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  • Aug, 2013

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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 = 1,903 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

     

    4 weeks ago

    8/7/13

    2 weeks ago

    23/7/13

    Last week

    29/7/13

    This week

    5/8/13

    Liberal

     

    42%

    42%

    41%

    40%

    National

    4%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    46%

    45%

    44%

    43%

    Labor

    38.0%

    38%

    39%

    39%

    38%

    Greens

    11.8%

    8%

    7%

    9%

    9%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    7%

    9%

    8%

    10%

     

    2 Party Preferred

    Election

    21 Aug 10

     

    4 weeks ago

    8/7/13

    2 weeks ago

    23/7/13

    Last week

    29/7/13

    This week

    5/8/13

    Liberal National

    49.9%

    52%

    51%

    51%

    51%

    Labor

    50.1%

    48%

    49%

    49%

    49%

    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.

  • Aug, 2013

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    Firmness of voting intention

    Q. How likely is it that you will change your mind about who you vote for before the Federal election to be held this year?

     

    Total

    Gave voting intention

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Other party/ Independent

    I will definitely not change my mind

    44%

    40%

    59%

    23%

    18%

    It is very unlikely I will change my mind

    30%

    35%

    25%

    36%

    25%

    It is quite possible I will change my mind as the campaign develops

    21%

    18%

    14%

    35%

    49%

    Don’t know

    5%

    7%

    3%

    3%

    9%

    44% of those who gave their voting intention say they will definitely not change their mind before the election, 30% say it is very unlikely they will change their mind and 21% say it is quite possible they will change.

    Those most likely to say it is possible they will change their mind were Greens voters (35%), other party and independent voters (49%), aged 18-24 (32%) and women (25%).

  • Aug, 2013

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    Approach to handling asylum seekers

    Q. The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Opposition leader Tony Abbott have both recently made statements about the handling of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat.

    Do you think Kevin Rudd’s approach to handling asylum seekers is too harsh, too soft or about right?

    Do you think Tony Abbott’s approach to handling asylum seekers is too harsh, too soft or about right?

     

    Kevin Rudd

     

    Tony Abbott

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Too harsh

    20%

    19%

    18%

    49%

    21%

    38%

    5%

    42%

    Too soft

    24%

    12%

    35%

    13%

    20%

    21%

    16%

    21%

    About right

    40%

    53%

    33%

    25%

    31%

    11%

    61%

    7%

    Don’t know

    16%

    16%

    14%

    13%

    27%

    31%

    18%

    30%

    40% of respondents think Kevin Rudd’s approach to handling asylum seekers is about right and 31% think Tony Abbott’s approach is about right. Views are similar for both approaches in terms of whether they are too soft or too harsh – about one in five selected each option.

    Kevin Rudd’s approach was more favoured by Labor voters (53%), aged 45-64 (45%) and tradespeople (51%). Tony Abbott’s approach was more favoured by Liberal/National voters (61%), men (37%), aged 65+ (46%) and tradespeople (40%).

  • Aug, 2013

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    Voting decision

    Q. Thinking about the Federal election to be held this year, when do you expect you will make your final decision about who you will vote for?

     

    Total

     

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Other party

    Don’t know

    I have already decided

    53%

    55%

    69%

    36%

    29%

    8%

    During the election campaign

    15%

    19%

    12%

    24%

    18%

    6%

    In the last week before the election

    12%

    11%

    9%

    15%

    25%

    7%

    The day before the election

    3%

    4%

    2%

    9%

    1%

    2%

    On the day of the election

    8%

    7%

    4%

    9%

    20%

    18%

    Don’t know

    9%

    5%

    4%

    8%

    7%

    60%

    53% say they have already decided who they will be voting for in the Federal election, 30% will finally make up their mind at some stage before election day and 8% will decide on election day.

    Those least likely to have made up their mind were aged 18-24 (33%), Greens voters (36%), other party/independent voters (29%) and respondents with university education (48%).

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