Essential Report
Support for Malaysia Proposal
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to Malaysia?
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Heard a lot | Heard something | Heard a little/ nothing | |
Total support | 40% | 47% | 40% | 27% | 34% | 42% | 46% |
Total oppose | 39% | 33% | 45% | 51% | 60% | 39% | 28% |
Strongly support | 13% | 13% | 15% | 4% | 14% | 11% | 15% |
Support | 27% | 34% | 25% | 23% | 20% | 31% | 31% |
Oppose | 22% | 21% | 24% | 31% | 26% | 24% | 20% |
Strongly oppose | 17% | 12% | 21% | 20% | 34% | 15% | 8% |
Don’t know | 21% | 20% | 14% | 23% | 6% | 19% | 27% |
40% support the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to Malaysia and 39% oppose.
Those who say they have heard more about it are more likely to oppose this proposal. Only 34% of those who have heard a lot about it support the proposal compared to 46% of those who have heard a little or nothing. There were not substantial differences by gender or age.

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