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  • Apr, 2012

    , ,

    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

    19/3/12

    2 weeks ago

    2/4/12

    Last week

    10/4/12

    This week

    16/4/12

    Liberal

    45%

    46%

    47%

    45%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    48%

    48%

    50%

    48%

    Labor

    38.0%

    32%

    33%

    31%

    31%

    Greens

    11.8%

    11%

    11%

    11%

    11%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    8%

    9%

    9%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    56%

    55%

    57%

    56%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    45%

    43%

    44%

    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.

  • Apr, 2012

    , ,

    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

    12 Mar

    16 Apr

    Total approve

    52%

    43%

    41%

    34%

    28%

    34%

    37%

    34%

    37%

    36%

    32%

    32%

    Total disapprove

    30%

    40%

    46%

    54%

    64%

    59%

    55%

    54%

    52%

    53%

    61%

    58%

    Strongly approve

    11%

    10%

    7%

    6%

    5%

    7%

    8%

    6%

    6%

    6%

    8%

    7%

    Approve

    41%

    33%

    34%

    28%

    23%

    27%

    29%

    28%

    31%

    30%

    24%

    25%

    Disapprove

    17%

    24%

    22%

    29%

    28%

    27%

    25%

    25%

    27%

    26%

    29%

    31%

    Strongly disapprove

    13%

    16%

    24%

    25%

    36%

    32%

    30%

    29%

    25%

    27%

    32%

    27%

    Don’t know

    18%

    17%

    13%

    13%

    8%

    7%

    9%

    11%

    12%

    11%

    7%

    10%

    Julia Gillard’s approval rating has changed little since last month. 32% (no change) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 58% (down 3%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -29 to -26 over the last 5 weeks.

    67% of Labor voters approve (down 8%) and 21% disapprove (up 1%).

    By gender – men 32% approve/60% disapprove, women 32% approve/55% disapprove.

  • Apr, 2012

    ,

    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

    12 Mar

    16 Apr

    Total approve

    37%

    37%

    39%

    38%

    38%

    39%

    40%

    36%

    32%

    35%

    35%

    36%

    38%

    Total disapprove

    37%

    47%

    39%

    47%

    48%

    50%

    51%

    52%

    53%

    51%

    53%

    52%

    50%

    Strongly approve

    5%

    8%

    9%

    7%

    6%

    8%

    8%

    6%

    6%

    7%

    6%

    7%

    7%

    Approve

    32%

    29%

    30%

    31%

    32%

    31%

    32%

    30%

    26%

    28%

    29%

    29%

    31%

    Disapprove

    20%

    23%

    21%

    24%

    25%

    23%

    23%

    26%

    25%

    25%

    23%

    23%

    23%

    Strongly disapprove

    17%

    24%

    18%

    23%

    23%

    27%

    28%

    26%

    28%

    26%

    30%

    29%

    27%

    Don’t know

    26%

    16%

    22%

    16%

    15%

    11%

    9%

    12%

    14%

    13%

    12%

    12%

    13%

    Tony Abbott’s approval rating has improved a little over the last month. 38% (up 2%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 50% (down 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -16 to -12 over the last 5 weeks. This is Tony Abbott’s best rating since October.

    72% (up 2%) of Coalition voters approve and 17% (down 4%) disapprove.

    By gender – men 44% approve/47% disapprove, women 30% approve/52% disapprove.

  • Apr, 2012

    , , ,

    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 2011

    14 June

    12 Sept

    17 Oct

    14 Nov

    12 Dec

    16 Jan 2012

    13 Feb

    12 Mar

    16 Apr

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Julia Gillard

    53%

    44%

    41%

    36%

    38%

    41%

    39%

    39%

    41%

    40%

    38%

    81%

    6%

    69%

    Tony Abbott

    26%

    33%

    36%

    40%

    39%

    36%

    35%

    36%

    34%

    37%

    36%

    2%

    74%

    7%

    Don’t know

    21%

    23%

    24%

    24%

    23%

    24%

    26%

    25%

    25%

    23%

    25%

    16%

    20%

    24%

    38% (down 2%) believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 36% (down 1%) prefer Tony Abbott – a net change from +3% to +2% for Julia Gillard.

    Men prefer Tony Abbott 41%/36% and women prefer Julia Gillard 41%/32%.

     

  • Apr, 2012

    , ,

    Opinion of NBN

     Q. From what you’ve heard, do you favour or oppose the planned national broadband network (NBN)?

     

    27 Sep 2010

    14 Feb 2011

    18 Apr 2011

    20 Feb 2012

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total favour

    56%

    48%

    54%

    56%

    57%

    80%

    42%

    68%

    Total oppose

    18%

    31%

    28%

    25%

    22%

    4%

    40%

    9%

    Strongly favour

    27%

    19%

    22%

    20%

    18%

    31%

    8%

    32%

    Favour

    29%

    29%

    32%

    36%

    39%

    49%

    34%

    36%

    Oppose

    12%

    16%

    13%

    15%

    15%

    4%

    26%

    9%

    Strongly oppose

    6%

    15%

    15%

    10%

    7%

    14%

    Don’t know

    26%

    22%

    18%

    19%

    21%

    16%

    18%

    23%

     

    Opposition to the NBN has declined a little since this question was last asked in February.

    57% (+1%) favour the NBN and 22% (-3%) oppose it. There is overwhelming majority support from Labor and Greens voters and Liberal/National voters now support the NBN 42%/40%.

    By age group, those aged under 35 were 63% favour/13% oppose and those aged 55+ were 53% favour/35% oppose.

    79% of those that believe their area will be connected to the NBN in the next three years favour the NBN and only 12% oppose. Those who think they will not be connected in the next three years split 51% support/35% oppose.

  • Apr, 2012

    , ,

    Connection to NBN

     Q. The Government recently announced the areas that will be connected to the NBN over the next 3 years? As far as you know, will the area where you live be connected to the NBN in the next 3 years?


     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Yes

    29%

    40%

    25%

    27%

    No

    19%

    13%

    26%

    20%

    Don’t know

    52%

    48%

    49%

    53%

     

    29% think their area will be connected to the NBN in the next three years – 19% think it will not be connected and 52% don’t know.

    Older respondents tended to be better informed about the NBN than younger respondents. 59% of those aged under 35 said they don’t know compared to 45% of those aged 55+.

  • Apr, 2012

    , , ,

    Whether Sign up for Access to NBN

    Q. When the NBN becomes available in your area, will you sign up for internet access? 

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Definitely will

    15%

    22%

    11%

    24%

    Probably will

    31%

    39%

    24%

    34%

    Probably not

    16%

    8%

    24%

    7%

    Definitely not

    6%

    1%

    10%

    2%

    Don’t know

    33%

    29%

    31%

    34%

     

    46% say they will definitely or probably sign up for internet access when the NBN becomes available in their area – 22% will probably or definitely not and 33% don’t know.

    Younger respondents were only a little more likely to sign up – 48% of those aged under 35 compared to 46% of aged 35-54 and 41% of those aged 55+.

    There were no major demographic differences. The main differences were by voting intention – 61% of Labor voters and 58% of Greens voters said they would definitely/probably sign up compared to only 35% of Liberal/National voters.

  • Apr, 2012

    , , ,

    Government Responsibilities

    Q. Which of the following should be mainly the responsibility of the Federal Government and which should be mainly the responsibility of the State Governments – or should they have equal responsibility?


     

    Mainly Federal

    Mainly State

    Both

    equally

    Don’t know

    Constructing new roads and highways

    20%

    27%

    49%

    4%

    Investing in public transport

    9%

    57%

    31%

    3%

    Improving the health system

    46%

    8%

    42%

    3%

    Improving the education system

    40%

    12%

    44%

    4%

    Managing mining projects and mining profits

    45%

    17%

    30%

    7%

    Investing in regional areas

    15%

    41%

    40%

    4%

    Managing the environment

    35%

    9%

    52%

    4%

    Managing our water resources

    26%

    21%

    49%

    4%

    Addressing climate change

    42%

    3%

    47%

    8%

    Industrial relations issues

    37%

    15%

    42%

    5%

     

    Issues which were considered mainly Federal responsibilities were the health system, mining projects/profits, climate change and education.

    Public transport and regional investment were considered to be more the responsibilities of the State Governments.

    The environment, managing water resources and constructing new roads and highways were more likely to be considered a shared responsibility.

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