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  • Apr, 2012

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    TRENDS: Do we love the NBN?

    Peter Lewis presents polling that shows public opinion is turning in favour of the $40 billion national broadband network.


    Until now the NBN has been an abstract debate about national building and future proofing the economy on one hand, and a misguided venture designed purely to waste taxpayers’ money on the other. Now it’s about to shift from rhetoric to reality, with roll out plans for about a third of households and businesses released last week.

  • Apr, 2012

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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 = 1,892 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    26/3/12

    2 weeks ago

    10/4/12

    Last week

    16/4/12

    This week

    22/4/12

    Liberal

    45%

    47%

    45%

    45%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    47%

    50%

    48%

    49%

    Labor

    38.0%

    34%

    31%

    31%

    31%

    Greens

    11.8%

    10%

    11%

    11%

    11%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    9%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    54%

    57%

    56%

    56%

    Labor

    50.1%

    46%

    43%

    44%

    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.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Approval of Bob Brown

    Q. Last week Bob Brown resigned from Parliament and the leadership of the Greens, after 16 years as a member of the Senate. Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Bob Brown over his 16 years in Parliament?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total approve

    42%

    60%

    24%

    89%

    Total disapprove

    34%

    15%

    56%

    1%

    Strongly approve

    9%

    14%

    3%

    38%

    Approve

    33%

    46%

    21%

    51%

    Disapprove

    19%

    13%

    29%

    1%

    Strongly disapprove

    15%

    2%

    27%

    Don’t know

    24%

    25%

    20%

    10

    42% approve the performance of Bob Brown over his 16 years in Parliament and 34% disapprove. A majority of Greens voters (89%) and Labor voters (60%) approve but 56% of Liberal/National voters disapprove.

    Men split 40% approve/41% disapprove compared to women 43% approve/28% disapprove.

    By age group, approval/disapproval was 46%/21% for under 35’s, 43%/31% for 35-54’s and 35%/56% for 55+.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Best Leader of the Labor Party

    Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Labor Party?

     

    30 May 2011

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Julia Gillard

    23%

    16%

    40%

    4%

    21%

    Kevin Rudd

    32%

    31%

    33%

    32%

    32%

    Wayne Swan

    2%

    4%

    6%

    4%

    5%

    Greg Combet

    4%

    2%

    1%

    2%

    2%

    Bill Shorten

    3%

    6%

    8%

    5%

    3%

    Someone else

    19%

    23%

    6%

    33%

    18%

    Don’t know

    17%

    17%

    6%

    19%

    19%

    33% think Kevin Rudd would make the best leader of the Labor Party and 16% prefer Julia Gillard. This represents  declines of 1% for Kevin Rudd and 7% for Julia Gillard since this question was asked nearly 12 months ago. Those selecting “someone else” has increased from 19% to 23%.

    Julia Gillard is preferred by 40% of Labor voters compared to 33% for Kevin Rudd. Men prefer Kevin Rudd over Julia Gillard 33% to 16% and women by 28% to 17%.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Best Leader of the Liberal Party

    Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Liberal Party?

     

    27 Sep 2010

    28 Feb 2011

    30 May 2011

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Tony Abbott

    26%

    24%

    22%

    23%

    11%

    39%

    3%

    Malcolm Turnbull

    20%

    18%

    25%

    30%

    37%

    26%

    53%

    Joe Hockey

    15%

    16%

    17%

    14%

    12%

    17%

    12%

    Julie Bishop

    5%

    4%

    3%

    5%

    4%

    5%

    5%

    Andrew Robb

    na

    1%

    1%

    1%

    2%

    1%

    Someone else

    na

    14%

    13%

    12%

    16%

    6%

    18%

    Don’t know

    33%

    22%

    19%

    16%

    18%

    7%

    10

    30% (+5%) think Malcolm Turnbull would make the best leader of the Liberal Party, 23% (+1%) prefer Tony Abbott and 14% (-3%) Joe Hockey.

    Among Liberal/National voters, 39% (-1%) prefer Tony Abbott, 26% (+7%) Malcolm Turnbull and 17% (-5%) Joe Hockey.

    Malcolm Turnbull is preferred by 33% of men and 28% of women, Tony Abbott by 26% of men and 19% of women.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Personal Benefit from Mining Boom

    Q. How much have you personally benefited from Australia’s mining boom?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    A lot

    2%

    3%

    2%

    1%

    Somewhat

    5%

    8%

    4%

    2%

    A little

    12%

    14%

    12%

    11%

    Not at all

    66%

    62%

    70%

    67%

    Don’t know

    14%

    13%

    12%

    19

    Only 7% think they have benefited a lot or somewhat from Australia’s mining boom. 78% believe they have benefited a little or not at all.

    Those most likely to say they have not benefited at all were women (71%), aged 55+ (74%) and those on incomes under $600 pw (72%).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Mining Companies’ Tax

    Q. Overall, do you think mining companies pay too much tax, not enough tax or about the right amount of tax?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Pay too much tax

    11%

    8%

    15%

    2%

    Don’t pay enough tax

    37%

    54%

    25%

    63%

    Pay about the right amount of tax

    27%

    18%

    37%

    6%

    Don’t know

    25%

    20%

    22%

    29%

    37% think mining companies don’t pay enough tax, 27% think they pay about the right amount and 11% think they pay too much.

    Groups most likely to think they don’t pay enough were men (42%), aged 35-54 (41%) and those earning over $1,600 pw (44%).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Opinion of Mining Tax

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?

     

    12 Jul 2010

    5 Sep 2011

    21 Nov

    20 Feb 2012

    12 Mar 2012

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total approve

    50%

    46%

    51%

    55%

    52%

    51%

    77%

    35%

    77%

    Total disapprove

    28%

    34%

    33%

    28%

    34%

    29%

    8%

    50%

    7%

    Strongly approve

    13%

    18%

    18%

    23%

    20%

    19%

    36%

    8%

    41%

    Approve

    37%

    28%

    33%

    32%

    32%

    32%

    41%

    27%

    36%

    Disapprove

    18%

    18%

    20%

    17%

    22%

    20%

    6%

    33%

    7%

    Strongly disapprove

    10%

    16%

    13%

    11%

    12%

    9%

    2%

    17%

    Don’t know

    22%

    19%

    15%

    17%

    14%

    20%

    16%

    15%

    16%

    51% approve the Government’s proposed mining tax and 29% disapprove. This represents a strengthening in support over the last 6 weeks (from net +18% to net +22%).

    Labor voters (77%) and Greens voters (77%) strongly support the tax – but Liberal/National voters disapprove 50% to 35%.

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