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  • May, 2016

    , , ,

    Party trust to handle issues

    Q: Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues? 

      Liberal Labor Don’t know   Difference
    Security and the war on terrorism 42% 19% 39%   +23
    Management of the economy 42% 22% 36%   +20
    Controlling interest rates 34% 22% 44%   +12
    Political leadership 36% 25% 40%   +11
    Managing population growth 33% 22% 45%   +11
    Treatment of asylum seekers 33% 25% 41%   +8
    Ensuring a quality water supply 26% 26% 47%  
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 27% 35% 38%   -8
    Housing affordability 25% 35% 40%   -10
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 28% 39% 34%   -11
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 26% 37% 37%   -11
    Addressing climate change 22% 33% 45%   -11
    Protecting the environment 22% 34% 43%   -12
    A fair industrial relations system 27% 39% 34%   -12
    Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries 26% 39% 35%   -13

    The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war of terrorism (+23), management of the economy (+20) and controlling interest rates (+12).

    The Labor Party is trusted more to handle protecting jobs and local industries (+13), a fair industrial relations system (+12) and protecting the environment (+12).

  • Oct, 2015

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    Party Trust to Handle Issues

    Q: Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

      Liberal Labor Greens Don’t know   Difference   Difference

    Sep 2015

    Management of the economy 41% 23% 4% 32% +18 +16
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 28% 35% 7% 30% -7 -4
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 28% 33% 8% 30% -5 -2
    Protecting the environment 18% 16% 39% 26% -21 -20
    A fair industrial relations system 27% 38% 5% 30% -11 -8
    Political leadership 38% 20% 7% 36% +18 +9
    Addressing climate change 19% 23% 31% 27% -12 -12
    Controlling interest rates 36% 22% 4% 37% +14 +16
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 28% 35% 6% 31% -7 -5
    Ensuring a quality water supply 25% 20% 24% 31% +5 +7
    Housing affordability 24% 31% 7% 38% -7
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 31% 31% 6% 32% +4
    Security and the war on terrorism 41% 19% 5% 36% +22 +20
    Treatment of asylum seekers 28% 21% 17% 34% +7 +12
    Managing population growth 32% 19% 9% 40% +13 +11

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Labor % from Liberal % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Liberal minus Greens.

    The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war on terrorism (+22), management of the economy (+18), political leadership (+18) and controlling interest rates (+14). The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a fair industrial relations system (-11) and Australian jobs, protection of local industries (-7), ensuring a quality education (-7) and housing affordability (-7).

    Main changes since this question was asked last month have been an improvement for the Liberal Party on political leadership (up net 9 points), and improvement for the Labor Party on housing affordability (up 7) and treatment of asylum seekers (up 5).

  • Sep, 2015

    Party Trust to Handle Issues

    Q. Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

    Liberal

    Labor

    Greens

    Don’t know

    Difference

    Difference Feb 2015

    Management of the economy

    40%

    24%

    5%

    31%

    +16

    +17

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    29%

    33%

    8%

    31%

    -4

    -10

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    29%

    31%

    8%

    31%

    -2

    -10

    Protecting the environment

    20%

    15%

    40%

    25%

    -20

    -25

    A fair industrial relations system

    27%

    35%

    7%

    31%

    -8

    -10

    Political leadership

    32%

    23%

    8%

    36%

    +9

    +7

    Addressing climate change

    21%

    19%

    33%

    27%

    -12

    -17

    Controlling interest rates

    37%

    21%

    5%

    37%

    +16

    +13

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    29%

    34%

    6%

    31%

    -5

    -9

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    27%

    20%

    21%

    32%

    +7

    +6

    Housing affordability

    27%

    27%

    7%

    38%

    -6

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    32%

    28%

    7%

    33%

    +4

    -2

    Security and the war on terrorism

    40%

    20%

    5%

    34%

    +20

    +19

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    31%

    19%

    19%

    31%

    +12

    +13

    Managing population growth

    31%

    20%

    8%

    41%

    +11

    +12

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Labor % from Liberal % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Liberal minus Greens.

    The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war on terrorism (+20), management of the economy (+16), controlling interest rates (+16) and treatment of asylum seekers (+12). The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a fair industrial relations system (-8) and Australian jobs and protection of local industries (-5).

    Main changes since this question was asked in February have been an improvement for the Liberal Party on the health system (up net 8 points), education (up 6), housing affordability (up 6) and taxation (up 6).

  • Feb, 2014

    , , , , ,

    Party trust to handle issues

    Q.  Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    Greens

    Don’t know

     

    Difference 11 Feb 14

    Difference 19 Nov 13

    Management of the economy

    27%

    46%

    2%

    25%

    -19

    -26

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    39%

    32%

    5%

    25%

    +7

    +2

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    35%

    33%

    6%

    26%

    +2

    -1

    Protecting the environment

    17%

    22%

    37%

    23%

    +15

    +14

    A fair industrial relations system

    37%

    32%

    3%

    28%

    +5

    +2

    Political leadership

    26%

    39%

    4%

    31%

    -13

    -23

    Addressing climate change

    20%

    25%

    28%

    27%

    +3

    +5

    Controlling interest rates

    25%

    42%

    3%

    30%

    -17

    -21

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    34%

    32%

    4%

    30%

    +2

    -7

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    20%

    30%

    21%

    29%

    -10

    -13

    Housing affordability

    28%

    30%

    5%

    37%

    -2

    -6

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    29%

    35%

    4%

    32%

    -6

    -11

    Security and the war on terrorism

    23%

    39%

    3%

    35%

    -16

    -22

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    20%

    36%

    15%

    29%

    -16

    -18

    Managing population growth

    21%

    32%

    8%

    38%

    -11

    -19

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Liberal % from Labor % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Greens minus Liberal.

    The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle management of the economy (-19), controlling interest rates (-17), security and the war on terrorism (-16) and treatment of asylum seekers (-16). The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a quality education for all children (+7) and a fair industrial relations system (+5).

    Since this question was asked in November, the Labor Party has improved its position on all issues – especially political leadership (up 10%), Australian jobs and protection of local industries (up 9%), managing population growth (up 8%) and managing the economy (up 7%).

  • Dec, 2013

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    Party trust to handle education

    Q.  Which party would you trust most to ensure a quality education for all children?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other/

    indep-endent

    Labor

    36%

    84%

    5%

    24%

    28%

    Liberal

    33%

    2%

    72%

    3%

    25%

    Greens

    7%

    3%

    1%

    61%

    6%

    Don’t know

    23%

    11%

    23%

    12%

    41%

    36% trust the Labor Party most to ensure a quality education for all children and 33% trust the Liberal Party most. When this issue was last measured in November, 34% favoured the Labor Party and 32% the Liberal Party.

    Those more likely to trust the Labor Party most were aged 35-54 (42%) and people on low incomes (44% of those earning less than $600 pw).

    Those more likely to trust the Liberal Party most were aged 55+ (44%) and people earning more than $1,000 pw (38%).

  • Oct, 2013

    , , ,

    Party trusted to handle another GFC

    Q. The shutdown of the US Government has sparked fears of another global recession.

    If there was another Global Financial Crisis, which party would you trust most to deal with it?

     

    %

     

    Lib/Nat voters

    Labor voters

    Green voters

     

    15 Aug 2011

    7 May 2012

    29 Jan 2103

    The Liberal Party

    38%

    78%

    6%

    5%

    40%

    42%

    40%

    The Labor Party

    29%

    4%

    68%

    39%

    31%

    25%

    26%

    No Difference

    23%

    13%

    16%

    47%

    20%

    23%

    22%

    Don’t know

    10%

    5%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    10%

    11%

    If there was another GFC, 38% of people would trust the Liberal Party most to deal with it. 29% trusted Labor while 23% said there was no difference.

    Trust generally followed party lines, with 78% of Lib/Nat voters selecting the Liberals and 68% of Labor voters selecting Labor. 47% of Green voters selected ‘no difference’.

    The overall figures are generally in line with those from 2011, 2012 and early in 2013.

  • Sep, 2013

    , , , , , , , , ,

    Party trust to handle issues

    Q.  Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    Greens

    Don’t know

     

    Difference 2 Sep 13

    Difference 23 Jul 13

    Management of the economy

    32%

    47%

    4%

    18%

    -15

    -15

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    42%

    32%

    8%

    19%

    +10

    +9

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    37%

    34%

    8%

    21%

    +3

    +1

    Protecting the environment

    19%

    21%

    43%

    17%

    +22

    +18

    A fair industrial relations system

    41%

    31%

    7%

    21%

    +10

    +11

    Political leadership

    31%

    40%

    6%

    23%

    -9

    -7

    Addressing climate change

    24%

    23%

    32%

    21%

    +9

    +7

    Controlling interest rates

    29%

    41%

    4%

    26%

    -12

    -14

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    38%

    36%

    5%

    21%

    -2

    -1

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    22%

    30%

    22%

    26%

    -8

    -7

    Housing affordability

    30%

    32%

    7%

    31%

    -2

    -2

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    32%

    37%

    6%

    26%

    -5

    -2

    Security and the war on terrorism

    27%

    38%

    5%

    30%

    -11

    -15

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    23%

    36%

    16%

    26%

    -13

    -11

    Managing population growth

    24%

    33%

    9%

    34%

    -9

    -13

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Liberal % from Labor % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Greens minus Liberal.

    The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a quality education for all children (+10) and a fair industrial relations system (+10).

    The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle management of the economy (-15), treatment of asylum seekers (-13), controlling interest rates (-12) and security and the war on terrorism (-11).

    There have been no major changes since this question was last asked in July.

  • Jul, 2013

    , , , , , ,

    Party trust to handle issues

    Q.  Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    Greens

    Don’t know

     

    Difference 23 Jul 13

    Difference 17 Jun 13

    Management of the economy

    29%

    44%

    3%

    25%

    -15

    -18

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    40%

    31%

    4%

    25%

    +9

    +1

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    34%

    33%

    7%

    27%

    +1

    -5

    Protecting the environment

    19%

    21%

    39%

    21%

    +18

    +10

    A fair industrial relations system

    41%

    30%

    4%

    24%

    +11

    +3

    Political leadership

    28%

    35%

    5%

    31%

    -7

    -19

    Addressing climate change

    20%

    23%

    30%

    27%

    +7

    Controlling interest rates

    26%

    40%

    2%

    32%

    -14

    -17

    Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    34%

    35%

    4%

    26%

    -1

    -7

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    19%

    26%

    22%

    32%

    -7

    -14

    Housing affordability

    26%

    28%

    6%

    39%

    -2

    -12

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    31%

    33%

    5%

    31%

    -2

    -11

    Security and the war on terrorism

    23%

    38%

    4%

    36%

    -15

    -18

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    22%

    33%

    13%

    31%

    -11

    -22

    Managing population growth

    20%

    33%

    8%

    39%

    -13

    -19

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Liberal % from Labor % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Greens minus Liberal.

    On most issues, the Labor Party has gained ground on the Liberals since last month just before Kevin Rudd took over the leadership. However, the Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, security and the war on terrorism, treatment of asylum seekers and managing population growth.

    Labor has now established a significant lead on a fair industrial relations system and ensuring quality education. The largest shifts to Labor were for quality education (+8), industrial relations (+8), political leadership (+12), housing affordability (+10) and treatment of asylum seekers (+11).

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