More or less fair/equal
Q. Do you think Australian society is more or less equal and fair than 20 years ago?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
| Total more fair/equal |
28% |
23% |
38% |
14% |
22% |
|
| Total less fair/equal |
43% |
51% |
27% |
70% |
59% |
|
| A lot more equal and fair |
7% |
6% |
10% |
3% |
2% |
|
| A little more equal and fair |
21% |
17% |
28% |
11% |
20% |
|
| About the same |
23% |
18% |
31% |
14% |
14% |
|
| A little less equal and fair |
21% |
23% |
19% |
35% |
23% |
|
| A lot less equal and fair |
22% |
28% |
8% |
35% |
36% |
|
| Don’t know |
7% |
6% |
4% |
1% |
5% |
28% think that Australian society is more equal and fair than 20 years ago and 43% think it is less equal and fair. 23% think it is about the same.
Greens voters (70%), other party voters (59%) and Labor voters (51%) are more likely to think it is less equal/fair. 38% of Liberal/National voters think it is more equal/fair and 31% think it is about the same.
Younger respondents are split over whether Australia is more equal/fair (for age 18-34 – 35% more/32% less) while older respondents are more likely to think it is less equal/fair (for age 55+ – 22% more/53% less).
Importance of equality/fairness
Q. How important is equality/fairness to Australian society?
|
Equality |
|
Fairness |
|||||||||||
|
Total
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
||||
| Very important |
51% |
62% |
42% |
63% |
41% |
62% |
72% |
44% |
77% |
77% |
|||
| Somewhat important |
38% |
32% |
47% |
21% |
49% |
30% |
20% |
47% |
14% |
21% |
|||
| Not very important |
6% |
3% |
8% |
12% |
6% |
4% |
4% |
6% |
4% |
1% |
|||
| Not at all important |
1% |
1% |
1% |
5% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
1% |
|||
| Don’t know |
3% |
3% |
1% |
– |
2% |
2% |
2% |
– |
– |
– |
|||
Note: Half the sample was asked about “equality” and half asked about “fairness”.
51% of respondents think equality is very important compared to 62% who say fairness is very important.
While Liberal/National voters gave very similar answers to both equality and fairness, Labor voters, Greens voters and other voters think fairness is more important.
Australia – Fair and Just
Q. Compared to other advanced industrial countries would you say Australia is fairer and more just, about average, or less fair and just?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total more fair and just | 46% | 53% | 47% | 40% |
| A lot more fair and just | 14% | 18% | 14% | 7% |
| A little more fair and just | 32% | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| About average | 38% | 35% | 39% | 47% |
| A little less fair and just | 8% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
| A lot less fair and just | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 5% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
46% think that Australia is fairer and more just than other advanced industrial countries.
Labor voters (53%) are more likely to think Australia is more fair and just than Liberal/National voters (47%) or Greens voters (40%).
Australia – Fair and Just Compared
Q. Would you say that Australia is more or less fair and just as a nation and society than the following countries?
| More fair and just | About the same | Less fair and just | Don’t know | |
| China | 66% | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| The United States | 47% | 33% | 10% | 10% |
| Japan | 41% | 30% | 12% | 18% |
| France | 34% | 34% | 13% | 19% |
| The UK | 26% | 58% | 7% | 9% |
| Canada | 12% | 61% | 13% | 14% |
| New Zealand | 12% | 68% | 11% | 9% |
66% think Australia is a more fair and just society than China and 47% think Australia is more fair than the United States.
More than half think Australia is about as fair and just as New Zealand (68%), Canada (61%) and the UK (58%).
Views about the United States are similar across most demographic groups except for those on higher incomes – 51% of those on incomes over $1,600 pw think Australia is more fair and just than the United States.
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