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%.

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