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  • May, 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 = 1,906 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    29/4/13

    2 weeks ago

    13/5/13

    Last week

    20/5/13

    This week

    27/5/13

    Liberal

    45%

    44%

    45%

    45%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    48%

    48%

    48%

    48%

    Labor

    38.0%

    34%

    34%

    35%

    34%

    Greens

    11.8%

    9%

    9%

    8%

    8%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    10%

    9%

    10%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

     

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    55%

    55%

    55%

    55%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    45%

    45%

    45%

    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. These estimates have a confidence interval of approx. plus or minus 2-3%.

  • May, 2013

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    Trust to handle economy

    Q. Who would you trust most to handle Australia’s economy – The Treasurer Wayne Swan or the Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey?

     

    6 May 2013

    Total 27 May

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Wayne Swan

    32%

    28%

    64%

    7%

    39%

    Joe Hockey

    35%

    37%

    7%

    70%

    14%

    Don’t know

    32%

    34%

    29%

    23%

    47%

    Trust in Joe Hockey to handle the economy has increased since the Federal Budget and trust in Wayne Swan has fallen. 28% (down 4%) trust Wayne Swan more to handle Australia’s economy and 37% (up 2%) trust Joe Hockey more.

    Those on incomes under $1,000pw trust Joe Hockey 34%/31% while those earning over $1,000pw trust Joe Hockey 42%/29%.

  • May, 2013

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    Carbon tax and mining tax

    Q. In his reply to the budget Tony Abbott said he would dump the carbon tax and the mining tax but still retain the Labor Government’s compensation payments to households. If he is elected at the next election what do you think he is most likely to do?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Dump the carbon tax and mining tax and keep the compensation to households

    26%

    9%

    47%

    6%

    Dump the carbon tax and mining tax but will not keep the compensation to households

    29%

    35%

    27%

    35%

    He won’t dump the carbon tax and mining tax

    28%

    40%

    14%

    38%

    Don’t know

    17%

    15%

    11%

    20%

    Only 26% think that if Tony Abbott becomes Prime Minister at the next election, he will dump the carbon tax and the mining tax but still retain the Labor Government’s compensation payments to households. 29% think he will dump the taxes but will not keep the compensation to households and 28% think he won’t dump the taxes.

    Only 47% of Liberal/National voters believe he will dump the taxes and keep the compensation.

  • May, 2013

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    Dumping the carbon tax and mining tax

    Q. And which option would you most favour?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Dump the carbon tax and mining tax and keep the compensation to households

    39%

    28%

    53%

    16%

    Dump the carbon tax and mining tax and not keep the compensation to households

    20%

    6%

    34%

    12%

    Keep the carbon tax and mining tax

    27%

    53%

    6%

    62%

    Don’t know

    14%

    13%

    8%

    10%

    39% favour dumping the carbon tax and mining tax and keeping the compensation to households, 27% favour keeping the taxes and 20% favour dumping the taxes and not keeping the compensation.

    Strongest support for keeping the mining and carbon taxes came from Labor voters (53%), Greens voters (62%) and people on incomes over $1,600pw (32%).

    Strongest support for dumping the taxes and keeping the compensation came from Liberal/National voters (53%) and people on incomes less than $1,000pw (48%).

  • May, 2013

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    Gonski education reforms

    Q. Tony Abbott has said that, if elected, he will not proceed with the Gonski reforms to education which gives more funds to public schools but he will keep the current system of school funding which he says is working well. Do you think he should implement the Gonski funding reforms or keep the current system?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Implement the Gonski reforms

    43%

    64%

    26%

    65%

    Keep the current system of school funding

    34%

    18%

    56%

    14%

    Don’t know

    22%

    18%

    18%

    22%

    43% support implementing the Gonski education funding reforms and 34% support keeping the current system of school funding.

    Strongest support for implementing the Gonski reforms came from Labor voters (64%), Greens voters (65%) and people aged 25-44 (49%).

    Strongest support for keeping the current system came from Liberal/National voters (56%) and people aged 65+ (55%).

  • May, 2013

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    Climate change

    Q. Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?

     

    Nov 09

    Dec 10

    30 May 11

    14 Jun

    15
    Oct
    12

     29 Jan 13

    Total
    27
    May

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity

    53%

    45%

    52%

    50%

    48%

    51%

    51%

    68%

    38%

    83%

    We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate

    34%

    36%

    36%

    39%

    39%

    40%

    35%

    23%

    50%

    10%

    Don’t know

    13%

    19%

    12%

    12%

    13%

    9%

    14%

    9%

    12%

    8%

    51% agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 35% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is a five point decline in those thinking it is just a fluctuation in the earth’s climate since this question was previously asked in January.

    By age groups, those aged under 35 split 60%/22% and those aged 55+ split 42%/49%. People on higher incomes were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those earning under $600pw split 42%/44% while those earning over $1,600pw split 54%/34%.

  • May, 2013

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    Carbon pricing

    Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s carbon pricing scheme which was introduced in July 2012 and requires industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?

    7
    Mar 11

    14 June

    19
    Sep

    21 Nov

    25
    Jun
    12

    2
    Oct

    29
    Jan
    13

    Total
    27
    May

    Vote ALP

    Vote Lib

    Vote Greens

    Total support

    35%

    38%

    37%

    38%

    35%

    38%

    37%

    43%

    70%

    22%

    79%

    Total oppose

    48%

    49%

    52%

    53%

    54%

    48%

    50%

    43%

    18%

    69%

    12%

    Strongly support

    9%

    13%

    14%

    14%

    14%

    12%

    11%

    15%

    30%

    4%

    34%

    Support

    26%

    25%

    23%

    24%

    21%

    26%

    26%

    28%

    40%

    18%

    45%

    Oppose

    19%

    19%

    17%

    17%

    19%

    22%

    22%

    20%

    12%

    28%

    5%

    Strongly oppose

    29%

    30%

    35%

    36%

    35%

    26%

    28%

    23%

    6%

    41%

    7%

    Don’t know

    18%

    13%

    12%

    10%

    11%

    14%

    12%

    13%

    12%

    9%

    9%

    Support for carbon pricing has increased significantly since the last time the question was polled in January. Support is up six points to 43% and opposition down seven points to 43%.

    Looking at the results by voting intention, Labor voters (70%) and Greens voters (79%) were the most likely to support carbon pricing, whereas 69% of Coalition voters oppose it.

    Younger respondents were more likely to support carbon pricing than older respondents – for those aged under 35, 52% support and 25% oppose while 56% of those aged 55+ oppose and 39% support.

  • May, 2013

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    Climate change policies

    Q. If they win the election the Liberal Party plans to dump the carbon tax and replace it with what they call a “direct action” plan which involves planting trees and paying companies to reduce their carbon pollution. Which approach to climate change would you favour?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    The Government’s tax on the largest polluting companies to encourage them to reduce carbon pollution

    39%

    67%

    20%

    63%

    The Liberal’s policy to plant trees and pay companies to reduce carbon pollution

    29%

    9%

    49%

    15%

    Neither

    18%

    11%

    23%

    14%

    Don’t know

    14%

    13%

    8%

    8%

    39% favour the Government’s policy on addressing climate change and 29% favour the Liberal Party’s “direct action” plan. 18% do not support either approach.

    The Government’s approach had strongest support from Labor voters (67%), Greens voters (63%) and people aged under 35 (44%).

    The Liberal Party’s plan had strongest support from Liberal/National voters (49%) and people aged 65+ (45%).

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