Processing Asylum Seekers

Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to PNG and Malaysia if it means it will cost taxpayers substantially more than it would if we just processed asylum seekers on the mainland in Australia?

	Total	Vote Labor	Vote Liberal/ National	Vote Greens
Total support	24%	35%	23%	15%
Total oppose	60%	49%	66%	69%
Strongly support	6%	8%	6%	3%
Support	18%	27%	17%	12%
Oppose	29%	31%	25%	35%
Strongly oppose	31%	18%	41%	34%
Don’t know	16%	16%	11%	16%

Respondents were more likely to oppose the plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to PNG and Malaysia if it means it will cost taxpayers substantially more than it would if we just processed asylum seekers on the mainland in Australia – 24% support and 60% oppose.

Labor voters showed the largest shift in opinion if increased cost to taxpayers was taken into account  – their opposition increased from 25% to 49%.