D0144: Age Poll, November, 1979
POLLING ORGANISATION Irving Saulwick and Associates SURVEY METHOD The sampled population consisted of persons aged 18 years and over who were enrolled to vote from all federal electorates throughout Australia, excluding the Northern Territory. Approximately 2,000 interviews were usually conducted. A number of starting points, proportional to the number of electors, was chosen in each Federal electorate. Beginning at the dwelling adjacent to that starting point the interviewer approached each dwelling until a contact was made and an interview completed. The next three adjacent dwellings were skipped and approaches were then made to each dwelling until a second interview was obtained and so on until a cluster size of 4 interviews were completed. The interviewee was selected by taking that person whose birthday was nearest to the date of interview, aged 18 years or more and enrolled to vote and at home. Equal numbers of interviews with males and females within a pair of clusters and an age quota were imposed in each sample locality. This poll was based on 2,271 interviews conducted in November 1979. BACKGROUND VARIABLES country of birth / religion / tenure / self assessment of social class/ number of persons living in dwelling/ home ownership/ occupation of head of household / age / sex / marital status / highest level of education / occupation / income / church attendance/ vote at last federal election/ present voting intention/ WEIGHTING The responses are unweighted. THEMES - NAMES AND RESPONSES 1a. MANY PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATIONS, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. A NUMBER OF REASONS HAVE BEEN ADVANCED FOR THE RELATIVELY HIGH LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE? (1) THEY LACK SUITABLE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR WORK (2) THEY ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT WORK WHICH DOES NOT SUIT THEM (3) WAGES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TOO HIGH (4) THEY LACK WORK EXPERIENCE (5) THEY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH MARRIED WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE Category label Code Count Percent EDUCATION & TRAINING 1 506 22.3 SUITABILITY OF WORK 2 711 31.3 WAGES TOO HIGH 3 208 9.2 LACK OF EXPERIENCE 4 399 17.6 MARRIED WOMEN 5 377 16.6 MISSING 6 70 3.1 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 1b. AND WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT REASON? Repeat remaining reasons (1) THEY LACK SUITABLE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR WORK (2) THEY ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT WORK WHICH DOES NOT SUIT THEM (3) WAGES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TOO HIGH (4) THEY LACK WORK EXPERIENCE (5) THEY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH MARRIED WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE Category label Code Count Percent EDUCATION & TRAINING 1 529 23.3 SUITABILITY OF WORK 2 531 23.4 WAGES TOO HIGH 3 254 11.2 LACK OF EXPERIENCE 4 554 24.4 MARRIED WOMEN 5 297 13.1 MISSING 6 106 4.7 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 1c. AND THE NEXT? Rank 1,2 & 3 only Repeat remaining reasons (1) THEY LACK SUITABLE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR WORK (2) THEY ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT WORK WHICH DOES NOT SUIT THEM (3) WAGES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TOO HIGH (4) THEY LACK WORK EXPERIENCE (5) THEY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH MARRIED WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE Category label Code Count Percent EDUCATION & TRAINING 1 459 20.2 SUITABILITY OF WORK 2 441 19.4 WAGES TOO HIGH 3 291 12.8 LACK OF EXPERIENCE 4 547 24.1 MARRIED WOMEN 5 356 15.7 MISSING 6 177 7.8 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 2. WE ARE NOW VERY CLOSE TO THE 1980'S. THE 50'S AND 60'S WERE GENERALLY YEARS OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN AUSTRALIA, WHILE THE 70'S WERE MORE DIFFICULT. HOW DO YOU SEE THE 1980'S 2a. FIRSTLY, IN GENERAL, DO YOU THINK THAT LIVING STANDARDS IN AUSTRALIA - - (1) WILL IMPROVE DURING THE 1980'S (2) REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME AS NOW OR (3) FALL DURING THE 1980'S Category label Code Count Percent IMPROVE 1 395 17.4 SAME 2 976 43.0 FALL 3 860 37.9 DON'T KNOW;NO RESP 4 40 1.8 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 2b. AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WORLD PROSPECTS FOR THE 1980'S ? ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE - - (1) AN INCREASE IN INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT AND INSTABILITY (2) THE SITUATION REMAIN'S GENERALLY AS IT IS NOW OR (3) A REDUCTION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT AND INSTABILITY Category label Code Count Percent INCREASED CONFLICT 1 1515 66.7 SAME AS NOW 2 517 22.8 REDUCED CONFLICT 3 180 7.9 DON'T KNOW;NO RESP 4 59 2.6 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 2c. HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT THERE WILL BE A MAJOR WAR INVOLVING ANY OF THE SUPERPOWERS IN THE 1980'S, WOULD YOU SAY - - Category label Code Count Percent VERY LIKELY 1 419 18.5 QUITE LIKELY 2 836 36.8 QUITE UNLIKELY 3 591 26.0 VERY UNLIKELY 4 380 16.7 DON'T KNOW;NO RESP 5 45 2.0 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 2d. AND WHAT ABOUT PERSONAL FREEDOMS IN AUSTRALIA? YOU THINK THERE WILL BE - - (1) MORE PERSONAL FREEDOM (2) ABOUT THE SAME OR (3) LESS PERSONAL FREEDOM Category label Code Count Percent MORE 1 269 11.8 SAME 2 1262 55.6 LESS 3 701 30.9 DON'T KNOW;NO RESP 4 39 1.7 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 2e. AND WHAT DO YOU THINK GOVERNMENTS IN AUSTRALIA ARE LIKELY TO DO IN THE 1980'S? WILL THEY - - (1) INTERFERE MORE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS (2) REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME OR (3) INTERFERE LESS IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS Category label Code Count Percent MORE 1 1211 53.3 SAME 2 833 36.7 LESS 3 166 7.3 DON'T KNOW;NO RESP 4 61 2.7 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 2f. AND FINALLY, DO YOU THINK THAT FOR YOU PERSONALLY, LIFE IN THE 1980'S WILL BE - - Category label Code Count Percent BETTER 1 722 31.8 WORSE 2 354 15.6 ABOUT THE SAME 3 1161 51.1 DON'T KNOW;NO RESP 4 34 1.5 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 3a. THINKING ABOUT MR FRASER AND HIS PERFORMANCE AS PRIME MINISTER- - HOW WOULD YOU RATE HIS PERFORMANCE? WOULD YOU SAY HIS PERFORMANCE WAS - - Category label Code Count Percent VERY GOOD 1 106 4.7 GOOD 2 433 19.1 FAIR 3 873 38.4 POOR 4 390 17.2 VERY POOR 5 440 19.4 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 6 29 1.3 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 3b. AND WHAT ABOUT MR HAYDEN AND HIS PERFORMANCE AS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION - - HOW WOULD YOU RATE HIS PERFORMANCE? WOULD YOU SAY HIS PERFORMANCE WAS - - Category label Code Count Percent VERY GOOD 1 108 4.8 GOOD 2 525 23.1 FAIR 3 1123 49.4 POOR 4 284 12.5 VERY POOR 5 119 5.2 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 6 112 4.9 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4. MOST AUSTRALIANS TAKE HOLIDAYS AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. SOME SPEND THEM AT HOME, SOME GO ON TOURS OR CRUISES, AND OTHERS GO TO RESORTS OF VARIOUS KINDS - - 4a. HOW LONG IS IT SINCE YOU YOURSELF HAVE HAD A HOLIDAY AWAY FROM HOME FOR A PERIOD OF A WEEK OR MORE? (1) LESS THAN ONE YEAR AGO (2) MORE THAN ONE YEAR BUT LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO (3) MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO (4) NEVER Category label Code Count Percent LESS THAN 1 YR 1 1148 50.6 1-2 YRS 2 378 16.6 MORE THAN 2 YRS 3 627 27.6 NEVER 4 118 5.2 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4b. THINKING ABOUT YOUR LAST HOLIDAY AWAY FROM HOME DID YOU GO - - (1) OVERSEAS (2) INTERSTATE (3) SOMEWHERE WITHIN THIS STATE (OR TERRITORY) Category label Code Count Percent OVERSEAS 1 358 15.8 INTERSTATE 2 850 37.4 THIS STATE 3 942 41.5 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 4 3 .1 NOT APPLICABLE 5 118 5.2 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4c. If Within Australia WHAT SORT OF HOLIDAY WAS IT? DID YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY MAINLY - - (1) STAYING AT THE ONE PLACE MOST OF THE TIME (A FIXED LOCATION) (2) TOURING WITH A CARAVAN (3) CAR TOURING, USING HOTELS, MOTELS ETC. (4) GOING ON A 'PACKAGED' TOUR USING BUSES, TRAINS AND AEROPLANES ETC. Category label Code Count Percent ONE PLACE 1 1284 56.5 CARAVAN TOUR 2 146 6.4 CAR TOUR 3 292 12.9 PACKAGED TOUR 4 73 3.2 NOT APPLICABLE 5 476 21.0 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4d. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU STAYED AT THE ONE PLACE MOST OF THE TIME (a fixed location), WHAT ARRANGEMENTS DID YOU MAKE FOR ACCOMMODATION? Category label Code Count Percent TENT 1 82 3.6 CARAVAN 2 161 7.1 HOTEL;MOTEL 3 145 6.4 CHALET;GUEST HOUSE 4 52 2.3 RENTED HOUSE;FLAT 5 261 11.5 WITH FRIENDS;RELS 6 538 23.7 OTHER ARRANGEMENTS 7 41 1.8 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 8 4 .2 NOT APPLICABLE 9 987 43.5 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4e. WHERE DID YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY MAINLY, WAS IT MAINLY - Category label Code Count Percent SEASIDE 1 641 28.2 COUNTRY 2 346 15.2 CAPITAL CITY 3 276 12.2 SKI RESORT 4 17 .7 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 5 4 .2 NOT APPLICABLE 6 987 43.5 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4f. If Overseas: YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WENT OVERSEAS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY, FOR HOW LONG WERE YOU AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA? (1) LESS THAN TWO WEEKS (2) MORE THAN TWO WEEKS BUT LESS THAN ONE MONTH (3) MORE THAN ONE MONTH BUT LESS THAN THREE MONTHS (4) LONGER THAN THREE MONTHS Category label Code Count Percent UNDER 2 WEEKS 1 48 2.1 UNDER 1 MONTH 2 133 5.9 UNDER 3 MONTHS 3 108 4.8 OVER 3 MONTHS 4 57 2.5 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 5 12 .5 NOT APPLICABLE 6 1910 84.1 MISSING 7 3 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 4g. IN WHICH COUNTRY DID YOU SPEND MOST TIME? (If respondent went on an ocean cruise, Ask for destination) Category label Code Count Percent NEW ZEALAND 1 69 3.0 UNITED KINGDOM 2 74 3.3 EUROPE 3 48 2.1 MEDITERRANEAN 4 14 .6 MIDDLE EAST 5 7 .3 NORTH AMERICA 6 28 1.2 SOUTH AMERICA 7 2 .1 JAPAN 8 2 .1 INDONESIA 9 10 .4 MALAYSIA;SINGAPORE 10 16 .7 OTHER ASIAN 11 20 .9 PACIFIC ISLAND 12 49 2.2 OTHER;UNSPECIFIED 13 15 .7 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 14 5 .2 NOT APPLICABLE 15 1912 84.2 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 5. "MOST AUSTRALIANS LIVE IN CITIES AND TOWNS. MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT CITIES AND TOWNS ARE UNFRIENDLY PLACES - -" 5a. THINKING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURS, WOULD YOU SAY YOU KNOW MOST OF YOUR NEIGHBOURS (THAT IS, THE PEOPLE LIVING NEAR YOU IN YOUR STREET) Category label Code Count Percent VERY WELL 1 513 22.6 FAIRLY WELL 2 931 41.0 NOT VERY WELL 3 645 28.4 NOT AT ALL 4 177 7.8 NOT ESTABLISHED 5 5 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 5b. AND DO YOU TALK WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS? Category label Code Count Percent VERY OFTEN 1 425 18.7 QUITE OFTEN 2 894 39.4 NOT VERY OFTEN 3 832 36.6 NOT AT ALL 4 111 4.9 NOT ESTABLISHED 5 9 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 5c. DO YOU MIX SOCIALLY WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS - Category label Code Count Percent VERY OFTEN 1 123 5.4 QUITE OFTEN 2 319 14.0 NOT VERY OFTEN 3 759 33.4 NOT AT ALL 4 1064 46.9 NOT ESTABLISHED 5 6 .3 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 6. IF THE FEDERAL ELECTION FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WERE HELD TOMORROW, FOR WHICH POLITICAL PARTY WOULD YOU PROBABLY VOTE? Category label Code Count Percent ALP 1 1029 45.3 AUST.DEM 2 98 4.3 DLP 3 62 2.7 LIBERAL 4 766 33.7 NCP 5 94 4.1 OTHER 6 26 1.1 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 7 196 8.6 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 7. AS YOU MAY KNOW, EACH YEAR TWO LISTS OF HONOURS ARE AWARDED TO AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS - THE IMPERIAL HONOURS LIST AND THE AUSTRALIAN HONOURS LIST. DO YOU THINK - - (1) AUSTRALIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO AWARD BOTH TRADITIONAL BRITISH HONOURS AND THE NEWER AUSTRALIAN HONOURS (2) WE SHOULD AWARD BRITISH HONOURS ONLY (3) WE SHOULD AWARD AUSTRALIAN HONOURS ONLY (4) WE SHOULD NOT AWARD ANY HONOURS AT ALL Category label Code Count Percent AUST & BRITISH 1 846 37.3 BRITISH ONLY 2 109 4.8 AUST ONLY 3 885 39.0 NO HONOURS 4 370 16.3 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 5 61 2.7 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 8. QUESTIONS OF CIVIL LIBERTIES HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY, SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE RIGHTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE - - I HAVE A NUMBER OF STATEMENTS WHICH EXPRESS DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT SOME ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS COMES CLOSEST TO YOUR VIEW? 8a. (1) WORKERS IN ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO STRIKE, EVEN IF IT MEANS THAT ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY ARE AFFECTED OR (2) WORKERS IN ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO STRIKE, IF IT MEANS THAT ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY ARE AFFECTED Category label Code Count Percent RIGHT TO STRIKE 1 833 36.7 NO RIGHT TO STRIKE 2 1365 60.1 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 3 73 3.2 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 8b. (1) IS IT IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENTS PROTECT THE COMMUNITY FROM THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED BY MARCHES AND MEETINGS IN PUBLIC PLACES OR (2) IS IT IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENTS RECOGNISE THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEIR POINT OF VIEW BY PARTICIPATING IN MARCHES AND MEETINGS IN PUBLIC PLACES EVEN IF THERE IS SOME INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC Category label Code Count Percent GOVTS STOP MARCHES 1 709 31.2 GOVTS ALLOW MARCHES 2 1505 66.3 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 3 57 2.5 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 9. YOU MAY KNOW THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF DOGS IN AUSTRALIA. SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY, AND THAT SOME METHOD OF CONTROLLING THEIR NUMBERS IS NEEDED. SOME PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT THE LICENCE FEES FOR DOGS (AND BITCHES) WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN DESEXED SHOULD BE VERY MUCH HIGHER THAN FOR THOSE WHICH HAVE BEEN DESEXED. 9a. DO YOU AGREE THAT VERY MUCH HIGHER LICENCE FEES SHOULD BE CHARGED FOR DOGS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN DESEXED? Category label Code Count Percent YES 1 1299 57.2 NO 2 892 39.3 NO OPINION;NO RESP 3 80 3.5 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 9b. ARE THERE ANY DOGS IN THIS HOUSEHOLD? Category label Code Count Percent YES 1 951 41.9 NO 2 1320 58.1 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 9c. HOW MANY DOGS ARE THERE IN THIS HOUSEHOLD? Category label Code Count Percent NOT APPLICABLE 0 1320 58.1 1 1 709 31.2 2 2 192 8.5 3 3 34 1.5 4 4 11 .5 5 5 2 .1 6 6 1 .0 8 8 1 .0 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 9 1 .0 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 10. AND NOW A QUESTION ABOUT DRUGS 10a. THINKING ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE EXCESSIVE USE OF DRUGS, WHICH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DRUGS DO YOU THINK CAUSES THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY? Category label Code Count Percent MARIJUANA 1 132 5.8 ALCOHOL 2 1155 50.9 TOBACCO;CIGARETTES 3 59 2.6 HEROIN; HARD DRUGS 4 713 31.4 PAINKILLERS 5 149 6.6 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 6 55 2.4 MULTIPLE RESPONSE 7 8 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0 10b. THINKING NOW ABOUT THE USE OF HARD DRUGS, SUCH AS HEROIN ETC, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS COMES CLOSEST TO YOUR VIEW? (1) HEROIN ADDICTS ARE A MENACE TO SOCIETY AND THEMSELVES AND SHOULD BE IMPRISONED OR (2) HEROIN ADDICTS ARE SICK PEOPLE AND SHOULD BE GIVEN SUPPORT TO HELP THEM OVERCOME THEIR ILLNESS OR (3) HEROIN ADDICTS MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS TO USE HEROIN AND SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO SO, PROVIDED THEY DO NOT COMMIT OTHER OFFENCES Category label Code Count Percent IMPRISONED 1 177 7.8 SUPPORTED 2 1809 79.7 ALLOWED USE 3 251 11.1 DON'T KNOW;NOT ESTAB 4 34 1.5 ------- ----- Total responses 2271 100.0
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