Leader trust to handle issues
Q: Which leader – Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten – would you trust most to handle the following issues?
Malcolm Turnbull | Bill Shorten | Don’t know | Difference | ||
Regulating the banking and finance sector | 33% | 27% | 39% | +6 | |
Supporting Australia’s manufacturing industries | 30% | 31% | 39% | -1 | |
Ensuring big companies pay their share of tax | 28% | 34% | 38% | -6 | |
Protecting the Great Barrier Reef | 21% | 27% | 52% | -6 | |
Funding hospitals | 27% | 35% | 38% | -8 | |
Addressing climate change | 21% | 29% | 50% | -8 | |
Making housing more affordable for first home buyers | 23% | 32% | 44% | -9 | |
Looking after the needs of pensioners | 21% | 35% | 44% | -14 | |
Funding public schools | 24% | 40% | 36% | -16 | |
Maintaining workers’ wages and conditions | 21% | 43% | 35% | -22 |
Bill Shorten is trusted more for maintaining workers’ wages and conditions (+22), funding public schools (+16) and looking after the needs of pensioners (+14).
Party leader trust most on issues
Q. Which party leader – Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott – would you trust most to handle the following issues?
Kevin Rudd |
Tony Abbott |
No difference |
Don’t know |
Net difference |
Difference for parties 23 Jul 13 |
|
Management of the economy |
32% |
35% |
21% |
11% |
-3 |
-15 |
Ensuring a quality education for all children |
41% |
25% |
24% |
10% |
+16 |
+9 |
Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system |
37% |
27% |
25% |
11% |
+10 |
+1 |
Protecting the environment |
33% |
22% |
31% |
14% |
+11 |
na |
A fair industrial relations system |
41% |
28% |
19% |
12% |
+13 |
+11 |
Political leadership |
37% |
32% |
22% |
9% |
+5 |
-7 |
Addressing climate change |
35% |
21% |
31% |
13% |
+14 |
na |
Controlling interest rates |
24% |
32% |
32% |
12% |
-8 |
-14 |
Australian jobs and protection of local industries |
32% |
30% |
25% |
13% |
+2 |
-1 |
Ensuring a quality water supply |
26% |
23% |
36% |
15% |
+3 |
-7 |
Housing affordability |
26% |
25% |
34% |
15% |
+1 |
-2 |
Ensuring a fair taxation system |
31% |
32% |
26% |
11% |
-1 |
-2 |
Security and the war on terrorism |
25% |
29% |
33% |
13% |
-4 |
-15 |
Treatment of asylum seekers |
26% |
31% |
32% |
11% |
-5 |
-11 |
Managing population growth |
21% |
28% |
37% |
15% |
-7 |
-13 |
Substantially more respondents said they would trust Kevin Rudd more than Tony Abbott to handle a quality education for all children, a fair industrial relations system, addressing climate change, protecting the environment and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system. Tony Abbott is more trusted to control interest rates and manage population growth.
When compared with a similar question about trust in the parties asked last month, Kevin Rudd rates considerably better that the Labor Party on management of the economy, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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