Buying submarines from Japan
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government buying submarines from Japan if it is cheaper than building them in Australia?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total support |
28% |
19% |
40% |
28% |
17% |
|
| Total oppose |
51% |
60% |
42% |
57% |
70% |
|
| Strongly support |
6% |
3% |
9% |
1% |
7% |
|
| Support |
22% |
16% |
31% |
27% |
10% |
|
| Oppose |
23% |
22% |
25% |
23% |
25% |
|
| Strongly oppose |
28% |
38% |
17% |
34% |
45% |
|
| Don’t know |
22% |
20% |
17% |
15% |
12% |
28% support the Government buying submarines from Japan if it is cheaper than building them in Australia and 51% oppose.
While most voters are strongly opposed, Liberal/National voters are split (40% support/42% oppose).
Defence links with Japan
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of Australia having closer defence links with Japan?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
| Total approve |
52% |
52% |
64% |
40% |
41% |
|
| Total disapprove |
18% |
20% |
14% |
19% |
25% |
|
| Strongly approve |
9% |
8% |
14% |
9% |
6% |
|
| Approve |
43% |
44% |
50% |
31% |
35% |
|
| Disapprove |
13% |
14% |
11% |
13% |
15% |
|
| Strongly disapprove |
5% |
6% |
3% |
6% |
10% |
|
| Don’t know |
30% |
28% |
22% |
42% |
35% |
52% approve and 18% disapprove of Australia having closer defence links with Japan.
Highest approval came from Liberal/National voters (64%), men (64%) and aged 55+ (64%).
Highest disapproval came from other party voters (25%) and those on incomes under $600pw (26%).
Relationships with Japan and China
Q. Is it more important for Australia to have a close relationship with Japan or China?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
| Relationship with Japan more important |
5% |
5% |
8% |
2% |
2% |
|
| Relationship with China more important |
15% |
18% |
15% |
12% |
13% |
|
| Both equally important |
62% |
61% |
65% |
72% |
63% |
|
| Neither are important |
5% |
5% |
3% |
2% |
12% |
|
| Don’t know |
12% |
11% |
10% |
12% |
10% |
62% think it is equally important to have close relationships with China and Japan. 15% think the relationship with China is more important and 5% think the relationship with Japan is more important.
21% of respondents aged under 35 and 20% of those with university education think the relationship with China is more important.
Importance of relationships with other countries
Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?
|
|
Very important |
Quite important |
Not very important |
Don’t know |
|
Very Important 28 Mar 11 |
Very Important 14 Nov 11 |
Change |
| United States |
55% |
36% |
5% |
3% |
60% |
55% |
– |
|
| New Zealand |
54% |
36% |
7% |
3% |
69% |
61% |
-7 |
|
| United Kingdom |
47% |
44% |
6% |
3% |
56% |
47% |
– |
|
| China |
45% |
44% |
6% |
4% |
48% |
48% |
-3 |
|
| Indonesia |
33% |
43% |
18% |
5% |
31% |
27% |
+6 |
|
| Japan |
31% |
52% |
12% |
5% |
39% |
32% |
-1 |
|
| India |
26% |
45% |
22% |
6% |
26% |
23% |
+3 |
|
| Germany |
20% |
44% |
29% |
7% |
23% |
18% |
+2 |
|
| South Africa |
14% |
35% |
43% |
8% |
16% |
12% |
+2 |
More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (54%) and the United States (55%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with the China (45%) and the United Kingdom (47%).
A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 60% of Liberal/National voters, 60% of Labor voters and 43% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked last November, there have been decreases in the rating of the importance of relations with New Zealand (-7%) and an increase in the rating of the importance of relations with Indonesia (+6%).
Change in relationships with other countries
Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?
|
|
Get closer |
Stay the same |
Become less close |
Don’t know |
|
Get closer 28 Mar 11 |
Get closer 14 Nov 11 |
Change |
| China |
29% |
50% |
9% |
12% |
|
32% |
35% |
-6 |
| New Zealand |
26% |
59% |
4% |
11% |
|
37% |
33% |
-7 |
| Indonesia |
25% |
47% |
16% |
12% |
|
21% |
23% |
+2 |
| India |
24% |
47% |
15% |
14% |
|
19% |
23% |
+1 |
| Japan |
22% |
59% |
7% |
13% |
|
26% |
24% |
-2 |
| United Kingdom |
21% |
62% |
6% |
10% |
|
25% |
19% |
+2 |
| United States |
21% |
59% |
10% |
10% |
|
24% |
18% |
+3 |
| Germany |
18% |
59% |
7% |
16% |
|
18% |
20% |
-2 |
| South Africa |
12% |
57% |
14% |
16% |
|
13% |
14% |
-2 |
29% favour closer relations with China, 26% with New Zealand, 25% with Indonesia and 24% with India.
Liberal/National voters are more likely to favour closer relationships with United States (25%).
Greens voters are more likely to favour closer relationships with Indonesia (34%), Japan (34%) and India (44%),
Since this question was asked last year, the percentages wanting a closer relationship with the China (-7%) and the New Zealand (-6%) have declined.
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.
Importance of Relationships with Other Countries
Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?
| Very important | Quite important | Not very important | Don’t know | Very Important 15 Nov | Change | ||
| New Zealand | 69% | 24% | 4% | 3% | 54% | +15 | |
| United States | 60% | 33% | 5% | 2% | 56% | +4 | |
| United Kingdom | 56% | 35% | 6% | 3% | 44% | +12 | |
| China | 48% | 42% | 6% | 4% | 45% | +3 | |
| Japan | 39% | 47% | 9% | 4% | 30% | +9 | |
| Indonesia | 31% | 43% | 20% | 6% | 30% | +1 | |
| India | 26% | 42% | 26% | 5% | 24% | +2 | |
| Germany | 23% | 42% | 29% | 6% | 15% | +8 | |
| South Africa | 16% | 36% | 39% | 8% | 12% | +4 |
More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (69%), United States (60%) and the United Kingdom (56%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with China (48%).
A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 70% of Liberal/National voters and 57% of Labor voters and 48% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked in November, there have been substantial increases in the rating of the importance of relations with New Zealand (+15%), United Kingdom (+12%) and Japan (+9%).
Change in Relationships with Other Countries
Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?
| Get closer | Stay the same | Become less close | Don’t know | Get closer
15 Nov |
Change | ||
| New Zealand | 37% | 55% | 3% | 5% | 29% | +8 | |
| China | 32% | 52% | 9% | 7% | 30% | +2 | |
| Japan | 26% | 59% | 8% | 7% | 21% | +5 | |
| United Kingdom | 25% | 62% | 7% | 5% | 20% | +5 | |
| United States | 24% | 61% | 11% | 5% | 20% | +4 | |
| Indonesia | 21% | 51% | 20% | 8% | 23% | -2 | |
| India | 19% | 53% | 18% | 9% | 22% | -3 | |
| Germany | 18% | 62% | 10% | 10% | 14% | +4 | |
| South Africa | 13% | 59% | 17% | 11% | 11% | +2 |
37% think that Australia’s relationship with New Zealand should get closer and 32% think our relationship with China should get closer.
Labor voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with China (31%) and New Zealand (31%).
Liberal/National voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (42%) and United States (34%).
Greens voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (43%), China (38%) and Japan (34%).
Since this question was asked in November, the percentage wanting a closer relationship with New Zealand has increased 8%, and increased 5% for Japan and the United Kingdom.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Views towards reopening international borders
- Views towards state border closures
- Comprehension and confidence in PM’s plan to ‘safely reopen’ Australia
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Necessity of mandatory vaccinations in specific situations
- Views towards easing restrictions for fully vaccinated people
Sign up for updates
Receive the Essential Report in your inbox.Essential Tags
Recent Comments
