Biggest threats to the world
Q. Which of the following international issues represents the biggest threat to the world? And which is the second biggest threat?
Total | Biggest threat | Second biggest threat | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
Terrorism | 61% | 43% | 18% | 61% | 71% | 35% | 57% | |
Global economic instability | 51% | 23% | 28% | 50% | 52% | 50% | 54% | |
Climate change | 38% | 21% | 17% | 47% | 21% | 68% | 36% | |
Fighting in the Middle East | 23% | 6% | 17% | 17% | 27% | 21% | 29% | |
Chinese economic slowdown | 12% | 4% | 8% | 12% | 13% | 4% | 12% | |
Tensions between Russia and its neighbours | 8% | 2% | 6% | 6% | 10% | 8% | 9% | |
Tensions between China and its neighbours | 7% | 1% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 14% | 3% |
61% think that terrorism is one of the two biggest threats to the world and 51% nominated global economic instability as one of the biggest threats.
38% think climate change is one of the two biggest threats.
Labor and Liberal/National voters nominated terrorism and global economic instability as the biggest threats while Greens voters were more likely to think climate change was a bigger threat (68%). Only 21% of Liberal/National voters think climate change is one of the two biggest threats.
Biggest threats to Australia
Q. Which of the following international issues represents the biggest threat to Australia? And which is the second biggest threat?
Total | Biggest threat | Second biggest threat | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
Global economic instability | 55% | 25% | 30% | 51% | 58% | 59% | 55% | |
Terrorism | 47% | 26% | 21% | 48% | 54% | 21% | 46% | |
Climate change | 38% | 22% | 16% | 47% | 18% | 72% | 31% | |
Chinese economic slowdown | 36% | 20% | 16% | 31% | 44% | 27% | 36% | |
Fighting in the Middle East | 12% | 3% | 9% | 10% | 13% | 9% | 15% | |
Tensions between China and its neighbours | 9% | 4% | 5% | 11% | 8% | 8% | 13% | |
Tensions between Russia and its neighbours | 3% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
55% think that global economic instability is one of the two biggest threats to Australia and 47% nominated terrorism as one of the biggest threats.
38% think climate change is one of the two biggest threats and 36% nominated the Chinese economic slowdown.
Labor voters think global economic instability, terrorism and climate change represent similar levels of threat while Liberal/National voters were more likely to think the Chinese economic slowdown was a threat. Only 18% of Liberal/National voters thought climate change was one of the two biggest threats to Australia.

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- Performance of Scott Morrison
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- Attitudes towards Craig Kelly controversy and Scott Morrison’s leadership
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