Importance of Asylum Seeker Issue

Q. Is the issue of how Australia handles asylum seekers more or less important than issues such as managing the economy, education and health services? (This question has been commissioned by Network Ten)

	Total	Vote Labor	Vote Lib/Nat	Vote Greens	Men	Women	Age 18-34	Aged 35-54	Aged 55+
Total more or equally important	50%	49%	53%	56%	48%	52%	48%	50%	55%
A lot more important	5%	6%	6%	6%	3%	7%	5%	4%	8%
A little more important	5%	6%	5%	3%	6%	3%	5%	5%	5%
Equally important	40%	37%	42%	47%	39%	42%	38%	41%	42%
A little less important	21%	22%	21%	22%	18%	24%	25%	19%	20%
A lot less important	23%	23%	25%	19%	28%	18%	20%	26%	23%
Don’t know	5%	6%	1%	4%	4%	6%	8%	6%	2%

50% think that the issue of how Australia handles asylum seekers is more/equally important as issues such as managing the economy, education and health services – 44% think it is less important.

There were not substantial differences across voter and other groups – although Greens voters (56%) and those aged 55+ (55%) were a little more likely to think it was important.