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  • Sep, 2011

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    Australia Safer Place Post 9/11

    Q. Do you think Australia is a safer or less safe place than it was 10 years ago?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total safer 19% 28% 18% 12%
    Total less safe 36% 28% 40% 28%
    A lot safer 5% 9% 5% 3%
    A little safer 14% 19% 13% 9%
    About the same 42% 43% 40% 59%
    A little less safe 26% 21% 30% 24%
    A lot less safe 10% 7% 10% 4%
    Don’t know 3% 2% 3% 2%

    More respondents think that Australia is now less safe than it was 10 years ago (36% total less safe), compared to those that think it is safer (19% total safe).  Most respondents think it is about the same (42%).

    Those aged 25-34 years old are more likely to regard Australia as a lot safer (10%) than the general sample (5%).  Those aged 65+ are significantly more likely to regard Australia as less safe, with 57% of these respondents stating that they felt it was total less safe overall, compared with 36% of the general sample.

    Labor voters are the most likely to regard Australia as a safer place than it was 10 years ago (28% total safer) and Greens voters are the least likely to do so (12% total safer).

    Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to regard Australia as less safe than 10 years ago (40%), compared with 28% of Labor and 28% of Greens voters.

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  • May, 2011

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    Osama bin Laden

    Q. Do you think the death of Osama bin Laden will make the world a safer or less safe place or will it make no difference?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
    Make the world safer 12% 16% 12% 8%
    Make the world less safe 19% 17% 20% 28%
    Make no difference 63% 60% 65% 59%
    Don’t know 6% 7% 2% 5%

    The majority (63%) of respondents think that the death of Osama bin Laden will make no difference to making the world safer or less safe. 12% think it will make the world safer and 19% think it will make the world less safe.

    28% of Greens voters and 23% of those aged 55+ think it will make the world less safe.

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  • May, 2011

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    Osama bin Laden

    Q. Do you think the death of Osama bin Laden will result in less terrorism or more terrorism or will it make no difference?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
    Result in more terrorism 37% 32% 40% 40%
    Result in less terrorism 7% 8% 7% 9%
    Make no difference 48% 51% 48% 45%
    Don’t know 8% 9% 5% 6%

    About half (48%) think that the death of Osama bin Laden will make no difference to terrorism. However, 37% think it will result in more terrorism and only 7% think it will result in less terrorism. Views are broadly similar across demographic groups.

    Greens and Liberal/National voters (40%) are a little more likely to think it will result in more terrorism than Labor voters (32%).

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  • Jan, 2011

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    Important election issues

    Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)

    One Two Three Total Total 11th Oct 10 Total 25th Jan 10
    Management of the economy 37% 18% 10% 65% 62% 63%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 5% 10% 11% 26% 32% 23%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 13% 20% 16% 49% 48% 48%
    Protecting the environment 4% 3% 6% 13% 12% 16%
    A fair industrial relations system 2% 4% 4% 10% 11% *
    Political leadership 6% 5% 5% 16% 16% 23%
    Addressing climate change 3% 3% 4% 10% 11% 16%
    Controlling interest rates 5% 8% 8% 21% 17% 15%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 10% 8% 12% 30% 30% 33%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 1% 2% 3% 6% 6% 12%
    Housing affordability 5% 5% 6% 16% 17% 14%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 4% 6% 8% 18% 16% 14%
    Security and the war on terrorism 1% 2% 2% 5% 6% 9%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 1% 2% 2% 5% 5% *
    Managing population growth 2% 5% 4% 11% 10% *

    *Not asked

    65% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 49% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 30% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.

    Only 10% rate addressing climate change as one of their three most important issues and 6% rate ensuring a quality water supply.

    Over the past 12 months there has been an increase in the importance of controlling interest rates (from 15% to 21%) and a decrease in the importance of addressing climate change (from 16% to 10%).

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  • Jan, 2011

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    Important election issues

    Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)

    Total Labor Liberal/ National Green
    Management of the economy 65% 63% 77% 47%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 26% 33% 20% 24%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 49% 52% 47% 37%
    Protecting the environment 13% 12% 6% 42%
    A fair industrial relations system 10% 18% 5% 8%
    Political leadership 16% 11% 25% 14%
    Addressing climate change 10% 10% 5% 22%
    Controlling interest rates 21% 17% 22% 19%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 30% 33% 32% 18%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 6% 4% 6% 5%
    Housing affordability 16% 15% 13% 21%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 18% 17% 19% 14%
    Security and the war on terrorism 5% 5% 8% 5%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 5% 3% 5% 15%
    Managing population growth 11% 8% 12% 9%

    Compared to the average, Labor voters are more likely to rate ensuring a quality education for all children (33%) and a fair industrial relations system (18%) as important.

    Liberal/National voters attach more importance to management of the economy (77%) and political leadership (25%) while Greens voters are more likely to nominate protecting the environment (42%), addressing climate change (22%) and treatment of asylum seekers (15%).

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  • Jan, 2011

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    Party best handling important election issues

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

    Labor Liberal Greens Don’t know
    Management of the economy 33% 43% 2% 22%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 39% 33% 4% 24%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system 33% 33% 7% 27%
    Protecting the environment 16% 19% 40% 24%
    A fair industrial relations system 40% 30% 5% 25%
    Political leadership 28% 37% 4% 31%
    Addressing climate change 18% 20% 34% 28%
    Controlling interest rates 22% 40% 2% 35%
    Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries 36% 33% 4% 27%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 21% 28% 20% 31%
    Housing affordability 26% 30% 7% 37%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 28% 35% 4% 32%
    Security and the war on terrorism 23% 37% 4% 36%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 20% 33% 12% 35%
    Standing up for regular Australian working families 41% 27% 6% 25%
    Managing population growth 21% 36% 7% 37%
    Making sure Australian working people got fair treatment at their workplace 41% 29% 6% 25%

    Labor is trusted most to handle a fair industrial relations system (40%), ensuring a quality education for all children (39%) and standing up for regular Australian working families (41%).

    The Liberals are trusted most to handle management of the economy (43%), controlling interest rates (40%), political leadership (37%) and security and the war on terrorism (37%).

    In October, Labor was considered substantially better to handle 5 of the issues surveyed and Liberals 5 issues – compared to this survey where Labor leads on 4 issues and Liberals on 8 issues. The Liberals have now established a lead on political leadership (+9%), water supply (+7%), and taxation (+7%).

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  • Jul, 2010

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    Party best at Handling Issues

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

      Labor Liberal Greens Don’t know
    A fair industrial relations system 45% 24% 5% 26%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 41% 25% 4% 29%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 42% 28% 3% 27%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system  38% 27% 4% 31%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 36% 28% 4% 32%
    Housing affordability 30% 24% 4% 41%
    Political leadership 33% 30% 5% 33%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 23% 23% 22% 32%
    Managing population growth 24% 27% 9% 40%
    Security and the war on terrorism 25% 30% 3% 42%
    Management of the economy 32% 38% 3% 27%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 23% 29% 11% 37%
    Controlling interest rates 28% 35% 2% 35%
    Addressing climate change 18% 16% 36% 29%
    Protecting the environment 17% 13% 47% 23%

     Labor have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party as the best party to handle a fair industrial relations system (+21%), quality education for all (+16%), Australian jobs and protection of industries (+14%) and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (+11%).

     The Liberal Party’s main strengths were controlling interest rates (+7%), treatment of asylum seekers (+6%) and management of the economy  (+6%).

    The Greens were thought to be the best party for protecting the environment (47%) and addressing climate change (36%). Comments »

  • May, 2010

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    Important Election Issues

    Q8. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)

      One Two Three Total Total

    25 Jan 10

    Difference
    Management of the economy 34% 18% 10% 62% 63% -1%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system  14% 20% 16% 50% 48% +2%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 8% 10% 11% 29% 33% -4%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 5% 8% 9% 22% 18% +4%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 3% 7% 9% 19% 23% -4%
    Housing affordability 6% 5% 6% 17% 14% +3%
    Controlling interest rates 5% 5% 6% 16% 15% +1%
    Managing population growth 3% 4% 7% 14% *  
    Protecting the environment 3% 5% 5% 13% 16% -3%
    Political leadership 5% 3% 4% 12% 23% -11%
    Addressing climate change 4% 4% 4% 12% 16% -4%
    Fair immigration policies 3% 4% 3% 10% *  
    A fair industrial relations system 2% 4% 3% 9% 10% -1%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 2% 2% 3% 7% 12% -5%
    Security and the war on terrorism 2% 2% 3% 7% 9% -2%

    *Not asked in January 2010 poll

     62% of people surveyed rate management of the economy is one of their three most important issues, followed by 50% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 29% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.

     Only 9% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues and 7% rate security and the war on terrorism and ensuring a quality water supply. 

     The major change since the previous survey in January, was a drop in the importance of political leadership from 23% to 12%. Ensuring a fairer tax system has risen slightly from 18% to 22%. Comments »

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