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  • Jun, 2014

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    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).

     

  • Jun, 2014

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    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.

  • Feb, 2012

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    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%).

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  • Feb, 2012

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    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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