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  • Mar, 2012

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    Approval of Bob Carr

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of former NSW Premier Bob Carr going into the Senate and taking up the position of Foreign Minister?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total approve

    37%

    60%

    23%

    39%

    Total disapprove

    36%

    15%

    54%

    17%

    Strongly approve

    7%

    17%

    2%

    7%

    Approve

    30%

    43%

    21%

    32%

    Disapprove

    19%

    10%

    27%

    11%

    Strongly disapprove

    17%

    5%

    27%

    6%

    Don’t know

    27%

    25%

    22%

    45%

    Opinions of the former NSW Premier Bob Carr going into the Senate and taking up the position of Foreign Minister were split – 37% approved and 36% disapproved.

    60% of Labor voters approved and 54% of Liberal/National voters disapproved.

    Respondents from New South Wales were a little more positive – 43% approve and 37% disapprove.

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  • Sep, 2011

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    Composition of Parliament

    Q. Thinking about the Federal Government, which of the following scenarios would you prefer –

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Green
    One of the major parties having a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate 36% 36% 49% 7%
    One of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the other having a majority in the Senate 21% 16% 27% 10%
    One of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the Greens having the balance of power in the Senate 16% 22% 4% 63%
    Don’t know 28% 26% 21% 19%

    Most respondents think that ‘one of the major parties having a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate’ is preferable (36%).  Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to prefer this scenario (49%) and Greens voters the least likely to do so (7%).  Male respondents were also more likely to prefer this scenario (40%) than female respondents (32%).

    Respondents then selected ‘one of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the other having a majority in the Senate’ as their next preferred scenario (21%).  Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to regard this scenario as preferable (27%).

    The least favoured option amongst respondents is ‘one of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the Greens having the balance of power in the Senate’, with 16% selecting this option.  Greens voters are the most likely to regard this option as the most preferable (63%).

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  • Sep, 2011

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    Lib/Nat majority in the Senate

    Q. If the Liberal and National Parties win the next election, do you think it would be good or bad if they also won a majority in the Senate?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total Good 38% 10% 73% 6%
    Total Bad 31% 63% 3% 72%
    Very good 17% 3% 35% 0%
    Good 21% 7% 38% 6%
    Neither good nor bad 18% 18% 16% 15%
    Bad 12% 23% 3% 18%
    Very bad 19% 40% 0% 54%
    Don’t know 13% 8% 8% 7%

    Most respondents think that having the Liberal and National Parties holding a majority in the Senate is a good outcome (38%), than those that think it is a bad outcome (31%).

    Greens voters are the most likely to regard the outcome as bad (72%), followed by Labor voters (63%).

    Male respondents are more likely to regard this outcome as good (45% total good) compared to female respondents (33% total good).

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  • Jun, 2011

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    Balance of Power in the Senate

    Q. From July, the Greens will hold the balance of power in the Senate. Do you think this will be good or bad for Australia? (This question was commissioned by Network Ten).

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

    18-34

    Aged

    35-54

    Aged 55+
    Total good 33% 44% 13% 95% 32% 36% 44% 34% 22%
    Total bad 45% 29% 73% 1% 52% 39% 29% 45% 65%
    Very good 10% 11% 2% 56% 9% 12% 12% 11% 7%
    Good 23% 33% 11% 39% 23% 24% 32% 23% 15%
    Bad 17% 21% 19% 1% 18% 16% 14% 19% 17%
    Very bad 28% 8% 54% 34% 23% 15% 26% 48%
    Make no difference 11% 15% 8% 2% 9% 12% 13% 10% 9%
    Don’t know 11% 11% 5% 1% 8% 14% 15% 11% 5%

    33% think that the Greens holding the balancer of power in the Senate will be good for Australia and 45% think it will be bad – 11% think it will make no difference. Labor voters are more likely to think it will be good (44% good to 29% bad) while Liberal/National voters overwhelmingly think it will be bad (73%).

    Women (36% good/39% bad) were somewhat more positive than men (32% good/52% bad) while younger respondents were much more likely to think it would be good than older respondents.

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  • Aug, 2010

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    The Senate

    Q. Regardless of which party is elected to Government (i.e. has a majority in the House of Representatives), which of the following Senate options do you think would be best for Australia?

      Total Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
    The Government has a majority in the Senate 29% 41% 33% 5%
    The Opposition party has a majority in the Senate 10% 3% 21% 2%
    The Greens and the independents (like Xenophon and Fielding) together hold the balance of power in the Senate 27% 25% 27% 35%
    The Greens hold the balance of power in the Senate 12% 14% 3% 50%
    Don’t know 22% 18% 16% 7%

     Opinions about the balance of power in the Senate are mixed. 29% prefer the Government to have a majority and 27% prefer the Greens and independents combined to hold the balance of power. Only 12% want the Greens on their own to hold the balance of power and 10% would prefer the opposition to have a majority. Overall, 39% want one of the major parties to have a majority and 39% want minor parties to hold the balance of power.

     85% of Greens voters want the Greens or Greens and independents to hold the balance of power compared to 39% of Labor voters and 30% of Liberal/National voters. Comments »

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