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  • Aug, 2013

    , , ,

    Approval of Kevin Rudd

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Kevin Rudd is doing as Prime Minister?

     

    Julia Gillard

    11 Jun 13

     

    Kevin Rudd

    15 Jul

     

    Kevin Rudd

    13 Aug

    Total approve

    37%

    50%

    45%

    Total disapprove

    54%

    35%

    43%

    Strongly approve

    10%

    18%

    11%

    Approve

    27%

    32%

    34%

    Disapprove

    21%

    15%

    21%

    Strongly disapprove

    33%

    20%

    22%

    Don’t know

    9%

    16%

    12%

    Kevin Rudd’s approval ratings have fallen since last measured 4 weeks ago. 45% (down 5%) approve of the job Kevin Rudd is doing as Prime Minister and 43% (up 8%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +15 to +2.

    88% of Labor voters approve (up 3%) and 6% disapprove (up 2%).

    By gender – men 49% approve/43% disapprove, women 42% approve/43% disapprove.  In net terms this represents a shift with men from +19 to +6 and with women from +10 to -1.

  • Aug, 2013

    , , , ,

    Better Prime Minister

    Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott?

     

    Gillard/ Abbott

    11 Jun 13

     

    Rudd/ Abbott

    15 Jul 13

     

     

    Rudd/ Abbott

    13 Aug 13

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Julia Gillard/Kevin Rudd

    39%

    50%

    47%

    92%

    7%

    68%

    Tony Abbott

    40%

    35%

    35%

    3%

    76%

    7%

    Don’t know

    21%

    15%

    18%

    5%

    17%

    25%

    47% (down 3%) believe Kevin Rudd would make the better Prime Minister and 35% (no change) prefer Tony Abbott.

    Men prefer Kevin Rudd 47%/39% and women prefer Kevin Rudd 47%/30%.

  • Aug, 2013

    , ,

    Australia’s national debt

    Q. Compared to other developed countries, do you think Australia’s national debt is higher, lower or about the same?

     

    6 May 13

     

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total higher

    25%

    25%

    15%

    37%

    18%

    Total lower

    48%

    46%

    59%

    38%

    54%

    A lot higher

    9%

    10%

    5%

    15%

    3%

    A little higher

    16%

    15%

    10%

    22%

    15%

    About the same

    18%

    19%

    18%

    19%

    7%

    A little lower

    29%

    24%

    23%

    27%

    21%

    A lot lower

    19%

    22%

    36%

    11%

    33%

    Don’t know

    10%

    10%

    9%

    6%

    21%

    25% think that Australia’s National debt is higher than other developed countries and 46% think it is lower – 19% think it about the same. These figures are very similar to the results when this question was previously asked in May.

    A majority of Labor (59%) and Greens voters (54%) think our debt is lower than other countries while Liberal National voters were split – 38% think it is lower and 37% think it is higher.

    Those with higher levels of education were more likely to think Australia’s debt was lower – 20% of respondents with university degrees thought it was higher and 53% thought it was lower.

  • Aug, 2013

    , , ,

    Importance of reducing debt

    Q. Do you think it is more important to reduce Australia’s national debt or to maintain government spending on services and projects?

     

    6
    May 13

     

     

    Total

    Vote ALP

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Australia’s debt higher

    Australia’s debt about the same

    Australia’s debt lower

    More important to reduce debt

    46%

    48%

    28%

    72%

    23%

    76%

    48%

    37%

    More important to maintain spending

    40%

    35%

    51%

    20%

    60%

    18%

    32%

    49%

    Don’t know

    14%

    17%

    21%

    9%

    17%

    6%

    20%

    14%

    48% think it is more important to reduce Australia’s debt and 35% think it is more important to maintain Government spending on services and projects. This represents a shift away from maintaining spending since this question was previously asked in May.

    51% (down 10%) of Labor voters and 60% (up 1%) of Greens voters favour maintaining spending while 72% (up 5%) of Liberal/National voters think it is more important to reduce debt.

    76% of those who think Australia’s debt is higher compared to other countries think we should reduce debt while 49% of those who think our debt is lower think we should maintain spending.

  • Aug, 2013

    , , ,

    Raise taxes or cut spending

    Q. Do you think the Government should raise taxes or cut spending to reduce the national debt or should they do neither?

     

    6 May 13

     

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Raise taxes

    13%

    6%

    7%

    3%

    14%

    Reduce spending

    55%

    45%

    32%

    64%

    24%

    Both

    na

    21%

    21%

    21%

    22%

    Neither

    20%

    18%

    28%

    9%

    29%

    Don’t know

    12%

    10%

    12%

    4%

    10%

    In order to reduce debt, 45% think the Government should reduce spending, 6% think they should raise taxes and 21% think they should do both. 18% think they should do neither.

    64% of Liberal/National voters think the Government should reduce spending compared to 32% of Labor voters and 24% of Greens voters.

    (Note the category “both” has been added to this question since it was previously asked)

  • Aug, 2013

    , , , , , ,

    Where Government should reduce spending

    If “Reduce spending” or “both” –

    Q. In which of the following areas should the Government reduce spending?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Foreign aid

    76%

    72%

    82%

    43%

    The arts

    70%

    65%

    76%

    29%

    Subsidies for business

    59%

    65%

    57%

    58%

    Private schools

    59%

    63%

    56%

    38%

    Welfare support

    43%

    33%

    53%

    17%

    The environment

    36%

    22%

    49%

    12%

    Defence

    34%

    36%

    30%

    68%

    Support for manufacturing industries

    32%

    31%

    34%

    37%

    Border security

    18%

    18%

    17%

    43%

    Universities

    18%

    12%

    25%

    9%

    Public transport

    14%

    11%

    18%

    14%

    Roads

    12%

    10%

    11%

    33%

    Public schools

    9%

    7%

    12%

    12%

    Pensions

    9%

    6%

    11%

    15%

    Health and hospitals

    5%

    6%

    5%

    9%

    Of those who think spending should be reduced, 76% think spending on foreign aid should be reduced, 70% the arts, 59% subsidies for business and 59% private schools.

    The areas least likely to be nominated for spending cuts were health and hospitals, pensions and public schools.

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