Latest news with #VoteCompass
Perth Now
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘Proud': Abbie calls out young Aussie voters
Influencer and Greens supporter Abbie Chatfield has called on young Aussie voters to better understand their own political views so they can feel 'proud' of their vote. In a TikTok video released just two days before Saturday's election, Ms Chatfield implied she had met young voters who were 'ashamed' of who they were voting for. 'If you're ashamed to say who you are voting for, then maybe you shouldn't be voting for that party. Just a little FYI,' she said. 'Maybe you should rethink, if it really aligns with who you are. 'If you get scared, and go 'oh I don't want to talk about politics' when you are asked about how you are voting, maybe rethink the way you are voting.' Influencer and Greens supporter Abbie Chatfield released a TikTok on Thursday urging voters to check the ABC's Vote Compass to better understand their political views. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia The reality TV star turned podcaster has backed the Greens in the election, fronting a national Greens ad to 'keep Dutton out'. Ms Chatfield, a vocal critic of the Liberal Party, has also DJed alongside Greens leader Adam Bandt at a campaign fundraiser. She previously hosted both Anthony Albanese and Mr Bandt on her podcast It's A Lot, leading to an Australian Electoral Commission review earlier this year. Greens Leader Adam Bandt with influencer Abbie Chatfield at The Brightside in Fortitude Valley. NewsWire/ Glen Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia The AEC found Ms Chatfield did not breach any electoral laws with her political posts, concluding the interviews were voluntary, audience-driven, and did not require formal authorisation under electoral legislation. In the TikTok, Ms Chatfield urged voters to check the ABC's Vote Compass to better understand where they fit in the political spectrum. 'Do a vote compass, figure out if it actually aligns with you,' she said. 'You should be proud about who you are voting for. A lot of you aren't.'
ABC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Vote Compass helps Australians see where they stand on the political spectrum. Here's what the data shows
In the quick-shifting world of politics it can be difficult to figure out where you sit on the political spectrum — left, right or centre, but the ABC's Vote Compass is here to help. After five weeks of campaigning, commitments, debates and discussion from politicians, we need to cast our ballot tomorrow. But which party stands where? ABC Vote Compass helps visualise how your views on social and economic issues align with politicians and provides information about the candidates in your electorate. More than 1.2 million people have used the tool this in election cycle. It generally takes about 10 minutes to fill out the 30-question survey. Vote Compass has been designed by political scientists at Canada-based Vox Pop Labs to help improve electoral awareness and start important conversations about public policy. It makes it easy to compare your views, not just to the major parties, but to your friends and family, and start discussions about the big issues this election. Election essentials: Find out where your What does your Vote Compass result mean? On your results page, you'll see two graphs. One is a plot on a two-dimensional graph that calculates your alignment on a social and economic scale. Here's how to think about what the "compass" means: If you're higher on the chart, your views on the included issues are more socially progressive. If you're lower, then you're more socially conservative If you're on the left side, you're more aligned with the economic "left", while if you're on the right, you're on the economic "right" Vote Compass uses your answers to calculate your alignment on a social and economic scale. ( ABC News ) The other plot will show the extent of your agreement and disagreement with the parties and candidates on the policy issues included in Vote Compass. You can weight your results based on which issues you rank as more or less important. Further down, you can explore how your answers compare question by question. Click on the party or candidate to see an explanation of their position. If you've identified your electorate, you'll be shown a list of the candidates campaigning for your vote, as well as a link to Vox Pop Labs founder Clifton van der Linden says the idea behind Vote Compass is to help people understand how they align with political parties on public policy. "It is simply meant to help Australians have a sense that they are well-informed about the broad range of policy issues that are salient in this campaign and about the positions that the parties hold on those issues," he says. Dr van der Linden says Vote Compass doesn't tell you how to vote or who to vote for, nor does it try to predict how people will vote. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Cost of living rises to the top, housing dream harder to achieve The responses to Vote Compass also provide an insight into attitudes on issues. The cost of living came out on top as the most important issue for Vote Compass respondents, followed by the economy and finance and government operations. The cost of living was also highlighted as a About 45 per cent of Vote Compass respondents say they are finding it difficult to cope on their current income. Vote Compass data shows 90 per cent of respondents think it is more difficult for young Australians to buy a house today than it was for previous generations. This follows In regards to solutions to the housing crisis, Vote Compass data shows 62.7 per cent of respondents said there should be more government intervention. Almost 50 per cent of respondents agree there should be fewer tax breaks on investment properties while about 27 per cent disagree. However, the data shows respondents are split on whether there should be other changes to tax policies. About 43 per cent of respondents do not think the government should change its tax policies to discourage people from using housing as an investment while 36 per cent are in favour of changes. This finding is from a weighted sample of 124,988 respondents. Amid the housing crisis, migration levels have been a talking point during the campaign, but experts say migration is a small part of the puzzle. The data shows roughly 49 per cent of about 340,000 respondents want "many fewer" or "somewhat fewer" That's a significant change from 2022's Vote Compass results, in which 49 per cent of respondents said Australia should welcome "somewhat more" or "many more" immigrants. Nuclear, young voters and the US factor The ABC has been reporting on findings from Vote Compass findings throughout the campaign. About 47 per cent of respondents said they strongly disagreed or somewhat disagreed Vote Compass data suggests there has been a shift in views since the last election. This year 36 per cent of respondents told Vote Compass much more should be done to reduce Australia's carbon emissions. That figure is down from 2022 when 61 per cent of participants said much more should be done. This year gen Z and millennials will make up the largest voting bloc for the first time. According to Vote Compass responses, the The data shows 67 per cent of generation Z women identified as left or moderately left, compared to 52 per cent of women from other generations. US President Donald Trump's tariffs announcement has meant the United States has featured throughout the campaign. About 47 per cent of Vote Compass respondents believe The Lowy Institute recently found Australians' trust in the US had dropped since Mr Trump's return to the White House, but Australians still About Vote Compass data Vote Compass is an educational tool designed to promote electoral literacy and civic engagement. While not a conventional public opinion poll, Vote Compass responses can be analysed using statistical methods similar to those used in polling to try to adjust for sampling bias. Responses have been weighted by gender, age, education, language, religion, place of residence and past vote to account for the selection effects of the sample, Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
ABC News
30-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Here's what the Greens will prioritise in a minority Labor government
Under a dream scenario for Australia's leading left-wing party, a future Australian government would be dominated by red and green. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly ruled out any deal with the Greens, scarred by the Gillard-era crossbench deal, which involved the minor party. But the Greens' mission remains clear: wield the balance of power in a Labor minority government to secure progressive policy reforms. "The housing, cost of living and climate crises are getting worse," Greens leader Adam Bandt told the ABC. "People are realising we can't keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result." Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Mr Bandt is set to launch the party's national campaign in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Brunswick East on Wednesday night, alongside Wills candidate and former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam. The party's policy wishlist is long and ambitious. So what are their key priorities? Affordable dental care There's a reason Mr Bandt has been carrying a giant red toothbrush around for the past few weeks. The Greens want to expand Medicare to cover dental services for adults. Adam Bandt has been wielding an oversized toothbrush during the election campaign. ( Supplied: Facebook ) Parliamentary Budget Office analysis suggests the average adult who accesses the scheme would receive about six or seven dental services, each valued at about $141, in the first year (2025-26). Services would include treatments such as fillings, tooth extractions, cleaning and X-rays. The Greens say families could save $2,642 in the first year of the expansion, with a four-person family benefiting by up to $29,322 over a decade. Young people under the age of 17 can access Medicare coverage for basic dental services, but this benefit doesn't apply to adults. The plan is expected to cost a whopping $195 billion over 10 years. Housing tax reform The Greens want to phase out tax concessions for people who own more than one investment property in a bid to address chronic housing unaffordability. The party is lobbying to scrap negative gearing, which allows property investors to deduct the costs of running a rental property against their taxable income. Housing has become one of the defining issues of this election. ( AAP: Diego Fedele ) Photo shows Three homes with red roofs and bushes nearby This is one of the questions in Vote Compass, which can help you understand your place in the political landscape. Follow the link to take the survey. They also want to wind back the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount, which allows property investors to only pay tax on half the profits they make when selling rental properties. The Greens argue these two tax breaks are exacerbating Australia's housing crisis by making it easier for wealthy property investors to outbid first home buyers at auctions. Under their proposed reforms, landlords will be able to keep their existing negative gearing and capital gains tax benefits for one investment property they already own, as long as it was purchased before the policy commences. Labor has repeatedly ruled out changes to negative gearing and the capital gains discount ahead of the election. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Ban new coal and gas projects The Greens have pledged to thwart fossil fuel expansion by blocking federal approval of new coal and gas projects. The party has been scathing of the Albanese government's approval of more than 30 new coal and gas projects since coming to power in 2022. Young voters have expressed growing anger over inaction on climate change. ( ABC News: James Carmody ) They've vowed to push the federal climate minister to use the safeguard mechanism to put a "hard cap" on pollution from new projects under the scheme, which requires major carbon emitters to progressively reduce or offset their emissions over time. The policy is a key plank of the Albanese government's efforts to reach a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050. The Greens will also seek to cancel exploration permits for oil and gas projects. How will they pay for it? Dubbed their "Robin Hood Reforms", the Greens plan to fund their ambitious policies by collecting more tax from big corporations and billionaires. Their plan involves introducing a 40 per cent tax on the excess profits of big corporations, which the Greens say will raise $557 billion over the medium term. Excess profits are earnings above a company's normal or expected returns. "Under Labor and Liberal, one-in-three big corporations pays no tax," Mr Bandt said. "Just by taxing the massive profits of the top 0.1 per cent of Australia's biggest corporations, we can raise $585 billion to fund the services everyone needs." The Greens also plan to introduce a 10 per cent tax on the net wealth of Australia's billionaires, which they say is expected to raise $23 billion over the forward estimates and $50 billion over the decade. Turning dreams into a reality Although Mr Albanese has said he will not negotiate a deal with the Greens, his choices could be limited if Labor falls well short of the 76 seats required to govern in majority. History has shown it won't come easy. Borne out of Australia's environmental protest movement, the Greens have previously shown reluctance to compromise with the government on their agenda. While that resolve may appeal to some progressive voters, the party has faced criticism for using its power to block or delay bills for seemingly little gain. Photo shows Two young children reach for sandwiches, grapes and carrots from colourful lunch boxes at school. Greens leader Adam Bandt will spend his week in Queensland, seeking to sandbag the party's three seats of Griffith, Ryan and Brisbane and announcing the Greens would push to establish an $11.6 billion free school lunches program in the next term of parliament. The Greens have also been lashed for pushing idealistic policies the government says it can't afford. "They can be policy pure and they can lord that over the Labor party," ANU's Australian Studies Institute director Mark Kenny said. "That's because they never really have the breadth of base that you need to be in government." The Greens' sweeping policy platform includes ending native logging, making all public transport cost 50c, wiping all student debt and providing universal mental health care with unlimited sessions. Other policies include cancelling the AUKUS agreement, providing free lunches to every public school student and making childcare free. Professor Kenny said the Greens' plan to fund its agenda could backfire and hurt the Australian economy. "Taxing corporations and taxing billionaires in the way [the Greens] are talking about … may have implications as to whether those corporations and billionaires continue to operate in Australia at all," he said. "That might be a good thing in the case of some of them, and it might be disastrous in the case of some communities that rely on those corporations, whether they be big mining companies or resources companies." Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
ABC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Data shows shift in views towards Australia's relationship with the United States and China
After three years of conflict, leadership changes and now trade wars, the views of many Australians towards the United States and China are shifting, Vote Compass data shows. About 47 per cent of Vote Compass respondents believe Australia should be less close to the US, about a third believe the relationship should stay the same and just over 17 per cent want it to be closer. In March, a poll by the Lowy Institute found Australians' trust in the US to act responsibly had dropped since Donald Trump's return to the White House, down 20 points compared to last year, to 36 per cent. Despite this, the poll found 80 per cent said the alliance with the United States was very or fairly important for Australia's security. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 United States Studies Centre director of research Jared Mondschein said while polling indicated most Australians don't like Mr Trump, many support the alliance continuing. "I think that Australians really do see that the alliance is more than just the president, more than just one person, and it actually has implications for a broader array of issues," he said. Dr Mondschein said polling showed Australians felt more comfortable with the relationship with the US than China, despite "unprecedented uncertainty" in the US. Jared Mondschein said Australia has never been more consequential or influential in Washington, including in this Trump administration. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) When it comes to Australia's relationship with China, Vote Compass data shows respondents are split. About 32 per cent of respondents said Australia should deepen its ties with China, while about 34 per cent disagreed and about 30 per cent said they are neutral. James Laurenceson, who is the director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney, said the data suggested Australians understood the complexity of the relationship with China. Last year, a poll conducted by the institute found 61 per cent of Australians believed in building a strong relationship with China. The ACRI found 64 per cent of respondents expressed concerns about Australia's relationship with China — a 10-point drop from 2021. "They recognise the benefits, including jobs for Australians. I think that nuance is well appreciated by the Australian public," Professor Laurenceson said. James Laurenceson believes there is a lack of deep understanding about the Australia-China relationship. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) However, Professor Laurenceson said he believed generally there was a lack of "deep understanding". "And simply, when you don't understand something particularly well, it's easy to be fearful," he said. "On the other hand, when it comes to America, our news is full of American sources, we actually feel quite comfortable with that system, even if we don't always like the decision coming out of the White House. "We understand it, but that's not true when it comes to China." In 2023, Anthony Albanese met with Xi Jinping in Beijing, which was the first visit to mainland China by a leader in seven years. ( AAP: Lukas Coch ) The ACRI poll found 61 per cent said Australia can enjoy a good relationship with both China and the US at the same time, while 38 per cent believed Australia's relationship with China weakens our alliance with the US. Dr Mondschein said Australia and the US were working more closely in the Indo-Pacific region and the views towards China have become more aligned between the US and its allies and partners. He said the US and its allies were also increasingly aligned on the importance of working together to face the challenge of China. Data shows support for extra defence spending Last week, the Coalition pledged to It would increase overall defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next five years, which is more ambitious than Labor's eight-year plan to lift defence spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP by 2033. Last week, Peter Dutton announced the Coalition would spend an additional $21 billion on the military if elected on May 3. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) Vote Compass data shows 52.9 per cent of respondents believe Australia should spend much or somewhat more on its military. This is up 11 percentage points from 2022 when 41.9 per cent said the government should spend more on defence. Dr Mondschein said given China's nuclear capacity and navy fleet had grown it was understandable Australia had changed its perception of what was required in the region. However, a survey of 1,500 Australians in February and April for the War Studies Research Group at UNSW Canberra found one third of respondents thought more money should be spent on defence, and the majority felt current spending was appropriate. Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on UNSW Canberra's Richard Dunley said while the survey showed there was good support for the Australian Defence Force generally and reasonable support for its growth, that dropped when respondents were asked whether more money should be spent. "I think that you're definitely seeing both political parties here being kind of ahead of public opinion, or sort of pushing back against that kind of sentiment," he said. Vote Compass data shows 78 per cent of respondents intending to vote for the Coalition believe more should be spent on the military compared to 47 per cent of support among those voting for Labor. Dr Dunley said the UNSW survey showed support for an increase in defence spending was lowest among those aged 18 to 29, which may be on account of other pressures, including the cost of living. "I think there's clearly been an effort to try and refocus on national security," he said. "I just don't think that, from what we've seen in terms of these numbers, that is necessarily going to cut through with the electorate this time around." Vote Compass is an educational tool designed to promote electoral literacy and civic engagement. While not a conventional public opinion poll, Vote Compass responses can be analysed using statistical methods similar to those used in polling to try to adjust for sampling bias. Responses have been weighted by gender, age, education, language, religion, place of residence and past vote to account for the selection effects of the sample, enabling us to make statistical inferences about the Australian population.
ABC News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Gender 'shaping' federal election as Vote Compass finds gen Z women are deeply progressive
Emma Garvey is voting for the first time at this federal election and her political views are similar to many women her age. She places herself on the left side of politics, drawn to progressive parties and policies. New Vote Compass data shows the majority of women under the age of 29 identify with the political left, creating a gap between them and their male peers. The 18-year-old, like many in her friendship circle, is still weighing up who to vote for, but she does know who she won't be supporting. Emma Garvey from Penrith is preparing to vote in her first federal election. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) "I feel like a lot of [my friends] are more anti-Dutton than they are pro-Albanese, like they're more anti-Liberal than they are pro-Labor," she said. "I feel like we've seen [Peter] Dutton trying to bring in that kind of [US President Donald] Trump politics, or the kind of Trump policies. "We've seen what's been happening over there [in the US] … young women are really worried about the risks that can pose to us, especially around women's rights." Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on According to Vote Compass data, 67 per cent of gen Z women identified as left or moderately left, this compared to 52 per cent of women from other generations. While overseas there's been an observed trend of young men drifting to the right, Vote Compass data suggests gen Z men in Australia often consider themselves progressive. Vote Compass found 50 per cent of males under 29 years old described themselves moderately left or left, compared to only 40 per cent of men from other generations. The data comes from a demographically weighted sample of more than 350,000. Gender 'shaping the election debate' In the last two elections, only 26 per cent of gen Z, those born between 1996 and 2012, reported voting for the Coalition, according to the 2022 Australian Election Study. "No other generation records such skewed preferences at similarly early stages of the life course," the study's authors wrote in the report. Female support for the Coalition was at an historic low in 2022, the report found. "The Coalition has never attracted such a low share of the vote overall, but from women in particular," the report said. Photo shows Hannah Ferguson Gen Z are more progressive than previous generations at the same age, with young women sitting furthest left on the political spectrum. Michelle Arrow, a history professor from Macquarie University, said across the world women have been moving to the left, leaving behind their male counterparts. "It's happening across the many western democracies, where women's vote is shifting from a more conservative base, which it was right up until the 1980s and 1990s," she said. "It reflects those broader social shifts that we've seen, more young women are in higher education, women still remain dominant in kind of care professions." The 2022 Australian election was defined by gender issues, but this campaign was different, Professor Arrow said. "[The 2022 election] was defined by allegations around misconduct in Parliament House, the rise of Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins as very powerful young advocates for women, the march for justice," she said. "I think gender is not being discussed as much of a frontline issue as it was in the 2022 campaign … but I think gender is still very much shaping the election debate." Young women 'not recognised' in campaigns Vote Compass data found gen Z women were more likely to be supportive of social and environmental causes when compared to other age groups. Australians under the age of 45, gen Z, and millennial generations now outnumber baby boomers as the largest voting bloc in this election, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. "Young women are not yet recognised as a central or a really important voting category," Professor Arrow said. "We still see a lot of the offerings more broadly in the campaign have been around cost of living relief, rather than things that have been specifically targeted to young women." Young Labor sought to attract new members alongside other parties at University of Wollongong's orientation week. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) Young voters can be uninformed or unengaged with the electoral process, a Grifith University study found earlier this year. Almost half of gen Z who did vote in the 2022 federal election said their main reason for doing so was to avoid being fined, the report found. Stella Giacon, 19, is frustrated by the lack of political action on the issues that matter to her, which she admits leads her to "disassociate" from politics. Stella Giacon says she wants to be able to vote for someone who has the best interests of young people in mind. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) "I'm extremely concerned about what's going on with our climate … I want to live in a world where polar bears and tigers exist, and I can explain to my children they're real," she said. The University of Wollongong student is frustrated by what she perceives to be a lack of understanding of the serious issues facing young people. "Just look at the problem of student debt, the current living situation for lots of young people," she said. "Rent is extremely high, wages aren't going up at the same rate of as rent, and I think it'd just be great if we could vote for someone who has our best interests in mind as the young people of this country." Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Professor Arrow believes Labor may have done a better job than the Coalition at appealing to young women this election. "We've seen some male politicians going on to influence the podcasts and trying to engage with younger voters in that way," she said. "We're seeing some kind of missteps from the Coalition's part, which perhaps reflects that they haven't learned the lessons of the 2022 election — most notably, you can see on the back flip around working from home." Emma Garvey doesn't believe the major parties have policies aimed at helping young people. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) Ms Garvey believes the major parties can offer much more to young people. "I feel like they're trying to appeal to young voters in general through their use of like TikTok and just jumping on trends randomly," she said. "But I don't think they're doing a lot with policy wise to really connect with them." Vote Compass is an educational tool designed to promote electoral literacy and civic engagement. While not a conventional public opinion poll, Vote Compass responses can be analysed using statistical methods similar to those used in polling to try to adjust for sampling bias. Responses have been weighted by gender, age, education, language, religion, place of residence and past vote to account for the selection effects of the sample, enabling us to make statistical inferences about the Australian population.
