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).
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.
13 February 2012, advanced industrial countries, Australia, fair and just, fairness, industrial countries, justice, Polling, polls
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%).
13 February 2012, Australia, Canada, China, fair and just, fairness, France, Japan, justice, New Zealand, Polling, polls, The UK, The United States
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.