Policy on asylum seekers
Q: If the Labor Party was elected into Government at the next election, do you think they would keep the Coalition Government’s policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat or do you think they would change the policy?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Would keep the policy | 28% | 38% | 27% | 30% | 26% | |
| Would change the policy | 38% | 26% | 54% | 29% | 46% | |
| Don’t know | 34% | 36% | 20% | 41% | 28% |
38% think that if the Labor Party is elected, they would change the Coalition Government’s policy on asylum seekers and 28% think they would keep the Coalition policy.
More than half the Liberal/National voters think Labor would change the Coalition policy.
Too soft or too tough on asylum seekers
Q. Do you think the Federal Liberal/National Government is too tough or too soft on asylum seekers or is it taking the right approach?
|
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Oct 10 |
Jul 12 |
Jan 14 |
| Too tough |
25% |
37% |
6% |
79% |
25% |
7% |
12% |
22% |
||
| Too soft |
28% |
28% |
29% |
15% |
33% |
63% |
60% |
25% |
||
| Taking the right approach |
34% |
16% |
60% |
4% |
38% |
18% |
11% |
35% |
||
| Don’t know |
13% |
19% |
5% |
3% |
4% |
12% |
17% |
18% |
28% think the Government is too soft on asylum seekers, 25% think they are too tough and 34% think they are taking the right approach.
Since this question was last asked in January, those thinking the Government are too tough has increased slightly from 22% to 25% – while too soft has also increased slightly from 25% to 28%. Those unable to give an opinion has dropped from 18% to 13%.
Those most likely to think they are taking the right approach were Liberal/National voters (60%) and aged 55+ (48%).
Government handling of issues
Q. How would you rate the Federal Liberal-National Government for the way they have handled the following issues?
|
Total good |
Total poor |
Net score |
Very good |
Good |
Average |
Poor |
Very poor |
Don’t know |
|
| Managing the economy |
34% |
31% |
+3 |
12% |
22% |
29% |
16% |
15% |
6% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers |
37% |
36% |
+1 |
18% |
19% |
18% |
11% |
25% |
9% |
| Relations with other countries |
29% |
32% |
-3 |
8% |
21% |
30% |
13% |
19% |
8% |
| Education and schools |
28% |
35% |
-7 |
6% |
22% |
28% |
19% |
16% |
8% |
| Supporting Australian businesses |
27% |
34% |
-7 |
8% |
19% |
31% |
18% |
16% |
8% |
| Protecting the environment |
26% |
36% |
-10 |
7% |
19% |
28% |
14% |
22% |
9% |
| Social welfare |
27% |
39% |
-12 |
8% |
19% |
26% |
17% |
22% |
8% |
| Industrial relations |
26% |
38% |
-12 |
9% |
17% |
27% |
18% |
20% |
9% |
| Health services |
25% |
38% |
-13 |
6% |
19% |
29% |
20% |
18% |
7% |
| Climate change |
24% |
39% |
-15 |
10% |
14% |
28% |
13% |
26% |
9% |
| Supporting Australian jobs |
25% |
44% |
-19 |
8% |
17% |
26% |
20% |
24% |
6% |
The Government received negative rating for all issues except managing the economy (34% good/31% poor) and treatment of asylum seekers (37%/36%).
Highest negative ratings were given for supporting Australian jobs (25% good/44% poor), climate change (24%/39%), health services (25%/38%), industrial relations (26%/38%) and social welfare (27%/39%).
Whether asylum seekers are genuine refugees
Q. As far as you know, are most asylum seekers arriving by in Australia boat genuine refugees or are most of them not genuine refugees?
|
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Most of them are genuine refugees |
30% |
41% |
18% |
67% |
24% |
|
| Most of them are not genuine refugees |
47% |
39% |
59% |
18% |
54% |
|
| Don’t know |
23% |
20% |
23% |
15% |
22% |
47% of respondents believe that most asylum seekers arriving by boat are not genuine refugees – 30% believe most are genuine refugees.
Those more likely to think most are not genuine refugees were Liberal/National voters (59%), aged 45+ (55%) and those who had not completed secondary education (58%). Those more likely to think most are genuine refugees were Greens voters (67%), Labor voters (41%) and those with university education (36%).
Treatment of asylum seekers
Q. Which of the following comes is closest to your view?
|
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| All asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be sent back to the country they came from even if they are genuine refugees |
26% |
20% |
36% |
8% |
27% |
|
| Asylum seekers arriving by boat should be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees |
46% |
52% |
35% |
72% |
51% |
|
| Asylum seekers arriving by boat should not be allowed to stay in Australia but be resettled in another country if they are found to be genuine refugees |
15% |
13% |
19% |
4% |
17% |
|
| All asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be allowed to stay in Australia whether they are genuine refugees or not |
3% |
5% |
1% |
7% |
1% |
|
| Don’t know |
10% |
10% |
9% |
9% |
4% |
46% think that asylum seekers arriving by boat should be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees and 26% think all asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be sent back to the country they came from even if they are genuine refugees. Only 15% think asylum seekers arriving by boat should not be allowed to stay in Australia but be resettled in another country if they are found to be genuine refugees.
Those more likely to think they should be sent back to the country they came from were Liberal/National voters (36%), aged 55+ (32%) and those that had not completed secondary education (41%).
Those more likely to think they should be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees were Greens voters (72%), Labor voters (52%) and those with university education (55%).
Too soft or too tough on asylum seekers
Q. Do you think the Federal Liberal/National Government is too tough or too soft on asylum seekers or is it taking the right approach?
|
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Oct 10 |
Jul 12 |
| Too tough |
22% |
37% |
3% |
68% |
16% |
7% |
12% |
||
| Too soft |
25% |
23% |
23% |
14% |
41% |
63% |
60% |
||
| Taking the right approach |
35% |
19% |
61% |
5% |
25% |
18% |
11% |
||
| Don’t know |
18% |
21% |
13% |
13% |
18% |
12% |
17% |
25% think the Government is too soft on asylum seekers, 22% think they are too tough and 35% think they are taking the right approach.
Since this question was last asked in July 2012, those thinking the Governmemnt are too tough has increased from 12% to 22% – while too soft has declined from 60% to 25% and taking the right approach increased from 11% to 35%.
Those most likely to think they are taking the right approach were Liberal/National voters (61%) and aged 55+ (47%).
Information about asylum seeker boat arrivals
Q. Under previous Governments the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has issued statements whenever an asylum-seeker boat arrived. Do you approve or disapprove of the Abbott Government’s decision to stop providing this information about the arrival of asylum-seeker boats?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total approve |
39% |
16% |
67% |
13% |
|
| Total disapprove |
48% |
75% |
21% |
74% |
|
| Strongly approve |
16% |
5% |
31% |
7% |
|
| Approve |
23% |
11% |
36% |
6% |
|
| Disapprove |
16% |
20% |
15% |
13% |
|
| Strongly disapprove |
32% |
55% |
6% |
61% |
|
| Don’t know |
13% |
9% |
12% |
12% |
39% approve of the Abbott Government’s decision to stop providing information about the arrival of asylum-seeker boats and 48% disapprove.
Views are strongly associated with political party preference – 75% of Labor voters and 74% of Greens voters disapprove while 67% of Liberal/National voters approve.
Importance of asylum seeker issue
Q. How important is the asylum seeker issue of in deciding which party you will vote for in the Federal election?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
17 Jun 13 |
|
| The most important issue |
7% |
6% |
8% |
4% |
6% |
||
| One of the most important issues |
28% |
27% |
31% |
34% |
28% |
||
| Quite important but not as important as other issues |
35% |
40% |
36% |
33% |
37% |
||
| Not very important |
16% |
16% |
16% |
19% |
14% |
||
| Not at all important |
8% |
7% |
8% |
9% |
10% |
||
| Don’t know |
6% |
4% |
1% |
1% |
5% |
35% of respondents think the asylum seeker issue is the most important or one of the most important election issues.
39% of Liberal/National voters think it is one of or the most important issues.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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