asylum seekers, ER, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, leaders, Malaysia solution, political leaders, tony abbott
Q. Regardless of how you vote, what words would you use to describe the positions taken by Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott on the issue of asylum seekers, including the recent attempt at legislating the deal with Malaysia?
| Julia Gillard | Tony Abbott | Difference | |
| Just playing politics | 46% | 47% | -1 |
| Stubborn | 26% | 20% | +6 |
| Unethical | 24% | 14% | +10 |
| Too soft | 21% | 7% | +14 |
| Populist | 13% | 14% | -1 |
| Cruel | 13% | 9% | +4 |
| Responsible | 11% | 16% | -5 |
| Fair | 10% | 15% | -5 |
| Too hard | 10% | 6% | +4 |
| Balanced | 7% | 11% | -4 |
| Principled | 6% | 11% | -5 |
| Visionary | 6% | 5% | +1 |
Nearly half the respondents believe that both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have been “just playing politics” over the issue of asylum seekers.
The main differences between the leaders positions on asylum seekers were that Julia Gillard was more likely to be considered “too soft” (21% to 7%) and “unethical” (24% to 14%). Julia Gillard was also a little more likely to be considered “stubborn” (26% to 20%).
asylum seekers, Essential Report, immigration, Polling
Q. From what you have read and heard, what percentage of Australia’s annual immigration intake are asylum seekers arriving by boat?
| 7 Jun 2010 | This week | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| 50% or more | 10% | 12% | 11% | 13% | 10% |
| About 25% | 15% | 11% | 10% | 12% | 6% |
| About 10% | 13% | 10% | 9% | 10% | 8% |
| About 5% | 15% | 16% | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| 1% or less | 18% | 25% | 26% | 24% | 39% |
| Don’t know | 30% | 27% | 25% | 23% | 21% |
Twenty three per cent (23%) of respondents think that the proportion of asylum seeker intake by boat is 25% or more of the annual immigration intake.
Ten per cent (10%) of respondents think that the percentage of boat arrivals is about 10% of annual immigration intake and 16% believe it to be about 5%.
Twenty five per cent (25%) of respondents believe that the proportion of asylum seekers arriving by boat constitutes 1% or less of our annual immigration intake and 27% of respondents don’t know.
Greens voters are the most likely to think that the percentage was 1% or less, with 39% of Greens respondents selecting this response.
The proportion of respondents believing the proportion to be ‘1% or less’ has shifted 7 points up from 18% to 25% since 7 June 2010.
asylum seekers, boat people, Essential Report, Polling, Processing Asylum Seekers
Q. Thinking about the issue of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat, which of the following alternatives do you think is the best way to process those arriving:
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | 50% or more | About 25% | About 10% | About 5% | 1% or less | |||
| Offshore, in any other country | 11% | 17% | 11% | 5% | 17% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 9% | ||
| Offshore, but only in a country where human rights are protected | 31% | 31% | 37% | 25% | 27% | 41% | 36% | 40% | 30% | ||
| Onshore (in Australia) | 21% | 24% | 11% | 58% | 4% | 7% | 19% | 27% | 42% | ||
| Turn the boats around | 28% | 21% | 36% | 6% | 51% | 39% | 30% | 23% | 15% | ||
| Don’t know | 9% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 3% | 4% |
The most favoured method of processing asylum seekers was ‘offshore, but only in a country where human rights are protected’ (31%), followed by ‘turn the boats around’ (28%).
Respondents then favour processing ‘onshore in Australia’ (21%) over processing asylum seekers ‘offshore in any other country’ (11%).
Coalition voters are more likely to prefer processing asylum seekers offshore where human rights are protected (37%), as well as turning the boats around (36%).
Greens voters are much more likely to prefer onshore processing in Australia (58%). Labor voters are more likely to prefer processing offshore in any other country (17%) and somewhat more likely to prefer processing ‘onshore in Australia’ (24%).
Respondents that believe the proportion of boat arrivals constitute ‘50% or more’ of the annual immigration intake are far more likely to favour ‘turning the boats around’ (51%).
Conversely, respondents that believe the proportion to be ‘1% or less’ are far more likely to be in favour of processing onshore in Australia (42%).
approach to asylum seekers, asylum seekers, boat people, Essential Report, human rights, Polling, Processing Asylum Seekers
Q. Thinking about asylum seekers arriving in Australia, how important do you think each of the following features are for a good refugee processing system?
| Very important | Important | Not very important | Not at all important | Don’t know | Total Important | Total Not Important | ||
| Stopping the boats | 52% | 22% | 11% | 8% | 7% | 74% | 19% | |
| Keeping costs down | 47% | 34% | 11% | 2% | 6% | 81% | 13% | |
| Protecting human rights | 42% | 38% | 9% | 5% | 6% | 80% | 14% | |
| Avoiding prolonged detention | 35% | 33% | 13% | 12% | 8% | 68% | 25% | |
| Making sure children have their claims processed in Australia | 26% | 32% | 18% | 13% | 11% | 58% | 31% | |
| Allowing Australian courts to review claims | 22% | 34% | 16% | 16% | 12% | 56% | 32% | |
| Approval from the United Nations | 22% | 32% | 20% | 16% | 11% | 54% | 36% | |
| Making sure asylum seekers are not returned to the countries they have fled | 20% | 29% | 18% | 20% | 13% | 49% | 38% |
Please note: ‘Total Important’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘Very Important’ and ‘Important’ together. ‘Total Not Important’ is an aggregate figure that has been achieved by adding ‘Not very important’ and ‘Not at all important’ together.
The most important feature of a ‘good refugee processing system’ is ‘keeping the costs down’, with 81% of respondents regarding this to be either very important or important, followed by ‘protecting human rights’ (80% total important).
Seventy four per cent (74%) of respondents believed that ‘stopping the boats’ is an important feature and 68% regard ‘avoiding prolonged detention’ to be an important feature.
Amongst the least important features of a good refugee processing system is ‘approval from the United Nations’, with only 54% regarding this to be important and 36% viewing it as not important.
Making sure asylum seekers are not returned to the countries they have fled was the least important attribute, with only 49% believing it to be important and 38% regarding it as not important.
approach to asylum seekers, asylum seekers, boat people, Essential Report, Polling, Processing Asylum Seekers
Q. Thinking about the issue of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat – do you think they should be processed in Australia or should they be sent to another country for processing?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Process in Australia | 36% | 44% | 27% | 73% |
| Sent to another country | 53% | 44% | 65% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 12% | 8% | 12% |
53% favour sending asylum seekers to another country for processing and 36% favour processing them in Australia. Liberal/National voters strongly favour sending them to another country (65%), Greens voters strongly favour processing them in Australia (73%) and Labor voters are split (44%/44%).
Respondents aged under 35 are split (43% Australia/41% another country) but older respondents strongly favour processing overseas (aged 55+ = 62% another country/32% Australia).
asylum seekers, Essential Report, Polling, polls
Q. How concerned are you about the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very concerned | 43% | 36% | 54% | 12% |
| Somewhat concerned | 24% | 27% | 27% | 17% |
| A little concerned | 15% | 17% | 11% | 26% |
| Not at all concerned | 15% | 19% | 7% | 44% |
| Don’t know | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
43% were very concerned and 24% somewhat concerned about the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat. 30% were only a little or not concerned.
60% of those aged 55+ were very concerned compared to 26% of those aged under 35.
asylum, asylum seekers, Essential Report, Polling, polls
Q. As far as you know, has the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat, increased or decreased over the last 12 months?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total increased | 62% | 51% | 74% | 36% |
| Total decreased | 7% | 10% | 5% | 11% |
| Increased a lot | 36% | 24% | 50% | 7% |
| Increased a little | 26% | 27% | 24% | 29% |
| Stayed about the same | 20% | 28% | 14% | 33% |
| Decreased a little | 6% | 8% | 5% | 9% |
| Decreased a lot | 1% | 2% | * | 2% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 11% | 6% | 20% |
62% believe that the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat has increased over the last 12 months, 20% think it has stayed the same and 7% think it has decreased. 74% of Liberal/National voters think it has increased compared to 51% of Labor voters and 36% of Greens voters.
Of those who think it has increased, 59% said they were very concerned (in answer to the previous question) – and of those who think it has stayed the same or decreased, only 18% were very concerned.
asylum seeker issue, asylum seekers, boat people, Essential Report, Polling, polls
Q. Actually, the number of asylum seekers reaching Australia by boat has fallen by more than half in 2011 compared to 2010. Based on that information, now how concerned are you about the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very concerned | 33% | 24% | 43% | 9% |
| Somewhat concerned | 25% | 27% | 30% | 11% |
| A little concerned | 20% | 23% | 17% | 26% |
| Not at all concerned | 19% | 25% | 8% | 50% |
| Don’t know | 3% | 2% | 1% | 3% |
When told that the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat had fallen by more than half, 33% said they were very concerned (down 10% from the earlier question), 25% somewhat concerned (up 1%) and 39% a little or not concerned (up 9%).
The shifts were similar across all demographic groups.