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  • Jul, 2011

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    Financial Impact of Carbon Pricing Scheme

    Q. Do you think you will be financially better or worse off as a result of the carbon pricing scheme?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total better off 10% 22% 4% 19%
    Total worse off 69% 48% 85% 51%
    Much better off 2% 3% * 9%
    A little better off 8% 19% 4% 10%
    A little worse off 34% 40% 30% 37%
    Much worse off 35% 8% 55% 14%
    It will make no difference 11% 18% 6% 21%
    Don’t know 10% 12% 5% 9%

    10% think they will be better off and 69% worse off as a result of the carbon pricing scheme.

    By income levels, 77% of those earning $1,600+ per week think they will be worse off compared to 56% of those earning less than $600 pw.

    By age group, 43% of those aged 55+ think they will be much worse off compared to 26% of those aged under 35.

    For those who consider themselves very well or somewhat informed about the carbon pricing scheme, 16% think they will be better off and 68% worse off.

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  • Jul, 2011

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    Good or Bad for Australia

    Q. Overall, do you think the Government’s carbon pricing scheme will be good or bad for Australia’s future?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total good 34% 67% 11% 76%
    Total bad 46% 13% 73% 16%
    Very good 11% 26% 1% 31%
    Good 23% 41% 10% 45%
    Bad 20% 9% 29% 9%
    Very bad 26% 4% 44% 7%
    It will make no difference 8% 8% 10%
    Don’t know 12% 13% 7% 7%

    34% think the carbon pricing scheme will be good for Australia and 46% think it will be bad.

    By age, those aged under 35 split 42% good/36% bad, and those aged 55+ split 31% good/52% bad.

    For those who consider themselves very well or somewhat informed about the carbon pricing scheme, 42% think it will be good for Australia and 48% bad.

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  • Jul, 2011

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    Statements about Carbon Pricing Scheme

    Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Government’s carbon pricing scheme?

    Total agree Total disagree Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
    The Government has got the balance right in compensating households for a carbon price 31% 48% 6% 25% 23% 25% 22%
    A carbon price will lead to a big rise in the cost of living 68% 22% 32% 36% 18% 4% 11%
    The carbon price scheme won’t reduce our carbon emissions 51% 34% 25% 26% 24% 10% 15%
    There’s too much compensation for industry in the package 33% 32% 9% 24% 26% 6% 35%
    There’s not enough compensation for households in the carbon price scheme 49% 29% 20% 29% 25% 4% 22%
    Politicians should just get on with taking action on climate change 59% 27% 23% 36% 15% 12% 15%
    The cost of living increases are less than I expected 26% 52% 5% 21% 29% 23% 23%
    The cost of living increases are less than I expected 46% 33% 14% 32% 21% 11% 22%
    The government’s carbon pricing scheme won’t have much effect on me and my family 25% 57% 3% 22% 31% 26% 18%
    Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are more interested in votes than tackling climate change 54% 32% 31% 23% 17% 15% 14%

    These responses suggest that the main concern about the carbon pricing scheme is the cost of living increases. The statement with the highest level of agreement is that a carbon price will lead to a big rise in the cost of living (68% agree/22% disagree). Only 25% agree that the government’s carbon pricing scheme won’t have much effect on me and my family. And 26% agree that the cost of living increases are less than I expected.

    The only positive aspect of the scheme is that 46% agree that the cost of living increases are less than I expected.

    Regarding the opposition, 54% agree that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are more interested in votes than tackling climate change.

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  • Jul, 2011

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    Most Effective Policy

    Q. Which approach do you think would be most effective in reducing carbon emissions – the Government’s carbon pricing scheme or the Coalition’s proposal to pay companies to reduce emissions?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Government carbon pricing scheme 34% 72% 10% 64%
    Coalition’s proposal to pay companies 28% 5% 52% 6%
    Don’t know 37% 23% 38% 31%

    34% think that the Government’s carbon pricing scheme would be the most effective in reducing emissions and 28% think the Coalition’s proposal would be more effective.

    Strongest support for the Government’s scheme was shown by men (40%) and those aged under 35 (38%).

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  • Jul, 2011

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    Most Cost Effective Policy

    Q.Which approach do you think would be the most cost effective – the Government’s carbon pricing scheme or the Coalition’s proposal to pay companies to reduce emissions?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Government carbon pricing scheme 33% 69% 10% 60%
    Coalition’s proposal to pay companies 27% 3% 51% 6%
    Don’t know 40% 27% 39% 34%

    33% think that the Government’s carbon pricing scheme would be the most cost effective and 27% think the Coalition’s proposal would be more cost effective.

    Strongest support for the Government’s scheme was shown by men (38%) and those aged under 35 (38%).

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  • Jul, 2011

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    Support for Carbon Tax

    Q. Does the Government’s decision to exempt fuel from the carbon tax for households, trade and small business make you more or less likely to support a carbon tax or does it make no difference?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Men Women Age

    18-34

    Aged

    35-54

    Aged 55+
    Total more likely to support 30% 50% 20% 44% 30% 31% 41% 26% 24%
    Total less likely to support 11% 8% 11% 19% 14% 8% 12% 13% 10%
    A lot more likely to support 7% 18% 2% 12% 9% 6% 8% 7% 6%
    A little more likely to support 23% 32% 18% 32% 21% 25% 33% 19% 18%
    A little less likely to support 6% 8% 5% 13% 7% 4% 8% 7% 5%
    A lot less likely to support 5% * 8% 8% 7% 4% 4% 6% 5%
    Makes no difference 52% 36% 66% 29% 50% 53% 37% 55% 63%
    Don’t know 6% 6% 2% 5% 5% 7% 9% 6% 3%

    More than half the respondents (52%) said the Government’s decision to exempt fuel from the carbon tax for households, trade and small business makes no difference to their support for the carbon tax. 30% say it makes them more likely to support the tax and 11% less likely.

    Those more likely to support the tax were Labor voters (50%), Greens voters (44%) and people aged under 35 (41%).

    Those most likely to say it makes no difference were Coalition voters (66%) and people aged 55+ (63%).

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  • Jul, 2011

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    Support for Carbon Pricing

    Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s proposal to introduce a carbon pricing scheme from 1 July 2012, which will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?

    7 March 14 March 28 March 18 April 23 May 30 May 14 June 11 July Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total support 35% 38% 34% 39% 41% 38% 38% 35% 65% 15% 73%
    Total oppose 48% 49% 51% 49% 44% 48% 49% 53% 20% 79% 21%
    Strongly support 9% 12% 12% 13% 14% 14% 13% 11% 23% 3% 35%
    Support 26% 26% 22% 26% 27% 24% 25% 24% 42% 12% 38%
    Oppose 19% 17% 19% 15% 15% 19% 19% 19% 15% 23% 16%
    Strongly oppose 29% 32% 32% 34% 29% 29% 30% 34% 5% 56% 5%
    Don’t know 18% 13% 15% 12% 15% 15% 13% 12% 16% 7% 7%

    35% (down 3%) support the Government’s proposed carbon pricing scheme and 53% (up 4%) oppose. It is supported by 65% of Labor voters and 73% of Greens voters but opposed by 79% of coalition voters.

    By age, those aged under 35 split 40% support/43% oppose, and those aged 55+ split 33% support/59% oppose.

    • note that these result reflect opinions prior to the announcement of the details of carbon pricing.

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  • Jun, 2011

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    Credibility of Scientists

    Q. Do you agree or disagree that the current public campaign against action on climate change in Australia is undermining the credibility of scientists and science research in general?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total agree 32% 43% 26% 44%
    Total disagree 23% 14% 29% 31%
    Strongly agree 12% 15% 10% 22%
    Agree 20% 28% 16% 22%
    Neither agree nor disagree 30% 29% 33% 19%
    Disagree 15% 10% 18% 21%
    Strongly disagree 8% 4% 11% 10%
    Don’t know 15% 13% 12% 6%

    32% agree that the current public campaign against action on climate change in Australia is undermining the credibility of scientists and science research in general and 23% disagree. 45% either don’t know or neither agree nor disagree.

    Those most likely to agree were Labor voters (43%), Greens voters (44%) and those aged 18-34 (39%).

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