Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/224217
11 News survey mt maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2013 Between Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil who do you trust most? Joseph Muscat Simon Busuttil None Don't Know June 43.3 25.9 9.2 21.6 July October Now 39.7 47.4 26.7 31.1 8.4 7.2 25.1 14.3 46.4 29.6 11.2 12.8 by political allegiance Joseph Muscat Simon Busuttil None Don't know PN 6.9 85.1 2.3 5.7 PL 91.4 1.4 4.3 2.9 Switchers 56.5 8.7 21.7 13.1 How do you judge the performance of Joseph Muscat as Prime Minister Positively Negatively So-so Don't Know Now 46.6 12.6 33.1 7.7 October 50.6-4 14.7 -2.1 23.49.7 11.3 3.6 By political allegiance Positively Negatively So-So Don't Know Changed landscape PN Diff. 5.7 -0.1 40.2 15.6 51.7 16.9 2.4 -32.4 The survey suggests that the election of a Labour government has resulted in growing concerns about the environment, jobs and immi- PL 85 1.4 10 3.6 Diff. 1.2 -0.3 -2 1.1 Switchers Diff. 56.5 0.5 8.7 0.7 26.1 -9.9 8.7 8.7 gration and transport related issues and a lower concern for the cost of living and utility bills. On the eve of the first protest by environmentalists under a La- bour government concern on the environment has shot up from being one of the two top concerns of 5% of respondents in June to 12% now. GENERAL PROGRAMME SOLIDARITY & MANAGEMENT OF MIGRATION FLOWS 2007-2013 Tender is part-financed from the European Union External Border Funds (EBF) Co-financing rate: 75% EU Funds: 25% National Funds Sustainable Management of Migration Flows Most respondents mentioning the environment referred to overdevelopment and wrong planning decisions. Concern on immigration has also increased from just 2% before the first arrivals of the year to 11% now. Concern for the cost of living expressed by 67% of respondents in 2009 had already fallen to 27% in June. Now concern on the cost of living has fallen to an all-time low of 13%. Moreover, concern on Labour's electoral trump card, the utility bills issue, has fallen from 50% in 2010 to 20% in June and just 7% now. Significantly people are now more concerned by the state of the roads than by utility bills. The decrease on concern over utility bills comes in the wake of a commitment by the government to reduce the bills by 25% as from next March. Since there has been no significant change to the rate of inflation and the utility bills will only decrease in March, the result can be attributed to reluctance by Labour-oriented respondents to express the same concerns as before. The decrease in the percentage of respondents who mention utility bills as one of their two top concerns could also indicate that respondents are reassured by the new government's plan to eventually reduce these bills. Labour respondents are also more likely to mention less partisan issues as their main concerns. While only 6% of PN voters mentioned the state of the roads as one of their two top concerns, the percentage rises to 15% among Labour voters. Significantly, concern on environmental issues is markedly higher among PN voters. While the environment is one of the two top concerns of 16% of PN voters, it is only a concern for 6% of PL voters. On the other hand, immigration is a top concern for 13% of PL voters and only 7% of PN voters. And while 27% of PN voters mentioned the new citizenship scheme as one of their top two concerns, only 2% of PL voters did likewise. Significantly concern on employment has now emerged as the top concern of the Maltese people. This is a complete reversal of the situation under the previous administration, when concern on jobs was always surpassed by that of the cost of living and utility bills. Concern on health services has also risen dramatically, by eight points from just 2% last year to 11% now. The survey also shows a greater diversity of concerns expressed by respondents when compared to last year. A record 27.2% (up from 19% in June) expressed their concern on issues falling under the remit of Transport Malta and Transport Minister Joe Mizzi, namely roads, traffic and public transport. Following the removal of bendy buses and their replacement with a fleet of older buses, concern on public transport has shot up from 5% to 11%. Methodology 567 respondents were contacted by telephone between Monday 2 December and Thursday 5 December. 400 accepted to be interviewed. The results of the survey were weighed to reflect the age and gender balance of the population. The survey has a margin of error of +/-4.9%.