy overall – 27% said it was good and 29% bad. Labor voters split 50% good/9% bad compared to Liberal/National voters at 12% good/51% bad.

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  • May, 2011

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    Economy Heading in the Right/Wrong Direction

    Q. Overall, from what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?

    Post budget 2010 Pre budget 2011 Post budget 2011 Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
    The right direction 51% 45% 46% 74% 30% 46%
    The wrong direction 25% 29% 29% 9% 49% 24%
    Don’t know 24% 25% 25% 17% 21% 30%

    Nearly half (46%) the respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction – 29% think it is heading in the wrong direction.

    This was a little less positive than the post 2010 budget poll, but unchanged from the poll taken before the 2011 budget – which suggests that the budget has had no impact on overall perceptions of the economy.

    74% of Labor voters, 30% of Liberal/National voters and 46% of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction.

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  • May, 2011

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    Party Best at Handling Economy

    Q. Which party do you think would be best at handling the Australian economy in the interests of you and people like you?

    Post budget 2010 Post budget 2011 Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
    Labor Party 33% 30% 75% 3% 36%
    Liberal Party 36% 40% 4% 84% 11%
    No difference 20% 22% 17% 10% 46%
    Don’t know 11% 9% 4% 3% 7%

    30% think Labor the party best to handle the economy (in the interests of you and people like you) and 40% nominated the Liberal Party. This represents a shift of 7% in favour of the Liberal Party since the 2010 budget.

    75% of Labor voters nominated Labor and 84% of Coalition voters nominated the Liberal Party. 46% of Greens voters said there was no difference – 36% said Labor and 11% Liberal.

    Those with incomes under $600 pw favour Labor 32% to 30% while those on $1,600+ pw favour the Liberals 49% to 29%.

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  • May, 2011

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    The Economy – Heading in the Right/Wrong Direction

    Q. Overall, from what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?

    17 May 10

    (Post 2010 budget)

    Total Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
    The right direction 51% 45% 75% 27% 51%
    The wrong direction 25% 29% 7% 51% 17%
    Don’t know 24% 25% 17% 22% 33%

    45% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction – 29% think it is heading in the wrong direction. Since this question was asked just after the 2010 budget, “right direction” has dropped 6% and “wrong direction” increased 4%.

    75% of Labor voters, 27% of Liberal/National voters and 51% of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction.

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