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  • Feb, 2012

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    Opinion of Mining Tax

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?

    12 Jul 2010 5 Sep 2011 21 Nov 2011 Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total approve 50% 46% 51% 55% 80% 39% 74%
    Total disapprove 28% 34% 33% 28% 7% 46% 12%
    Strongly approve 13% 18% 18% 23% 46% 7% 44%
    Approve 37% 28% 33% 32% 34% 32% 30%
    Disapprove 18% 18% 20% 17% 6% 26% 9%
    Strongly disapprove 10% 16% 13% 11% 1% 20% 3%
    Don’t know 22% 19% 15% 17% 13% 14% 14%

    Approval for the proposed mining tax has increased over the course of the last 6 months, rising 9 percentage points from 46% in September 2011 to 55% total approval in this week’s poll.

    Labor voters are the most in favour of the proposed mining tax, with 80% in favour, followed by Greens voters (74% in favour).  The majority of Coalition voters remain opposed to the proposed tax, with 46% opposed and 39% in favour.

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  • Feb, 2012

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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 = 1,906 respondents

    First preference/leaning to Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week

    This week
    Liberal 45% 44% 44% 44%
    National 3% 3% 3% 3%
    Total Lib/Nat 43.6% 48% 47% 47% 47%
    Labor 38.0% 35% 34% 33% 34%
    Greens 11.8% 9% 10% 11% 10%
    Other/Independent 6.6% 8% 8% 9% 9%
    2PP Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 54% 54% 54% 54%
    Labor 50.1% 46% 46% 46% 46%

    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.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    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 2010 14 Mar

    2011

    14 June 12 Sept 17 Oct 14 Nov 12 Dec 16 Jan 2012 13 Feb
    Total approve 52% 43% 41% 34% 28% 34% 37% 34% 37% 36%
    Total disapprove 30% 40% 46% 54% 64% 59% 55% 54% 52% 53%
    Strongly approve 11% 10% 7% 6% 5% 7% 8% 6% 6% 6%
    Approve 41% 33% 34% 28% 23% 27% 29% 28% 31% 30%
    Disapprove 17% 24% 22% 29% 28% 27% 25% 25% 27% 26%
    Strongly disapprove 13% 16% 24% 25% 36% 32% 30% 29% 25% 27%
    Don’t know 18% 17% 13% 13% 8% 7% 9% 11% 12% 11%

    Julia Gillard’s approval rating has remained much the same as last month. 36% (down 1%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 53% (up 1%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -15 to -17 over the last 4 weeks.

    79% of Labor voters approve (up 3%) and 14% disapprove (down 1%).

    By gender – men 39% approve/53% disapprove, women 34% approve/52% disapprove.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    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

    2010

    20 Dec 2010 14 Mar

    2011

    14 June 12 Sept 17 Oct 14 Nov 12 Dec 16 Jan 2012 13 Feb
    Total approve 37% 37% 39% 38% 38% 39% 40% 36% 32% 35% 35%
    Total disapprove 37% 47% 39% 47% 48% 50% 51% 52% 53% 51% 53%
    Strongly approve 5% 8% 9% 7% 6% 8% 8% 6% 6% 7% 6%
    Approve 32% 29% 30% 31% 32% 31% 32% 30% 26% 28% 29%
    Disapprove 20% 23% 21% 24% 25% 23% 23% 26% 25% 25% 23%
    Strongly disapprove 17% 24% 18% 23% 23% 27% 28% 26% 28% 26% 30%
    Don’t know 26% 16% 22% 16% 15% 11% 9% 12% 14% 13% 12%

    Tony Abbott’s approval rating has also changed little over the last month. 35% (no change) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 53% (up 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -16 to -18 over the last 4 weeks.

    67% (down 1%) of Coalition voters approve and 21% (no change) disapprove.

    By gender – men 40% approve/52% disapprove, women 31% approve/54% disapprove.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    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 14 June 12 Sept 17 Oct 14 Nov 12 Dec 16 Jan 2012 13 Feb Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Julia Gillard 53% 44% 41% 36% 38% 41% 39% 39% 41% 85% 5% 76%
    Tony Abbott 26% 33% 36% 40% 39% 36% 35% 36% 34% 3% 73% 7%
    Don’t know 21% 23% 24% 24% 23% 24% 26% 25% 25% 12% 22% 17%

    41% (up 2%) believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 34% (down 2%) prefer Tony Abbott – a net change from +3% to +7% for Julia Gillard. This is Julia Gillard’s best result since May last year.

    Men prefer Julia Gillard 42%/37% and women favour Julia Gillard 40%/32%.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Leaders at the Next Election

    Q. Do you think Julia Gillard will still be leading the Labor Party at the election due next year?

    Q. Do you think Tony Abbott will still be leading the Liberal Party at the election due next year?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Julia Gillard Yes 31% 54% 19% 43%
    No 47% 22% 70% 26%
    Don’t know 22% 24% 11% 31%
    Tony Abbott Yes 47% 37% 67% 34%
    No 25% 37% 12% 31%
    Don’t know 28% 26% 21% 35%

    31% think Julia Gillard will still be the leader of the Labor Party at the election due next year and 47% think she will not be the leader. Opinions are closely associated with party preference. 54% of Labor voters think she will still be the leader.

    47% think Tony Abbott will still be the leader of the Liberal Party at the election due next year and 25% think he will not be the leader. Opinions are closely associated with party preference. 67% of Liberal/National voters think he will still be the leader.

    Among non-major party voters, 36% think Julia Gillard will still be leading the Labor Party and 33% think Tony Abbott will still be leading the Liberal Party.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Impact of Gina Rinehart on Independence of Fairfax Newspapers

    Q. Gina Rinehart (mining company owner and Australia’s wealthiest person) has recently bought a major stake in Fairfax newspapers (publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age). Do you think this will make Fairfax newspapers reporting of politics and business more balanced and independent, less balanced and independent or will It make no difference?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens NSW Victoria
    More balanced and independent 7% 7% 8% 6% 11% 5%
    Less balanced and independent 31% 35% 22% 62% 33% 31%
    Make no difference 44% 36% 55% 23% 38% 46%
    Don’t know 19% 22% 15% 9% 18% 18%

    44% think that Gina Rinehart’s purchase of a major stake in Fairfax will make no difference to the balance and independence of the newspapers. 31% think this will make the newspapers less balanced and independent and only 7% think the newspapers will become more balanced and independent.

    Greens voters (62%) and respondents aged under 35 (37%) were most likely to think the newspapers will become less balanced and independent and Liberal/National voters least likely (22%).

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Government Control of Media ownership

    Q. Do you think the Government should have more or less control of media ownership in Australia?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens NSW Victoria
    Should have more control 24% 29% 17% 38% 28% 22%
    Should have less control 24% 17% 30% 30% 23% 29%
    Has about the right control now 34% 38% 38% 18% 34% 34%
    Don’t know 18% 16% 15% 14% 16% 16%

    Respondents were evenly divided over whether the Government should have more or less control of media ownership in Australia. 24% think they should have more control and 24% think they should have less – and 34% think they have about the right control.

    Greens voters (38%) and Labor voters (29%) are more likely to think the Government should have more control and 30% of Liberal/National voters think they should have less control.

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