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  • Oct, 2011

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    Whether Opposition favours Businesses or Workers

    Q. Do you think the Federal Liberal/National opposition parties favour the interests of businesses or workers?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total favour businesses 61% 79% 50% 73%
    Total  favour workers 8% 5% 12% 5%
    Favour businesses a lot more than workers 36% 63% 14% 57%
    Favour businesses a little more than workers 25% 16% 36% 16%
    Favour workers a little more than businesses 7% 4% 11% 4%
    Favour workers a lot more than businesses 1% 1% 1% 1%
    Balance the interests of businesses and workers 14% 3% 27% 4%
    Don’t know 17% 12% 10% 19%

    61% think that the Federal Opposition favours the interests of businesses, 8% think they favour the interests of workers and 14% think they balance their interests.

    Labor voters think they favour businesses over workers by 79% to 5% and Greens voters are also much more likely to think they favour the interests of businesses (73%) over workers (5%).

    Liberal /National voters are more likely to think they balance their interests (27%) – although 50% think they favour businesses’ interests and only 12% think they favour workers.

    Men are more likely to think they favour the interests of businesses over workers by 66% to 9% compared to women 55% to 8%.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Support for “Occupy” Protests

    Q. There have recently been protests held in some Australian cities – similar to the “Occupy Wall Street” protests in USA – against “corporate greed” and the power of major banks and multinational corporations. Which best describes your opinion of these protests?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Agree with their concerns and support the protests 29% 36% 18% 59%
    Agree with their concerns but don’t support the protests 40% 37% 48% 27%
    Don’t agree with their concerns 13% 10% 19% 5%
    Don’t know 18% 18% 15% 8%

    69% say they agree with the concerns of the “occupy” protests – made up of 29% who support the protests and 40% who don’t support the protests. Only 13% say they don’t agree with their concerns.

    A majority (59%) of Greens voters support the protests compared to only 18% of Liberal/National voters  – although only 19% of Liberal/National voters disagree with their concerns. Labor voters are split over support for the protests – 36% support them and 37% agree with their concerns but don’t support the protests.

    Support for the concerns of the protests is strongest among older respondents (aged 55+), 28% support the protests and a further 48% agree with their concerns.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Support for Removal of “Occupy” Protesters

    Q. Do you support the removal of protesters by police in Melbourne and Sydney or should they be allowed to continue their protests?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Support their removal 42% 34% 57% 16%
    Should be allowed to continue 41% 51% 26% 76%
    Don’t know 17% 15% 17% 8%

    Although only 29% support the protests, respondents were divided over the removal of the protesters in Melbourne and Sydney. 42% support their removal and 41% think they should have been allowed to continue.

    While 57% of Liberal/National voters supported the removal, 51% of Labor voters and 76% of Greens voters think they should have been allowed to continue.

    Younger respondents (aged 18-34) were more likely to think they should be allowed to continue (45% to 35%), and those aged 55+ favoured removal 51% to 37%.

    48% of those on incomes under $1,000 pw think they should be allowed to continue while 47% of those on incomes over $1,000 pw support their removal.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Coal Seam Gas Mining

    Q. There is currently debate over the exploration and extraction of coal seam gas from farming land, particularly in NSW and Queensland. Do you think Governments should restrict mining of coal seam gas on farming land or do the current regulations balance the interests of farmers and mining companies?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Should restrict coal seam gas mining 50% 52% 48% 74%
    Current regulations balance interests of farmers and mining companies 20% 21% 23% 6%
    Don’t know 30% 26% 29% 20%

    50% think coal seam gas mining should be restricted and 20% think current regulations balance interests of farmers and mining companies. 30% have no opinion.

    Labor voters and Liberal/National voters hold similar views but 74% of Greens voters want restrictions.

    Those most in favour of restrictions were aged 55+ (61%) and respondents from Queensland (56%) and NSW (54%).

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Regulation of Gambling

    Q. For each of the following forms of gambling, which do you think need more or less regulation?

    Needs more regulation Needs less regulation Current regulation is about right Don’t know Needs more regulation 27 Apr 11
    Online gambling in general 67% 4% 17% 12% 68%
    Poker machines 52% 5% 35% 8% 62%
    Casinos 47% 4% 40% 9% 53%
    Betting on sport e.g. football, cricket 52% 4% 34% 10% 46%
    Betting on horse racing 35% 5% 51% 9% 37%
    Lotto 15% 6% 70% 9% 20%

    More than half the respondents think there needs to be more regulation of online gambling (67%), poker machines (52%) and betting on sport (52%).

    Support for more regulation of poker machines has dropped 10% since this question was last asked in April.

    By vote, 67% of Greens voters, 61% of Labor voters and 43% of Liberal/National voters support more regulation of poker machines. 44% of Liberal/National voters think current regulation is about right, compared to 28% of Labor voters and 25% of Greens voters. There are no substantial differences by age, gender or income.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Interest in Horseracing

    Q. How would you describe your level of interest in horse racing?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    High interest 6% 8% 6% 2%
    Moderate interest 16% 18% 17% 14%
    Low interest 33% 34% 34% 40%
    No interest 44% 41% 42% 44%
    Don’t know 1% * * *

    6% say they have a high interest in horse racing and 16% have a moderate interest. 77% say they have low or no interest.

    Those with most interest are men (26% high/moderate), full-time workers (27%) and those earning $1,000-1,600 pw (29%). There were no significant differences by age group.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Betting on the Melbourne Cup

    Q. Will you be placing a bet on the Melbourne Cup?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Yes 40% 42% 43% 42%
    No 44% 44% 41% 42%
    Don’t know 16% 14% 16% 16%

    Although only 22% have a high or moderate interest in horse racing, 40% say they will be placing a bet on the Melbourne Cup.

    Those most likely to place a bet were aged 35-54 (45%) and full-time workers (49%). Men and women were equally likely to place a bet.

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  • Oct, 2011

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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 = 1,888  respondents

    First preference/leaning to Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Liberal 46% 45% 45% 45%
    National 3% 3% 3% 3%
    Total Lib/Nat 43.6% 49% 48% 48% 48%
    Labor 38.0% 32% 33% 33% 32%
    Greens 11.8% 12% 10% 11% 11%
    Other/Independent 6.6% 8% 9% 8% 8%
    2PP Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago 2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 56% 55% 55% 55%
    Labor 50.1% 44% 45% 45% 45%

    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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