Galaxy poll: 69% give more credit to mining than the Gillard government for strong economy
A poll, conducted by Galaxy Research for the Institute of Public Affairs, revealed that the overwhelming majority of Australians believe the mining industry deserved the credit for Australia’s strong economy, not the Gillard government.
Galaxy asked 1,053 respondents across Australia from 15-17 June 2012:
“In your opinion, who do you think is more responsible for Australia’s strong economy? The Gillard government or the mining industry?”
- 69% of Australians thought the mining industry was more responsible
- 23% of Australians thought the Gillard government was more responsible
- 8% did not know
Over 60% of respondents in every State and Territory thought that the mining industry was more responsible for Australia’s strong economy.
Unsurprisingly, the strongest figures of support for the mining industry’s role in Australia’s continued economic strength came out of Western Australia, where nearly 80% of respondents thought the sector was responsible.
Similarly, over 70% of Queenslanders felt the same. In these two states only 16% (WA) and 19% (QLD) of respondents gave credit to the Gillard government.
- 67% of New South Wales respondents thought the mining industry was more responsible, whilst only 26% gave credit to the Gillard government
- 70% of Victorian and Tasmanian respondents thought the mining industry was more responsible, 19% thought the Gillard government was more responsible
The statistics are even more revealing when broken down on the basis of voting intentions. Unsurprisingly, 87% of Coalition voters gave credit to the mining industry for Australia’s continued prosperity; only 9% were convinced that the Gillard government was responsible.
The poll also showed that the Gillard government cannot even convince its own supporters that it deserves credit for the Australia’s strong economy. 46% of Labor voters thought the mining industry deserved credit for Australia’s continued economic strength, while only 43% of Labor voters thought the Gillard government was responsible.
Green voters were even more likely to give credit to the mining industry than Labor voters, with 52% saying it was more important and just 37% saying the Gillard government was responsible.
Clearly, it is mining, and not the Gillard government, which has won the gratitude of the Australian people.