Attitudes towards Temporary Migrants
Q. Temporary migrants include people on skilled worker visas (which are used to cover jobs where there are skill shortages including engineers, nurses and scientists), most New Zealand citizens living in Australia, and international students.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree, nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| Temporary migrants support the economy by spending their money in Australia | 57% | 17% | 19% | 39% | 23% | 12% | 5% | 3% |
| Businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants | 54% | 21% | 26% | 28% | 22% | 13% | 8% | 3% |
| If temporary migrants pay the same taxes as Australian citizens, they should be entitled to the same government support | 52% | 20% | 21% | 31% | 24% | 11% | 9% | 4% |
| It’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries | 52% | 20% | 21% | 31% | 24% | 13% | 7% | 4% |
| Without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages | 48% | 23% | 15% | 33% | 24% | 12% | 11% | 5% |
| Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants | 41% | 27% | 18% | 23% | 28% | 14% | 12% | 4% |
| TOTAL: Agree | Employment Status | Federal Voting Intention | ||||||
| Total | In paid employment | Not in paid employment | Retired | Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |
| Temporary migrants support the economy by spending their money in Australia | 57% | 60% | 51% | 64% | 59% | 62% | 56% | 50% |
| Businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants | 54% | 53% | 46% | 67% | 50% | 61% | 40% | 75% |
| If temporary migrants pay the same taxes as Australian citizens, they should be entitled to the same government support | 52% | 57% | 48% | 52% | 56% | 51% | 55% | 51% |
| It’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries | 52% | 52% | 44% | 63% | 51% | 59% | 32% | 65% |
| Without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages | 48% | 51% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 57% | 45% | 34% |
| Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants | 41% | 43% | 31% | 52% | 41% | 46% | 22% | 57% |
| Base (n) | 1,067 | 550 | 254 | 212 | 306 | 418 | 86 | 143 |
- More than half of participants agree with any of the statements about temporary migrants – except without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages (48%) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (41%).
- Retirees are more likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (67%), Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (52%) and it’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries (63%) than other participants (51%, 39% and 49% respectively).
- Similarly other or independent party voters are most likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (75% v 55% all other voters) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (57% v 41% all other voters).
- Coalition most likely to agree without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages (57% v 44% all other voters).
- Greens voters are least likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (40% v 59% all other voters), Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (22% v 45% all other voters) and it’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries (32% v 57% all other voters).
- Participants who support Kristina Kenneally’s “Australia first” approach more likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (68%) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (52%).
Government support
Q. Thinking about Government welfare and services, do you think the following groups of people receive enough support, too much support or about the right support from the Government?
|
Too much support |
Not enough support |
About the right support |
Don’t know |
|
| Children |
11% |
38% |
38% |
13% |
| Young adults |
15% |
41% |
32% |
11% |
| Families with school-aged children |
14% |
36% |
38% |
11% |
| Middle aged |
8% |
33% |
44% |
15% |
| Retirees |
6% |
56% |
27% |
11% |
A majority (56%) think that retirees don’t get enough Government support and 41% don’t think young adults get enough support. 44% think middle aged people get about the right support.
By age group, those most likely to think each group does not get enough support were –
Children – aged 35-54 43%
Young adults – aged 18-24 54%
Families with school-aged children – aged 25-44 41%
Middle aged – aged 45-54 45%
Retirees – aged 45-64 66%
View of Manufacturing Industry
Q. Thinking about the Australian manufacturing industry, which of the following statements is closest to your view?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| With Government support, Australia can have a successful manufacturing industry |
63% |
67% |
63% |
68% |
| There is no future for manufacturing in Australia and Government support would be a waste of money |
17% |
15% |
21% |
14% |
| Don’t know |
21% |
18% |
16% |
18% |
63% agreed that “with Government support, Australia can have a successful manufacturing industry” and 17% agreed that “there is no future for manufacturing in Australia and Government support would be a waste of money”.
There was little difference by voting intention. Older respondents were more supportive of manufacturing than younger respondents – 68% of those aged 55+ agreed that “with Government support, Australia can have a successful manufacturing industry” compared to 55% of those aged 18-34.
Support for Julian Assange
Q. Julian Assange faces extradition from the UK to Sweden for an investigation into sexual assault allegations. In Sweden he will be detained while the investigation continues, and he may be extradited to the United States to face charges relating to WikiLeaks’s release of US diplomatic cables.
Do you think the Australian government has provided appropriate support to Assange given he faces investigation for sexual assault in Sweden and possible extradition to the US?
|
19 Mar 2012 |
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Government have provided appropriate support |
22% |
28% |
37% |
30% |
16% |
| Government have not provided appropriate support |
36% |
33% |
34% |
32% |
42% |
| Don’t know |
41% |
38% |
29% |
38% |
41% |
33% (down 3% since March) believe that Julian Assange has not received appropriate support from the Australian Government and 28% (up 6%) think he has received appropriate support. 38% could not give an opinion.
39% of men think the Government has not provided appropriate support compared to 28% of women – mainly due the 47% of women who said they “don’t know”. 34% of respondents aged 18-34 think Julian Assange has not received appropriate support compared to 21% who think the Government has provided appropriate support.
Government Support
Q7. During their term in office, do you think the Rudd Government has given too much support, not enough support or just about the right amount of support to the following –
| Given too much support | Given enough support | Not given enough support | Don’t know | |
| Pensioners | 3% | 27% | 57% | 12% |
| Poor families | 3% | 28% | 54% | 16% |
| Country Australia | 2% | 31% | 46% | 21% |
| Small businesses | 2% | 37% | 39% | 22% |
| Working people | 2% | 47% | 37% | 13% |
| Unemployed workers | 10% | 37% | 34% | 19% |
| Recent immigrants | 41% | 26% | 17% | 17% |
| Large businesses | 26% | 37% | 14% | 23% |
| Unions | 19% | 42% | 13% | 26% |
| The banks and other large financial institutions | 43% | 33% | 5% | 19% |
About half the respondents think that the Rudd Government has not given enough support to pensioners (57%), poor families (54%) and country Australia (46%). A sizable proportion think that too much support has been given to the banks and other large financial institutions (43%) and recent immigrants (41%). 47% think the Rudd Government has given enough support to working people and 42% think they have given enough support to unions.
Among Labor voters, 50% think the Government has not given enough support to pensioners and 54% think they have not given enough support to poor families. Comments »
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