asylum, border security, Manus Island, medivac, medivac bill, offshore detention, refugees
Q. Earlier this year, the Federal Parliament passed legislation to allow doctors, not politicians, more say in determining the appropriate medical treatment offered to people in offshore detention. This may include medical evacuation (Medivac) transfer to Australia if necessary.
Which of the following statements most closely aligns with your views of this legislation?
| Nov’19 | Sep’19 | Feb’19 | |
| This legislation does not go far enough to provide humane treatment for people in offshore detention | 25% | 23% | 16% |
| This legislation strikes a balance between strong borders and humane treatment for people in offshore detention | 37% | 41% | 38% |
| This legislation will weaken our borders and result in boats arriving in Australia as they have in the past | 22% | 20% | 30% |
| Unsure | 17% | 18% | 16% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 1,093 | 1,085 |
| Total | Gender | Age | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| This legislation does not go far enough to provide humane treatment for people in offshore detention | 25% | 24% | 26% | 28% | 26% | 21% |
| This legislation strikes a balance between strong borders and humane treatment for people in offshore detention | 37% | 39% | 35% | 42% | 34% | 35% |
| This legislation will weaken our borders and result in boats arriving in Australia as they have in the past | 22% | 23% | 20% | 10% | 21% | 33% |
| Unsure | 17% | 14% | 19% | 20% | 20% | 11% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 527 | 556 | 329 | 369 | 385 |
| Total | Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| This legislation does not go far enough to provide humane treatment for people in offshore detention | 25% | 33% | 15% | 51% | 19% |
| This legislation strikes a balance between strong borders and humane treatment for people in offshore detention | 37% | 38% | 44% | 29% | 27% |
| This legislation will weaken our borders and result in boats arriving in Australia as they have in the past | 22% | 14% | 29% | 6% | 39% |
| Unsure | 17% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 15% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 342 | 373 | 93 | 162 |
asylum seeker, genuine, refugees
Q. As far as you know, are most asylum seekers arriving by in Australia boat genuine refugees or are most of them not genuine refugees?
|
|
Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Jan 2014 | ||
| Most of them are genuine refugees | 32% | 37% | 26% | 64% | 27% | 30% | ||
| Most of them are not genuine refugees | 43% | 40% | 53% | 16% | 50% | 47% | ||
| Don’t know | 25% | 22% | 21% | 20% | 24% | 23% |
43% of respondents believe that most asylum seekers arriving by boat are not genuine refugees – 32% believe most are genuine refugees. This is a shift toward believing they are genuine since this question was asked in January last year.
Those more likely to think most are not genuine refugees were Liberal/National voters (53%) and aged 55+ (59%). Those more likely to think most are genuine refugees were Greens voters (64%), Labor voters (37%) and those with university education (42%).
Q. As far as you know which of the following statements is true?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
| Australia takes in fewer refugees than comparable nations |
32% |
40% |
22% |
60% |
31% |
|
| Australia takes in about the same number of refugees as comparable nations |
20% |
18% |
26% |
12% |
21% |
|
| Australia takes in more refugees than comparable nations |
25% |
25% |
28% |
8% |
34% |
|
| Don’t know |
23% |
17% |
24% |
20% |
14% |
32% think that Australia takes in fewer refugees than comparable nations and 45% think we take in about the same number or more. 23% could not give an answer.
60% of Greens voters and 40% of Labor voters think we take in fewer – as did 45% of those with university education.
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
|
Total agree |
Total disagree |
|
Strongly agree |
Agree |
Disagree |
Strongly disagree |
Don’t know |
|
| Accepting refugees is something a wealthy nation like Australia should do to support poorer nations |
49% |
36% |
15% |
34% |
23% |
13% |
14% |
|
| Refugees contribute to the nation that accepts them, it is in our interest to increase |
39% |
44% |
12% |
27% |
27% |
17% |
17% |
|
| Australia’s overall population is too high, we need to wind back our refugee program |
43% |
40% |
18% |
25% |
26% |
14% |
17% |
|
| Australia’s overall population is too low and we need to increase the number of refugees to boost the numbers in our workforce |
20% |
62% |
4% |
16% |
31% |
31% |
17% |
Nearly half (49%) agreed that accepting refugees is something a wealthy nation like Australia should do to support poorer nations. A majority (62%) disagreed that at Australia’s overall population is too low and we need to increase the number of refugees to boost the numbers in our workforce.
However, respondents were evenly divided over “Australia’s overall population is too high, we need to wind back our refugee program” (43% agree/40% disagree) and “Refugees contribute to the nation that accepts them, it is in our interest to increase” (39% agree/44% disagree).
21 January 2014, 210114, asylum seekers, refugees
Q. As far as you know, are most asylum seekers arriving by in Australia boat genuine refugees or are most of them not genuine refugees?
|
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Most of them are genuine refugees |
30% |
41% |
18% |
67% |
24% |
|
| Most of them are not genuine refugees |
47% |
39% |
59% |
18% |
54% |
|
| Don’t know |
23% |
20% |
23% |
15% |
22% |
47% of respondents believe that most asylum seekers arriving by boat are not genuine refugees – 30% believe most are genuine refugees.
Those more likely to think most are not genuine refugees were Liberal/National voters (59%), aged 45+ (55%) and those who had not completed secondary education (58%). Those more likely to think most are genuine refugees were Greens voters (67%), Labor voters (41%) and those with university education (36%).
20 August 2012, 200812, asylum seekers, detention centre facilities, federal government recommendations, humanitarian program, manu, nauru, refugees
Q. An expert panel appointed by the Federal Government has made a number of recommendations for handling asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat. Do you approve or disapprove of the following recommendations?
|
Total approve |
Total disapprove |
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Dis-approve |
Strongly disapprove |
Don’t know |
|
| Expanding Australia’s humanitarian program immediately from 13,500 places per year to 20,000 |
42% |
46% |
13% |
29% |
20% |
26% |
12% |
| Limiting the ways refugees who have arrived by boat can bring their families to Australia |
72% |
18% |
40% |
32% |
11% |
7% |
11% |
| Reopening detention facilities in Nauru and Manus Islands |
67% |
18% |
36% |
31% |
11% |
7% |
14% |
| Detaining offshore refugees who have arrived by boat for several years |
47% |
39% |
26% |
21% |
22% |
17% |
13% |
| Pursuing a people swap deal with Malaysia as the basis for a regional solution |
30% |
47% |
11% |
19% |
22% |
25% |
23% |
| Consider turning back boats in the future but only if special conditions are met |
66% |
21% |
35% |
31% |
11% |
10% |
13% |
There was strong majority approval of the recommendations to limit the ways refugees who have arrived by boat can bring their families to Australia (72%), reopen detention facilities in Nauru and Manus Islands (67%) and consider turning back boats (66%). Respondents were a little more in favour of detaining offshore refugees for several years (47% approve/39% disapprove) and divided over expanding Australia’s humanitarian program (42%/46%). 47% disapproved of pursuing a people swap deal with Malaysia as the basis for a regional solution.
48% of Labor voters and 81% of Greens voters approved expanding Australia’s humanitarian aid but 54% of Liberal/National voters disapproved.
48% of Labor voters approved pursuing a people swap deal with Malaysia but 59% of Liberal/National voters disapproved.
45% of Labor voters and 81% of Liberal/National voters approved turning back boats but 56% of Greens voters disapproved.
Men favoured detaining refugees for several years (58% approve/31% disapprove while women were more likely to be opposed (38% approve/46% disapprove).
asylum seeker issue, asylum seekers, boat people, Essential Report, Malaysia, Polling, polls, Processing Asylum Seekers, processing centre for asylum seekers, refugees
Q. The Government has recently made an agreement to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to Malaysia for processing, and in return Australia will take a fixed number of refugees from Malaysia. Do you support or oppose this agreement?
| 16 June 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 40% | 31% | 50% | 25% | 19% |
| Total oppose | 39% | 53% | 31% | 67% | 60% |
| Strongly support | 13% | 6% | 9% | 4% | 3% |
| Support | 27% | 25% | 41% | 21% | 16% |
| Oppose | 22% | 23% | 17% | 24% | 35% |
| Strongly oppose | 17% | 30% | 14% | 43% | 25% |
| Don’t know | 21% | 16% | 18% | 9% | 21% |
31% support the agreement to send asylum seekers to Malaysia for processing and 53% oppose. This represents a significant increase in opposition to this scheme from that recorded 6 weeks ago – support is down 9% and opposition up 14%.
This shift is mainly due to changed opinions of Liberal/National voters. Support from Labor voters is up 3% to 50% while opposition from Liberal/National voters has increased by 22% to 67%. Opposition from Greens voters has also increased by 9% to 60%.
asylum, asylum seekers, boat, refugees
Q. Which of the following comes is closest to your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| All asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be sent back to the country they came from even if they are genuine refugees | 31% | 26% | 38% | 22% |
| Asylum seekers arriving by boat should only be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees | 59% | 67% | 56% | 66% |
| All asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be allowed to stay | 4% | 4% | 2% | 10% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 3% | 4% | 2% |
59% agreed with the statement that “asylum seekers arriving by boat should only be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees” and 31% agreed that “all asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be sent back to the country they came from even if they are genuine refugees”. Only 4% (including 10% of Greens voters) agreed that “all asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be allowed to stay”.
Women were more likely to think genuine refugees should be allowed to stay (61% compared to 57% of men). 28% of those aged 55+ thought all asylum seekers should be sent back compared to 33% of those aged under 55. Comments »