Angus Reid Public Opinion - Australia

Australians Split on Immigration and Policies on Asylum-Seekers

Mario Canseco — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:33:31 +0000

Australian adults are divided when assessing the effect that immigration is having in their country, a new poll conducted by Vision Critical Opinions Australia in partnership with Nine Rewards and Angus Reid Public Opinion has found.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 1,505 Australian adults, 45 per cent of respondents believe immigration is having a negative effect in Australia, while 35 per cent think it is having a positive effect.

Just under one-in-five Australians (18%) believe the number of legal immigrants who are allowed to relocate in Australia should increase, while 35 per cent want the level to remain the same, and 40 per cent believe the country should take in fewer legal immigrants.

The Government has proposed a policy, whereby asylum-seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat are sent to Malaysia in exchange for Australia taking in some of Malaysia’s refugees. The policy seeks to prevent people-smugglers from being able to promise asylum-seekers relocation to Australia. Australians are evenly divided when assessing this idea, with 44 per cent saying they agree with it, and 44 per cent voicing disagreement.

The Government’s plan to increase its aid and assistance to Indonesia as part of an effort to curb asylum-seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat is also polarising, with 45 per cent showing some support for this plan, and 45 per cent opposing it. Younger Australians, aged 18-to-34, are more likely to endorse the plan to increase aid and assistance to Indonesia (51%). The majority of those over the age of 55 (57%) oppose the proposal.

Compared to the views outlined by respondents to Angus Reid Public Opinion polls conducted recently, Australians are slightly more likely than Canadians to say that immigration is having a negative effect in their country—and well below the majority of respondents in the United States and Britain who believe this to be the case.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Peter Harris, Managing Director, Vision Critical AUS/NZ
+02 9256 2001
peter.harris@visioncritical.com

Methodology: From July 6 to July 8, 2012, Vision Critical Australia conducted an online survey among 1,505 randomly selected Australian adults who are Nine Rewards panellists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.5%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Australia. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Economic Optimism Higher in Australia and Canada, Compared to Britain and U.S.

Mario Canseco — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:28:02 +0000

People in Australia and Canada are more likely to hold positive feelings about their respective economies than Americans and Britons, a new poll conducted by Vision Critical Opinions Australia in partnership with Nine Rewards and Angus Reid Public Opinion has found.

In the online survey of representative national samples in four countries, a majority of respondents in Australia (57%) and Canada (58%) rate the economic conditions in their country as “very good” or “good.” Only 21 per cent of Americans and 12 per cent of Britons feel the same way about their own domestic economies.

While the proportion of Australians and Canadians who claim the economic conditions in their respective countries are “very bad” is in single digits (6% on both), it reaches 28 per cent in Britain and 29 per cent in the United States.

Two thirds of Australians (69%) and Canadians (67%) say they are “very optimistic” or “moderately optimistic” about the future—a view shared by 52 per cent of Americans and 43 per cent of Britons.

Respondents in the four countries were asked what they would do if they were given 1,000 dollars or pounds today. On average, Australians would devote more than two thirds of the money to pay down debt ($301), save in a bank account ($236) and spend on a holiday ($155).

Canadians are more likely to pay down debt and save than respondents from other countries, while Britons would allocate more money to spend on a holiday and cover daily expenses.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Peter Harris, Managing Director, Vision Critical AUS/NZ
+02 9256 2001
peter.harris@visioncritical.com

Full Methodology Details:

Vision Critical Australia and Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among:

- 1,505 Australian adults who are Nine Rewards panelists, from 6 July to July 8, 2012.
- 2,033 British adults who are Springboard UK panelists, from June 12 to June 13, 2012.
- 1,003 Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, from July 4 to July 5, 2012.
- 1,005 American adults who are Springboard America panelists, from July 6 to July 8, 2012.

The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1% for Canada and the United States, +/-2.5% for Australia, and +/-2.2% for Great Britain. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of each country.

Most Australians Expect Negative Financial Impact from Carbon Tax

Mario Canseco — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:05:01 +0000

The carbon tax that came into effect this month in Australia has been greeted with scepticism, a new poll conducted by Vision Critical Opinions Australia in partnership with Nine Rewards and Angus Reid Public Opinion has found.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 1,505 Australian adults, seven-in-ten respondents (70%) think the carbon tax will have a negative financial impact on their families, while only ten per cent foresee a positive impact.

In addition, only nine per cent of Australians believe they will see significant long-term benefits for the environment as a result of the carbon tax, with almost half (47%) think some benefits will materialise, and 44 per cent say no benefits will emerge.

Under the carbon tax, about 300 of Australia’s largest polluters will pay $23 for every tonne of carbon dioxide they emit. In 2015, an emissions trading scheme with regular auctioning of pollution permits will come into force.

Only 17 per cent of Australians say they have a high level of understanding of how the carbon tax works, while 52 per cent claim to have a medium level of understanding.

Across Australia, around half of respondents (48%) think global warming is entirely or mostly caused by man-made sources, while 31 per cent believe it is mostly or entirely caused by natural changes. Only 15 per cent of Australians say global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven.

A majority of Australians (50%) would prefer to protect the environment, even at the risk of hampering economic growth, while just over one-in-four (27%) would prefer to foster economic growth, even at the risk of damaging the environment.

Compared to the views outlined by respondents to a three-country Angus Reid Public Opinion poll conducted earlier this year, Australians are slightly less likely to believe in man-made global warming than Canadians. Australians are more likely to call for the protection of the environment even at the risk of hampering economic growth than people in Britain and the United States.

While Australians over the age of 55 are more likely to be sceptical about man-made global warming than their younger counterparts, they are also more likely to say that they understand how the carbon tax works, to believe it will have a positive impact on their families, and to expect significant long-term benefits for the environment.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Peter Harris, Managing Director, Vision Critical AUS/NZ
+02 9256 2001
peter.harris@visioncritical.com

Interest in London Olympics Highest in Australia, Lowest in Britain

Mario Canseco — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 06:08:18 +0000

People in Australia are looking forward to the London Olympics with more enthusiasm than residents of three other countries, including the host nation, a new poll conducted by Vision Critical Opinions Australia in partnership with Nine Rewards and Angus Reid Public Opinion has found.

In the online survey of representative national samples in four countries, 79 per cent of Australians say they are “very interested” or “moderately interested” in the London Olympics.

The proportion of respondents in the United States (59%), Canada (55%) and Britain (48%) who are interested in the games is decidedly lower. In fact, only one-in-twenty Australians (5%) say they are “not interested at all” in the London Olympics, compared to 18 per cent of both Americans and Canadians and 29 per cent of Britons.

A third (32%) of all Australians interested in the Olympics are mostly looking forward to the swimming events. On average, Australians that are interested in the Olympics expect their national team to return home with 18 gold medals.

When it comes to medal expectations, three-in-five Australians (77%) say the athletes themselves are mostly responsible for the results of the country in the London Olympic Games—a slightly higher proportion than in the United States (66%), Britain (63%) and Canada (63%).

Britons are the most likely to assign responsibility for the results of their team in the Olympics to sports authorities (11%), while Canadians are more likely to say that the Government is accountable for results (7%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Peter Harris, Managing Director, Vision Critical AUS/NZ
+02 9256 2001
peter.harris@visioncritical.com

Full Methodology Details:

Uneasy Lies the Head that May Wear a Crown

Mario Canseco — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:20:42 +0000

Mario Canseco – The past few months have not been ideal for several monarchies around the world. King Juan Carlos I of Spain was criticized for taking an expensive hunting trip to Africa while Spaniards endure a high unemployment rate. The fact that Juan Carlos is the honourary president of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Spain did not help his case. A book released in Sweden paints a picture of King Carl XVI Gustaf that is more akin to a hip-hop artist than a monarch, a fact that has led to a renewed discussion about republicanism. The Jamaican government is considering the possibility of submitting the country’s relationship with the monarchy to a referendum.

Earlier this year, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted a survey to gauge how Australians, Britons and Canadians felt about the monarchy, the royal family, and the future. There were some major differences in the policy aspects. In Australia, the pro-republic sentiment has subsided dramatically since the 1999 referendum, and has been replaced by indifference. In Canada, 37 per cent of respondents would like to have an elected head of state, while 33 per cent call for the continuation of the monarchy. Britain continues to have a negligible proportion of respondents (just 13%) who support the notion of a republic.

While the numbers show that these three Commonwealth nations hold differing views, there are certain areas where the level of agreement is astounding. One year has passed since the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and these two members of the Royal Family are riding a wave of popularity that has seen them surpass Queen Elizabeth II in favourability ratings in Australia, Britain and Canada, getting a positive review from more than seven-in-ten respondents. The fact that the couple is connecting well with the younger generation of “subjects” has given many royal watchers good reason to believe that the monarchy will persevere. William and Kate enjoy approval ratings that most politicians would only dream of.

While the proportion of Australians, Britons and Canadians who like William and Kate has increased over the past year, the rating of the actual monarch-in-waiting has remained immobile. Prince Charles, first in line to ascend the throne, is seen favourably by 45 per cent of Britons, 34 per cent of Canadians, and 33 per cent of Australians. In political terms, he is ranked slightly higher than David Cameron in Britain, and lower than Stephen Harper in Canada and Julia Gillard in Australia.

In Canada, the rating for Prince Charles ranges from a low of 24 per cent in Quebec to a high of 40 per cent in British Columbia. In comparison, William gets to 59 per cent in Quebec—a notoriously anti-monarchic province—and reaches 87 per cent in BC. There is no discernible gender gap when it comes to Charles. Men and women dislike him equally.

His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has even lower ratings. Despite recent efforts to revitalize her image in Britain, she is only liked by 31 per cent of Britons. Her rating plummets to 21 per cent in Canada and 16 per cent in Australia. Even the pro-monarchic British Columbians give her a paltry evaluation of 28 per cent.

Looking at the favourability tables, the results of the question on succession are not surprising. Very few Australians and Canadians, and just about three-in-ten Britons, would like to see Charles become King after Queen Elizabeth II. Roughly half, in all three countries, would prefer to see William as their monarch. In Canada, the proportion of respondents who would prefer to have an elected head of state drops by nine points if William is the true heir to the throne. To put it another way, the monarchy that some Canadians find unpalatable will become bearable under William, but not under Charles.

While the actual possibility of a change in the line of succession is remote, the fact that republicanist sentiment would subside under William cannot be taken lightly. Charles and Camilla have the potential of dragging down the level of support for the continuation of the monarchy in Canada, at a time when two opposition parties have openly discussed changing the country’s relationship with Britain. In contrast, William and Kate already get high ratings from three very different groups: those who love the monarchy, those who would like to abolish it, and those who do not care about the issue at all.

Australians Support Same-Sex Marriage More Than Americans and Britons

Mario Canseco — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:00:18 +0000

Australians are more likely than Americans and Britons to call for legislation that would allow same-sex marriage in their country, a new survey conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion has found.

In the online survey of representative national samples in four countries, half of Australians (49%) believe same-sex couples in their country should be allowed to legally marry.

In Britain and the United States, smaller proportions of respondents (43% and 42% respectively) agree with this idea.

In Canada, where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2005, 59 per cent of respondents believe same-sex couples should continue to be allowed to legally marry.

Americans are more likely to believe that same-sex couples should not have any kind of legal recognition (27%, compared to 15% in Britain and 14% in both Australia and Canada).

Several American states have held referendums on the definition of marriage. If a referendum took place in Australia, a majority of respondents (52%) would vote to define marriage as between two people, while 43 per cent would define marriage as between a man and a woman. Britons are evenly split on this question, while a plurality of Americans would vote to keep the current definition of marriage.

A majority of Canadians (59%) and Australians (53%)—and half of Britons (49%)—believe that people are born gay. Only 40 per cent of Americans agree with this notion, while one third (34%) believe people choose to be gay. In the four countries, at least half of respondents acknowledge that they have close friends or relatives who are openly gay or lesbian (Australia 65%, Canada 62%, United States 56%, Britain 51%).

Gender and Age Divide

Female respondents in Australia (59%), Britain (50%) and the United States (45%) are more likely to call for a change in existing marriage legislation than their male counterparts. In Canada, 64 per cent of women think same-sex marriage should continue to be allowed.

Majorities of respondents aged 18-to-34 in the four countries are also more likely support same-sex marriage, with Canada at 71 per cent, Australia at 62 per cent, Britain at 56 per cent, and the United States at 55 per cent. Conversely, respondents over the age of 55 are less likely to support same-sex marriage (48% in Canada, 35% in Australia, 34% in the United States, and 30% in Britain).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among:

- 1,506 Australian adults who are Nine Rewards panelists, from February 21 to February 29, 2012.
- 2,019 British adults who are Springboard UK panelists, from January 26 to January 27, 2012.
- 1,007 Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, from February 6 to February 7, 2012.
- 1,008 American adults who are Springboard America panelists, from January 27 to January 28, 2012.

Two Thirds of Australians Say Economy is in Good Shape

Mario Canseco — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:50:43 +0000

A large proportion of Australians appear satisfied with their country’s current economic standing, and boast a level of confidence that surpasses other industrialized nations, a new Vision Critical poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 1,021 Australian adults, 69 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in the country as “very good” or “good”, while only 25 per cent deem them “bad” or “very bad.”

About half of Australians (47%) expect the national economy to remain the same over the next six months, while 20 per cent expect an improvement, and 28 per cent foresee a decline.

Economic Worries

The most prevalent economic concern in the country is the value of investments, with one third of Australians (34%) saying they have worried about this issue “occasionally” or “frequently” in the past couple of months. Three-in-ten have worried about themselves or somebody in their household becoming unemployed (31%), the safety of their savings (30%), or being able to pay mortgage or rent (29%). Only 18 per cent of respondents have worried “occasionally” or “frequently” about their employer running into serious financial trouble.

Despite the high level of confidence in the economy, Australians opt for a conservative approach when it comes to their personal finances. If Australians were given an extra $1,000, they would allocate the largest proportions of cash to paying down debt ($293) and saving in a bank account ($253). The rest of the funds would be allocated to covering day-to-day expenses ($127), spending a holiday ($117), purchasing big items like a car or home improvements ($85), buying personal gifts or treats ($70), investing in individual stocks ($42), and investing in mutual funds ($13).

Political Leadership

Half of Australians (50%) express trust in Prime Minister Julia Gillard to do the right thing to help the economy, the highest score among five people rated. Glenn Stevens, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, is next on the list with the confidence of 44 per cent of respondents. About two-in-five respondents trust Opposition and Coalition Leader Tony Abbott (39%), Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey (39%), and Treasurer Wayne Swan (38%).

The two main political forces in the country garner a similar level of confidence on this file, with 42 per cent of respondents saying they “completely” or “moderately” trust the Liberal Coalition to do the right thing to help the economy, and 41 per cent expressing similar feelings about the Australian Labor Party. Conversely, just one-in-four respondents (24%) express confidence in The Greens.

Discounts

The survey also looked at the advertised level of discount that Australians would require in order to be enticed to make a purchase at a store. About two-in-ten respondents (39%) would have to see a 40% to 60% discount to enter a store, while 18 per cent would require a discount of over 60%.

Analysis

At the start of 2011, Australians hold a more favourable opinion about their national economy than Canadians (50%), Britons (14%), and Americans (12%). The rating for Julia Gillard as an economic manager is higher than the numbers garnered by Stephen Harper in Canada, David Cameron in Britain, and Barack Obama in the United States.

Respondents maintain a positive assessment of the economic situation, and are particularly buoyant when it comes to the state of the country’s business community. A full two-thirds of respondents say they have never worried about their employer running into serious financial trouble—a significantly higher proportion than in Britain or the United States.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Peter Harris, Executive Vice President and Managing Director
+61 2 9256 2001
peter.harris@visioncritical.com

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@visioncritical.com

Methodology: From January 19 to January 24, 2011, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 1,021 randomly selected Australian adults who are YourSource panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Australia. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Labor Leads Two-Party Vote in Australia

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:01:01 +0000

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Australia’s upcoming election looks tight but the governing Australian Labor Party (ALP) holds an advantage in the two-party preferred vote system, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 42 per cent of respondents would vote for the Coalition of Liberals and National in next month’s election to the House of Representatives, up four points since mid-July.

The ALP is second with 40 per cent, down two points, followed by the Australian Greens with 12 per cent. Australia’s preferential voting system—where electors indicate an order of predilection for each contender, and the ballots from smaller parties are re-distributed—gives the ALP a four-point lead over the Coalition.

Australia held a federal election in November 2007. Final results gave the ALP 85 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives. ALP leader Kevin Rudd was officially sworn in as prime minister in December, bringing an end to the 11-year tenure of Liberal leader John Howard as head of Australia’s government.

Howard failed to retain his seat in the Bennelong constituency and stepped down as Liberal leader. Since their electoral defeat in 2007, the Liberals have had three different leaders: former defence minister Brendan Nelson, former environment minister Malcolm Turnbull, and former health minister Tony Abbott, the current leader.

On Jun. 23, ALP member and then deputy prime minister Julia Gillard called for a snap leadership challenge to Rudd to be held the following day. Although the prime minister had expressed confidence in having enough backers within his party’s ranks, he decided to step aside before the vote took place. Gillard became the first woman to serve as prime minister in Australia.

On Jul. 17, Gillard called an early election, which will be held on Aug. 21.

On Jul. 30, a spokeswoman for Rudd announced that he would undergo surgery to remove his gall bladder that day, adding, "Mr. Rudd looks forward to resuming campaign activities next week both in his own electorate, elsewhere in Queensland and the rest of the country as appropriate in support of the re-election of the government and Prime Minister Gillard."

Polling Data

If a federal election to the House of Representatives were held today, which one of the following would you vote for? If "Uncommitted", to which one of these do you have a leaning?

	Jul. 25	Jul. 18	Jun. 27	Jun. 20
Coalition (Liberal / National)	42%	38%	40%	40%
Australian Labor Party	40%	42%	42%	35%
Australian Greens	12%	12%	10%	15%
Others	6%	8%	8%	10%

Two-Party Preferred Vote

	Jul. 25	Jul. 18	Jun. 27	Jun. 20
Australian Labor Party	52%	55%	53%	52%
Coalition (Liberal / National)	48%	45%	47%	48%

Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,720 Australian voters, conducted from Jul. 23 to Jul. 25, 2010. Margin of error is 2.4 per cent.

Will Australia’s Election Really be a Photo Finish?

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:01:01 +0000

Gabriela Perdomo – Australia has seen a hot winter of politics, shaken by Julia Gillard’s sudden takeover of the governing Australian Labor Party (ALP). The new prime minister—and the first woman to ever fill the post in the country—has now called a snap legislative ballot for Aug. 21. Despite her ruthless manoeuvre to unseat former ALP head and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Gillard appears to be a popular new leader who could carry her party into a solid new mandate.

When she challenged Rudd’s leadership on Jun. 23, Gillard claimed that his government was good, but "was losing its way." The House of Representatives was due to be renewed by November this year, and the then deputy prime minister thought Rudd’s sliding popularity would mean a defeat for the ALP in the fall. She gathered enough supporters and Rudd stepped down before facing an evident defeat in an internal leadership vote.

Gillard’s first move as prime minister is what allows many to predict that she will be a strong leader for the ALP ahead of next month’s ballot. Almost as soon as she took office, she resolved the standoff that was greatly hurting the Rudd administration: a disagreement with powerful global and local mining companies operating in Australia over the implementation of higher revenue taxes.

Earlier this year, Rudd’s team had proposed a "Super Profits" tax of 40 per cent on all mining revenues, infuriating representatives of the country’s largest and most profitable industry. Gillard successfully negotiated a new deal, the gist of which is changing the Super Profits initiative for a Minerals Resource Rent Tax at a 30 per cent rate, and covering only iron ore and coal. She also extended the 40 per cent Petroleum Resource Rent Tax currently applicable to offshore oil and gas projects to onshore projects. As originally envisioned by the Rudd administration, the new taxes would be implemented in July 2012—if approved by the next legislature.

The deal effectively ended the negotiations between the government and the mining industry. Spokespersons for BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, two mining giants that had engaged in a bitter and expensive campaign against the Super Profits tax, welcomed the new arrangement and promised to work collaboratively with the federal government again. The media has reproduced the message that both Australian people and businesses will benefit from the higher taxes.

Gillard has not played up the fact that she is Australia’s first female prime minister, only saying that she "acknowledges" that this is an important benchmark. Her three big moves of the last four weeks—unseating Rudd, clinching a deal with the mining industry, and calling a snap election to get a mandate from the Australian people—are sure to dissipate critics who might want to address her "female weakness."

The incumbent prime minister insists that the ballot will be close. But it might just be that she wants to downplay expectations and keep voters engaged. Surveys are already showing that Labor is gaining momentum. The latest Newspoll places the ALP ahead with 42 per cent, against 38 per cent for the conservative coalition of Liberals and National. In the two party preferred vote system, the ALP leads by five points.

An earlier Newspoll had shown that, while 47 per cent of Australians think Gillard will be a similar leader to Rudd, 38 per cent say she will be a better leader for the ALP.

One understated fact is that, despite losing his party’s support, Rudd was not as unpopular as perceived, especially not in relative terms compared to Liberal leader Tony Abbott. A late June poll showed Rudd’s popularity at 36 per cent, practically tied with Abbott’s 38 per cent—a considerable number of world leaders yearn for this rate of acceptance. The same survey revealed that Rudd was still the preferred prime minister between the two by a wide margin.

Rudd’s administration leaves Gillard in a good position to accomplish some election promises that he was not able to fulfill, such as implementing a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. His government oversaw one of the most stable economies during the global recession, as it increased trade with China, Australia’s largest trading partner. Gillard has said she will definitely pursue "putting a price on carbon" and says it is still possible to bring the budget back to surplus in 2013.

The former prime minister’s decline was a combination of personal gaffes, internal bickering over climate change, an ongoing refugee crisis, and the recent standoff over mining revenues. But the Labor government maintained a high popularity for most of its term, and delivered on many of its promises. Meanwhile, the Coalition entered in complete disarray. The Liberals have had three different leaders in as many years. Their opposition techniques have many people dubbing them the Australian version of "the Party of No."

Abbott’s personal numbers have not improved significantly despite the ALP’s recent crisis. Gillard might just be about to bring a solid second term in office for her party.

Many Australians See Gillard as Similar to Rudd

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:01:00 +0000

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Almost half of people in Australia say the change in the leadership of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) will not make any difference, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 47 per cent of respondents say new leader Julia Gillard will be about the same as her predecessor and former prime minister, Kevin Rudd.

However, 38 per cent of respondents think Gillard will be a better leader for the ALP than Rudd.

Rudd was Australia’s prime minister from December 2007 until last month. On Jun. 23, ALP member and then deputy prime minister Julia Gillard called for a snap leadership challenge to Rudd to be held the following day. Although the prime minister had expressed confidence in having enough backers within his party’s ranks, he decided to step aside before the vote took place. Gillard became the first woman to serve as prime minister in Australia.

On Jul. 17, Gillard called an early election, which will be held on Aug. 21. Gillard made the announcement, adding, "I want to keep the economy strong so people can enjoy the benefits of work. We do not have to be afraid of the future; we can master big challenges like climate change together."

Polling Data

Thinking about the leadership of the federal parliamentary Labor Party, do you think Ms. Julia Gillard will be a better leader than Mr. Kevin Rudd, a worse leader, or do you think they would be about the same?

Better leader	38%
Worse leader	9%
About the same	47%
Uncommitted	6%

Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,142 Australian voters, conducted from Jun. 25 to Jun. 27, 2010. Margin of error is 3 per cent.