Q. Thinking about handling the issue of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat, which approach do you favour?

The Liberal’s policy of offshore processing asylum seekers in Nauru was the most preferred option (35%). 18% favoured the Labor policy of offshore processing in Malaysia and 14% favoured the Greens’ policy of onshore processing in Australia.

A majority of Liberal/National voters and Greens voters favoured their own party’s policy but only 44% of Labor voters favoured the Labor policy.

The Liberal’s policy was favoured by 41% of men and 47% of those aged 55+.

Q. The Government has offered to negotiate with Tony Abbott and the Liberals to reach a compromise solution for handling asylum seekers. Tony Abbott has refused to negotiate and says the Government should adopt the Liberal policy. Do you think the Government and the Opposition should negotiate a solution or should the Government adopt the Liberal policy?

57% agreed that the Government and the Opposition should negotiate a solution to handling asylum seekers and 26% think the Government should adopt the Liberal policy.

Those most in favour of adopting the Liberal policy were men (33%), Liberal/National voters (50%) and those aged 65+ (40%).