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  • Feb, 2011

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    Flood Response – Parties

    Q. Who do you think has the best approach to funding the damage from the recent floods across Australia?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Julia Gillard and the Labor Party 36% 79% 4% 55%
    Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party 28% 3% 60% 8%
    Don’t know 36% 19% 36% 37%

    Q. Who would you trust most to manage the program of rebuilding infrastructure after the recent floods across Australia?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Julia Gillard and the Labor Party 36% 78% 3% 63%
    Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party 35% 5% 75% 6%
    Don’t know 29% 17% 22% 31%

    Overall, respondents tend to favour the approach of Julia Gillard in funding the flood damage – 36% prefer the Labor Party approach, 28% the Liberal party and 36% don’t know.

    However, in terms of managing the rebuilding of infrastructure, 36% favour Julia Gillard and the Labor Party and 35% favour Tony Abbott and the Liberal party.

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  • Feb, 2011

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    Floods and Climate Change

    Q. Do you think the recent floods across Australia were linked to climate change or were they just a natural occurrence?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Linked to climate change 31% 42% 18% 68%
    Just a natural occurrence 59% 49% 76% 28%
    Don’t know 10% 9% 6% 4%

    31% believed that the recent floods were linked to climate change and 59% think they were just a natural occurrence.

    Those most likely to think they were a natural occurrence were aged 55+ (72%) and residents of Queensland (69%). Among those aged 18-34, 43% thought the floods were linked to climate change and 44% thought they were a natural occurrence.

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  • Feb, 2011

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    Ask not what you can do for your country

    First published on The Drum: 01/02/2011

    The nation opened their hearts to Queensland as floods threatened communities and cities over summer, but now they are being asked to open their wallets it appears to be a very different story.

    After more than two decades of being conditioned to expect prosperity without sacrifice, Australians seem in no mood to kick the can when it comes to rebuilding Queensland’s infrastructure.

    In the first public polling of attitudes towards the proposed floods levy, Essential Research has found majority opposition to the modest impost proposed by the Prime Minister.

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the Government introducing a one-off levy on taxpayers to pay for damage caused by the recent floods?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Qld NSW Vic Other states
    Total approve 39% 63% 23% 48% 46% 35% 37% 43%
    Total disapprove 53% 31% 73% 41% 46% 57% 56% 51%
    Strongly approve 12% 24% 3% 19% 11% 10% 12% 14%
    Approve 27% 39% 20% 29% 35% 25% 25% 27%
    Disapprove 24% 20% 28% 21% 21% 25% 27% 22%
    Strongly disapprove 29% 11% 45% 20% 25% 32% 29% 29%
    Don’t know 8% 6% 5% 10% 9% 8% 6% 9%

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  • Jan, 2011

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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

    First preference/leaning to Election

    21 Aug 10

    2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Liberal 43% 42% 42%
    National 3% 3% 3%
    Total Lib/Nat 43.6 46% 45% 45%
    Labor 38.0 38% 37% 37%
    Greens 11.8 10% 11% 11%
    Other/Independent 6.6 6% 7% 7%
    2PP Election

    21 Aug 10

    2 weeks ago Last week This week
    Total Lib/Nat 49.9% 52% 51% 51%
    Labor 50.1% 48% 49% 49%

    NB.  The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived 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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  • Jan, 2011

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    Flood Levy

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the Government introducing a one-off levy on taxpayers to pay for damage caused by the recent floods? (Question commissioned by Network Ten)

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Queensland NSW Victoria Other states
    Total approve 39% 63% 23% 48% 46% 35% 37% 43%
    Total disapprove 53% 31% 73% 41% 46% 57% 56% 51%
    Strongly approve 12% 24% 3% 19% 11% 10% 12% 14%
    Approve 27% 39% 20% 29% 35% 25% 25% 27%
    Disapprove 24% 20% 28% 21% 21% 25% 27% 22%
    Strongly disapprove 29% 11% 45% 20% 25% 32% 29% 29%
    Don’t know 8% 6% 5% 10% 9% 8% 6% 9%

    39% approved of the Government introducing a one-off levy on taxpayers to pay for damage caused by the recent floods and 53% disapproved.

    63% of Labor voters approved but Liberal/National voters strongly disapproved (73%).

    Queensland residents were more likely to approve than residents of other states.

    By income, those earning under $52,000 per year disapproved 47% to 44% approved and those earning over $52,000 disapproved 57% to 38% approved.

    Question commissioned by Ten network.

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  • Jan, 2011

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    Government vs Private Sector

    Q. Which of the following are better run by the private sector and which are better run by Government?

    Better run by private sector Better run by Government Don’t know
    Electricity 22% 61% 17%
    Water 15% 70% 16%
    Trains, buses and ferries 19% 68% 13%
    Motorways 17% 70% 13%
    Community services such as child protection 14% 71% 15%
    Broadband services 53% 29% 19%
    Health insurance services 48% 37% 15%
    Property insurance 55% 27% 19%
    Prisons 10% 76% 15%
    Universities 20% 64% 16%

    A substantial majority believed that the Government is better at running prisons (76%), community services (71%), water (70%) and motorways (70%). However, they are more likely to think that the private sector is better at running property insurance (55%), broadband services (53%) and health insurance (48%).

    Although Liberal/National voters were a little more likely to favour the private sector on most issues, they also supported the Government running most services except for broadband services (63% private/24% Government), health insurance (59%/32%) and property insurance (65%/23%). Labor voters favoured the private sector to run broadband (44%/38%) and property insurance (50%/31%) but were split on health insurance (41% private/43% Government).

    Support for Government run services was a little higher in NSW than in Victoria – e.g. electricity (64% NSW/59% Vic), water (73%/65%).

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  • Jan, 2011

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    Funding Flood Damage

    Q. Which of the following do you think is the best way for the Government to pay for the damage caused by the recent floods?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Introduce a one-off levy 22% 42% 9% 22%
    Sell off Medibank Private 2% 1% 4% 2%
    Scrap or postpone the NBN (National Broadband Network) 28% 11% 48% 10%
    Postpone returning the budget to surplus 24% 26% 23% 27%
    Raise taxes on mining company profits 10% 10% 6% 23%
    None of them 7% 5% 7% 9%
    Don’t know 7% 5% 3% 7%

    Overall, there was no clearly preferred means of funding the flood damage. The most supported ways to fund flood damage were to scrap or postpone the NBN (28%), postpone returning the budget to surplus (24%) and introducing a one-off levy (22%). Only 2% favoured selling Medibank Private. Labor voters favoured the levy (42%) and Liberal/National voters favoured scrapping or postponing the NBN (48%).

    Greens voters were split between postponing the return to surplus (27%), a tax on mining company profits (23%) and introducing a levy (22%).

    Scrapping or postponing the NBN was strongly favoured by those aged 55+ (40%).

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  • Jan, 2011

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    Spending Funds for Flood Damage

    Q. If the Government introduces a levy to pay for flood damage, which of the following should the Government spend those funds on?

    Yes No Don’t know Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Replace and repair infrastructure – e.g. roads, rail, power, telecommunications 92% 3% 5% 92% 95% 95%
    Replace and repair public buildings – e.g. schools, hospitals 92% 3% 5% 93% 93% 95%
    Compensate individuals who were not insured for flood damage 35% 42% 22% 37% 35% 34%
    Compensate businesses for lost income 36% 43% 20% 40% 36% 33%
    Compensate farmers for lost income 58% 26% 16% 61% 58% 54%
    Compensate workers for lost wages 43% 37% 20% 50% 41% 36%
    Compensation for all people affected – regardless of whether or not they have insurance cover 30% 51% 19% 32% 31% 23%

    Respondents overwhelmingly supported using Government funding for rebuilding infrastructure and public buildings (92%).

    A majority (58%) also supported compensating farmers for lost income. However, they were more likely to oppose compensating businesses or those who were not insured for flood damage. Only 30% supported Government funding for anyone affected.

    There were relatively small differences between voter groups – except for compensating workers for lost wages which 50% of Labor voters supported compared to 41% of Lib/Nat voters and 36% of Greens voters.

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