The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Mar, 2020

    Most Important Issues

    Q Which of the following issues are the most important for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months?

      Total Change (Oct’19) Oct’19
    Improve the health system 38% +6 32%
    Create jobs and reduce unemployment 31% -5 36%
    Protection of the environment 29% +2 27%
    Reduce utility bills 23% -4 27%
    Promote renewable energy 22% +3 19%
    Improve wages and working conditions 21% -3 24%
    Limit the amount of migration to Australia 20% +1 19%
    Increase housing affordability 19% 19%
    Crack-down on tax avoidance by big companies 17% +1 16%
    Maintain strong border protection 15% +3 12%
    Provide tax cuts 13% -2 15%
    Ensure the security of energy supply 11% -2 13%
    Combat domestic crime 11% +1 10%
    Provide more money for education 10% -1 11%
    Combat international crime and terrorism 7% -1 8%
    Increase the budget surplus 6% 6%
    Improve conditions for refugees and asylum seekers 5% -1 6%
    Base (n) 1,096 1,088
    • The top three most important issues for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months are improving the health system (38%), creating jobs and reducing unemployment (31%) and protecting the environment (29%).
    • Improving the health system (now 38%, was 32%) is ahead of creating jobs and reducing unemployment (now 31%, was 36%) compared to October ‘19.
    • Reducing utility bills is also less important now (23%) than it was in October ‘19 (27%).
  • Dec, 2014

    , , , ,

    Important issues

    Q. Which of the following issues are the most important for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months?

     

    Total

     

    Most import-ant

    2nd most import-ant

    3rd most import-ant

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote Other

    Improving our health system

    47%

    14%

    18%

    15%

    53%

    46%

    34%

    44%

    Reducing unemployment

    37%

    12%

    13%

    12%

    38%

    33%

    30%

    43%

    Reducing the budget deficit

    32%

    16%

    8%

    8%

    15%

    60%

    14%

    20%

    Tax avoidance by big companies

    27%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    29%

    27%

    30%

    31%

    Protecting workers wages and conditions

    24%

    8%

    7%

    9%

    34%

    16%

    10%

    30%

    National security and terrorism

    23%

    8%

    7%

    8%

    16%

    35%

    6%

    32%

    More funds for education

    23%

    6%

    8%

    9%

    26%

    14%

    30%

    26%

    Housing affordability

    22%

    7%

    8%

    7%

    27%

    15%

    15%

    27%

    Addressing climate change

    20%

    9%

    7%

    4%

    25%

    8%

    60%

    11%

    Investing in public transport

    14%

    3%

    5%

    6%

    14%

    11%

    17%

    12%

    Protecting the environment

    13%

    3%

    5%

    5%

    15%

    5%

    45%

    11%

    Investing in roads

    10%

    3%

    2%

    5%

    6%

    15%

    4%

    12%

    Free trade agreements

    6%

    1%

    3%

    2%

    2%

    12%

    5%

    3%

    The most important issues for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months were improving our health system (47%), reducing unemployment (37%), reducing the budget deficit (32%) and tax avoidance by big companies (27%).

    For Labor voters the most important issues were improving our health system (53%), reducing unemployment (38%) and protecting workers wages and conditions (34%). For Liberal/National voters the most important issues were reducing the budget deficit (60%), improving our health system (46%) and national security and terrorism (35%).

  • Jun, 2012

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    Importance of Craig Thomson Issue

    Q. In your opinion, how important is this issue concerning the behaviour of Craig Thomson?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Very important

    30%

    17%

    49%

    7%

    Quite important

    36%

    38%

    33%

    43%

    Not very important

    18%

    25%

    10%

    30%

    Not at all important

    7%

    11%

    2%

    11%

    Don’t know

    10%

    9%

    6%

    9%

    30% think the Craig Thomson issue is very important and 36% quite important – only 25% think it is not very or not at all important.

    Those most likely to think it is very important were aged 55+ (40%), Liberal/National voters (49%) and full-time workers (34%).

    58% of those who had read/heard a lot about it thought it was very important.

    Only 17% of union members thought it was very important.

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