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 = 1,865 respondents

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.

Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?

More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (56%) and the United States (51%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with  China (46%) and the United Kingdom (42%).

A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 62% of Liberal/National voters, 47% of Labor voters and 41% of Greens voters.

Since this question was asked last October, there have been decreases in the rating of the importance of relations with India (-7%) and the United Kingdom (-5%). There have been only very slight increases in the importance of the relationship with Indonesia (+2%) and New Zealand (+2%).

Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?

33% favour closer relations with China, 34% with New Zealand, 29% with Indonesia and 24% with Japan.

Liberal/National voters were more likely to favour closer relationships with the United States (24%). Greens voters are more likely to favour closer relationships with Indonesia (38%).

Labor voters were more likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (40%) and Japan (28%)

Those aged 18-25 were more likely to favour closer relationships with Japan (45%), New Zealand (48%), China (51%) and Germany (28%).

Since this question was asked last year, the percentages wanting a closer relationship with the New Zealand (+8%) has increased.

Q. How much trust do you have in Tony Abbott and the Liberal Government to handle Australia’s international relations?

Just 18% of people have ‘a lot of trust’ in Tony Abbott and the Liberal Government to handle Australia’s international relations.

37% have no trust.

Females (41%) were more likely than males (32%) to have no trust.

Labor (67%) and Green (63%) voters were far more likely to have ‘no trust’. Liberal/National voters were far less likely (2%) to have no trust.

Q. It has recently been revealed that US agencies have been secretly monitoring most of the world’s phone and internet traffic. This information is shared with friendly governments such as Australia’s.

Do you support or oppose the US government’s secret collecting of this information?

Just 24% of people support the US government’s secret collecting of the world’s phone and internet traffic. 45% oppose it.

Liberal/National voters (34%) were more likely to support the US collecting this information.

Labor (58%) and Green (62%) voters were more likely to oppose it.

Q. The US government says the collection of phone and internet records is necessary in order to protect national security and fight terrorism.

Do you agree or disagree that governments are justified in collecting information on all people regardless of whether there is any suspicion of wrongdoing?

42% of people agree that governments are justified in collecting information on all people regardless of whether these is any suspicion of wrongdoing. 45% disagree.

Liberal/National voters (57%) were more likely to agree. Labor (56%) and Green (58%) voters were more likely to disagree.

Q. How much trust do you have in the following groups to protect your privacy?

Over half of people have no trust in Facebook (57%) or Twitter (55%) to protect their privacy. Just under half have no trust in the US government to protect their privacy (43%).

Very few people (13% or less) have a ‘lot of trust’ in the organisations listed to protect their privacy.

Just 41% of people have a lot/some trust in the Australian government to protect their privacy.

Those aged 18-24 (42%) and 25-34 (44%) were less likely to have no trust in Facebook. While those aged 35-44 (60%), 45-54 (66%), 55-64 (62%) and 65+ (63%) were more likely to have ‘no trust’.

The same theme was repeated for Twitter, with those aged 18-24 (31%) and 25-34 (45%) being less likely than those aged 35-44 (58%), 45-54 (63%), 55-64 (64%) and 65+ (63%) to have ‘no trust’.

Liberal/National voters were more likely to have a lot/some trust in the Australian government to protect their privacy (54%). Labor (33%) voters were less likely to have a lot/some trust in the Australian Government to protect their privacy.

Q. Do you agree or disagree that companies providing services to Australians should reveal what information they give to foreign governments?

73% agree that companies providing services to Australia should reveal what information they give to foreign governments. Just 16% disagree.

Those aged 45-54 (46%) and 55064 (53%) were more likely to strongly agree.

Labor voters (49%) were also more likely to strongly agree.