A new Morgan poll shows that for the first time, less than half of Australians — 46%, down 4% since November — approve of the government’s proposed CPRS.

An increasing number of Australians, 36% (up 5%) of Australians disapprove of the proposed legislation; although 5% (up 3%) say “it doesn’t go far enough”, 14% (up 3%) don’t understand the legislation and 4% (down 4%) can’t say.

Special analysis by age group shows that the older voters get, the less inclined they are to favour the legislation: 59% (down 12%) of 14-17-year-olds favour the legislation compared to 55% (down 5%) of 18-24-year-olds, 60% (up 7%) of 25-34-year-olds, 50% (down 6%) of 35-49-year-olds and just 34% (down 6%) of Australians 50+.

In a special telephone Roy Morgan survey conducted on the evenings of January 13/14, 2010, with an Australia-wide cross-section of 659 men and women aged 14 or over, opinion on the Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme also seems to be crystalising along party lines.

According to the Morgan poll, an increasing number of coalition supporters disapprove of the government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation. When asked if they approved of the legislation set to be reintroduced in federal Parliament in February, 62%, (up 17%) of coalition supporters said they disapproved.

Those polled were asked:

In December the government’s carbon emissions trading scheme was defeated in Parliament. The Rudd government has pledged to reintroduce the legislation, known as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, to federal Parliament in February 2010. Do you approve or disapprove of this legislation?

Clear majorities of ALP (66%, up 1% since November 11/12, 2009) and Greens (55%, up 3%) supporters approve of the government’s proposed carbon emissions trading scheme.

“Views on global warming itself are also solidifying along party lines with 51% (up 5%) of L-NP supporters saying that “concerns are exaggerated” compared to only 22% (up 4%) of ALP supporters and 13% (up 2%) of Greens supporters,” said pollster Gary Morgan.

Meanwhile, 31% (up 1%) say “concerns are exaggerated” about global warming.