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  • Feb, 2013

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    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

    Diff
    11
    Feb
    13

    Diff
    19
    Nov
    12

    Diff
    18
    Jun
    12

    Management of the economy

    31%

    46%

    3%

    21%

    -15

    -14

    -18

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    37%

    35%

    6%

    22%

    +2

    +5

    -2

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    33%

    36%

    6%

    25%

    -3

    -3

    -6

    Protecting the environment

    20%

    21%

    39%

    20%

    +18

    +16

    +17

    A fair industrial relations system

    39%

    33%

    4%

    23%

    +6

    +9

    +6

    Political leadership

    29%

    37%

    6%

    29%

    -8

    -12

    -16

    Addressing climate change

    21%

    24%

    29%

    26%

    +5

    +9

    +7

    Controlling interest rates

    27%

    41%

    3%

    30%

    -14

    -11

    -18

    Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    33%

    36%

    4%

    27%

    -3

    -2

    -6

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    21%

    27%

    23%

    29%

    -6

    -7

    -12

    Housing affordability

    27%

    33%

    5%

    35%

    -6

    -5

    -11

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    31%

    37%

    4%

    28%

    -6

    -9

    -10

    Security and the war on terrorism

    25%

    38%

    4%

    33%

    -13

    -15

    -22

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    20%

    37%

    14%

    30%

    -17

    -18

    -20

    Managing population growth

    21%

    33%

    7%

    39%

    -12

    -15

    -19

    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 has a significant lead over the  Liberal Party only on ensuring a fair industrial relations system. The Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, political leadership, security and the war on terrorism, treatment of asylum seekers and managing population growth.

    There is little difference between Labor and the Liberals on ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries. Since November, there has been very little shift on any issue.

  • Nov, 2010

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    Regulation of Banks – Specific Rules

    Q. Would you support or oppose the following regulations for Australia’s banks?

      Total support Total oppose Strongly support Support Oppose Strongly oppose Don’t know
    Stopping banks from sending jobs off-shore 83% 7% 46% 37% 5% 2% 9%
    Only permitting banks to change interest rates in line with Reserve Bank rates 82% 11% 53% 29% 8% 3% 7%
    Capping bank CEO’s salaries 84% 9% 60% 24% 7% 2% 6%
    Ensuring bank fees are not higher than the actual cost of the service 91% 4% 67% 24% 3% 1% 4%
    A requirement to let customers know if their personal data is being sent to other countries for processing 93% 2% 71% 22% 2% * 6%
    Tougher rules about giving loans and credit 74% 15% 32% 42% 13% 2% 12%

    More than 90% support regulations requiring banks to let customers know if their personal data is being sent to other countries for processing and ensuring bank fees are not higher than the actual cost of the service. Over 80% support stopping banks from sending jobs off-shore, only permitting banks to change interest rates in line with Reserve Bank rates and capping bank CEO’s salaries.

    There were no substantial differences by voting intention – all regulations were strongly supported by all voter groups.

      Total support Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Stopping banks from sending jobs off-shore 83% 85% 85% 83%
    Only permitting banks to change interest rates in line with Reserve Bank rates 82% 87% 82% 73%
    Capping bank CEO’s salaries 84% 88% 83% 86%
    Ensuring bank fees are not higher than the actual cost of the service 91% 93% 93% 90%
    A requirement to let customers know if their personal data is being sent to other countries for processing 93% 94% 93% 94%
    Tougher rules about giving loans and credit 74% 71% 80% 77%

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  • Oct, 2010

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    Important election issues

    Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)

    Total Labor Liberal Green
    Management of the economy 62% 59% 74% 46%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 32% 37% 26% 23%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 48% 53% 47% 43%
    Protecting the environment 12% 12% 8% 27%
    A fair industrial relations system 11% 18% 6% 14%
    Political leadership 16% 16% 17% 10%
    Addressing climate change 11% 15% 4% 35%
    Controlling interest rates 17% 11% 22% 12%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 30% 34% 27% 15%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 6% 4% 8% 13%
    Housing affordability 17% 12% 16% 20%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 16% 12% 20% 16%
    Security and the war on terrorism 6% 3% 8% 2%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 5% 3% 5% 10%
    Managing population growth 10% 7% 13% 9%

    Labor voters are more likely to rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (53%), ensuring a quality education for all children (37%) and a fair industrial relations system (18%) as important.

    Liberal/National voters attach more importance to management of the economy (74%) and controlling interest rates (22%) while Greens voters are more likely to nominate addressing climate change (35%) and protecting the environment (27%).

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  • Oct, 2010

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    Party best handling important election issues

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

    Labor Liberal Greens Don’t know
    Management of the economy 37% 42% 2% 19%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 42% 31% 4% 23%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 36% 35% 5% 25%
    Protecting the environment 19% 20% 40% 21%
    A fair industrial relations system 44% 30% 4% 22%
    Political leadership 34% 36% 5% 25%
    Addressing climate change 21% 22% 31% 26%
    Controlling interest rates 28% 42% 2% 29%
    Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries 41% 33% 3% 23%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 24% 27% 21% 29%
    Housing affordability 31% 31% 4% 34%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 35% 35% 3% 28%
    Security and the war on terrorism 27% 35% 4% 34%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 26% 33% 9% 33%
    Standing up for regular Australian working families 44% 28% 4% 23%
    Managing population growth 28% 33% 7% 33%
    Making sure Australian working people got fair treatment at their workplace 45% 29% 3% 23%

    Labor is trusted most to handle a fair industrial relations system (44%), ensuring a quality education for all children (42%) and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries (41%).

    The Liberals are trusted most to handle management of the economy (42%), controlling interest rates (42%) and security and the war on terrorism (35%).

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  • Nov, 2009

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    Cause of Interest Rate Rises

    Q. Which of the following statements most closely reflects your opinion on the cause of the recent increase in official interest rates?

    %
    The Reserve Bank independently sets interest rates to avoid inflation 30%
    It’s just a correction to the historic low interest rates during the Global Financial Crisis 18%
    The Federal Government has managed the economy well and the rate increase is a sign of a strong economy 15%
    The Federal Government has managed the economy badly and so rates are rising 9%
    The world economy is the biggest factor in interest rates, not the Australian economy 9%
    House prices are rising and pushing up interest rates 5%
    Don’t know 15%

    When it comes to what the public perceive are the causes of the recent increase in official interest rates, 30% think that the Reserve Bank independently sets interest rates to avoid inflation and 18% think that interest rate rises are a correction to the historic low interest rates during the Global Financial Crisis.  15% think that the Federal Government has managed the economy well and the rate increase is a sign of a strong economy.

    Only 9% think it is because the Government has managed the economy badly.

    Coalition voters were more likely to think that the Reserve Bank independently setting interest rates to avoid inflation is the cause of the recent increase in interest rates (39%).  Labor voters were more likely to think the increase in interest rates is because the Federal Government has managed the economy well and the rate increase is a sign of a strong economy (28%).  Green voters were more likely to think the recent interest rate rises are just a correction to the historic low interest rates during the Global Financial Crisis (24%).

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