Trust in Federal Government
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Federal Government?
[% of participants who answered the question]
| TOTAL:
Agree |
TOTAL:
Disagree |
Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | |
| Regardless of who is in power, I trust the Federal Government to do what is right | 66% | 34% | 23% | 43% | 22% | 12% |
| As Australians we can always find ways to solve our country’s problems and get what we want | 84% | 16% | 29% | 55% | 13% | 3% |
| The government should do more to solve the problems facing our country | 91% | 9% | 53% | 38% | 7% | 2% |
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| TOTAL: Agree | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |||
| Regardless of who is in power, I trust the Federal Government to do what is right | 66% | 62% | 70% | 61% | 71% | 65% | 60% | 77% | 56% | 49% | ||
| As Australians we can always find ways to solve our country’s problems and get what we want | 84% | 83% | 85% | 77% | 87% | 86% | 80% | 89% | 79% | 76% | ||
| The government should do more to solve the problems facing our country | 91% | 90% | 93% | 86% | 92% | 94% | 92% | 90% | 91% | 88% | ||
- Almost unanimously, Australians agree that the government should do more to solve the problems facing our country (91%) however there is high levels of agreement that as Australians we can always find ways to solve our country’s problems and get what we want (84%).
- Women are more likely than men to trust the Government to do what is right, regardless of who is in power (70% to 62%).
Information about Covid-19
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the information you’ve received about the Covid-19 outbreak?
| NET: Agree | 29/03 | 22/03 |
| I feel informed about the situation and the impact on me and my family | 63% | 64% |
| I trust the Government to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 56% | 56% |
| The information I’ve received has been clear and consistent | 47% | 51% |
| I trust the media to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 42% | 35% |
| Base (n) | 1,086 | 1,034 |
| NET: Agree | NET: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | |
| I feel informed about the situation and the impact on me and my family | 63% | 17% | 6% | 11% | 20% | 44% | 19% |
| I trust the Government to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 56% | 22% | 8% | 14% | 23% | 37% | 19% |
| The information I’ve received has been clear and consistent | 47% | 30% | 10% | 20% | 23% | 32% | 15% |
| I trust the media to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 42% | 33% | 14% | 19% | 26% | 32% | 10% |
Trust in State Governments
Q. From what you have read or heard about them, how trustworthy are the following state governments?
|
Total very/ quite /somewhat trust-worthy |
Total not very/not at all trust-worthy |
|
Very trust- worthy |
Quite trust- worthy |
Some-what trust- worthy |
Not very trust- worthy |
Not at all trust- worthy |
Don’t know |
|
| New South Wales |
43% |
34% |
4% |
13% |
26% |
23% |
11% |
24% |
|
| New South Wales (NSW only) |
54% |
34% |
7% |
17% |
30% |
25% |
9% |
11% |
|
| Victoria |
43% |
31% |
4% |
13% |
26% |
20% |
11% |
26% |
|
| Victoria (Victoria only) |
55% |
35% |
4% |
19% |
32% |
19% |
16% |
11% |
|
| Queensland |
39% |
37% |
3% |
11% |
25% |
20% |
17% |
24% |
|
| Queensland (Queensland only) |
44% |
51% |
3% |
11% |
30% |
18% |
33% |
4% |
|
| South Australia |
40% |
26% |
3% |
10% |
27% |
18% |
8% |
33% |
|
| Western Australia |
40% |
27% |
3% |
10% |
27% |
17% |
10% |
32% |
|
| Tasmania |
41% |
24% |
4% |
10% |
27% |
15% |
9% |
35% |
Overall, at least 40% of respondents thought that each state Government was trustworthy.
However, for their own state, 54% of New South Wales residents and 55% of Victorian residents thought their state government was trustworthy but only 44% of Queensland residents thought their state government was trustworthy with 51% saying they were not trustworthy.
Better or worse under Liberal/National Government
Q. Under the new Liberal/National Government, do you expect the following will get better or worse?
| – |
Total |
Total worse |
Net |
A |
A little better |
Stay much the same |
A little wor- |
A |
Don’t know |
Better |
Wor |
| Political leadership |
33% |
38% |
-5 |
15% |
18% |
25% |
12% |
26% |
3% |
42% |
31% |
| Trust in Government |
30% |
43% |
-13 |
12% |
18% |
26% |
13% |
30% |
3% |
36% |
36% |
| Unemployment |
22% |
45% |
-23 |
6% |
16% |
30% |
21% |
24% |
3% |
27% |
37% |
| The economy overall |
30% |
38% |
-8 |
10% |
20% |
29% |
21% |
17% |
3% |
38% |
30% |
| The cost of living |
17% |
52% |
-35 |
5% |
12% |
29% |
25% |
27% |
3% |
27% |
40% |
| Interest rates |
16% |
33% |
-17 |
5% |
11% |
47% |
18% |
15% |
4% |
17% |
31% |
| Health services |
18% |
45% |
-27 |
5% |
13% |
35% |
18% |
27% |
3% |
23% |
42% |
| Job security |
17% |
49% |
-32 |
5% |
12% |
32% |
21% |
28% |
3% |
22% |
43% |
| Workers rights and conditions |
14% |
45% |
-31 |
5% |
9% |
36% |
14% |
31% |
4% |
18% |
47% |
| Company profits |
40% |
18% |
+22 |
13% |
27% |
38% |
8% |
10% |
4% |
47% |
14% |
| The environment |
16% |
41% |
-25 |
5% |
11% |
39% |
14% |
27% |
4% |
18% |
39% |
| Education and schools |
20% |
43% |
-23 |
6% |
14% |
33% |
19% |
24% |
3% |
25% |
41% |
| Public services |
17% |
46% |
-29 |
6% |
11% |
35% |
20% |
26% |
3% |
20% |
45% |
| Benefits for people on Government support – such as pensioners and the unemployed |
13% |
49% |
-36 |
4% |
9% |
35% |
21% |
28% |
3% |
19% |
44% |
| Your personal financial situation |
18% |
37% |
-19 |
5% |
13% |
42% |
20% |
17% |
2% |
22% |
35% |
Except for company profits, respondents believed all issues measured would get worse under the new Liberal/National Government. Expectations on each issue have declined since this question was asked immediately after the election. The largest declines have been for cost of living (net score down 22), the economy overall (-16), political leadership (-16), unemployment (-13) and trust in Government (-13).
Expectations of a Liberal/National Government
Q. If the Labor Party lost the next election, do you think the following would be better or worse under a Liberal/National Government led by Tony Abbott?
|
A lot better |
A little better |
Stay much the same |
A little worse |
A lot worse |
Don’t use |
NET (Better-Worse) |
|
| Political leadership |
16% |
19% |
27% |
10% |
24% |
4% |
+1 |
| Trust in Government |
13% |
19% |
29% |
12% |
22% |
4% |
-2 |
| Unemployment |
7% |
18% |
39% |
13% |
19% |
5% |
-7 |
| The economy overall |
16% |
22% |
31% |
12% |
16% |
4% |
+10 |
| The cost of living |
6% |
19% |
36% |
14% |
21% |
4% |
-10 |
| Interest rates |
5% |
13% |
48% |
14% |
16% |
5% |
-12 |
| Health services |
6% |
19% |
36% |
16% |
20% |
4% |
-11 |
| Job security |
7% |
17% |
36% |
14% |
22% |
4% |
-12 |
| Workers rights and conditions |
5% |
13% |
37% |
15% |
25% |
5% |
-22 |
| Company profits |
13% |
28% |
37% |
6% |
10% |
6% |
+25 |
| The environment |
5% |
13% |
47% |
11% |
21% |
4% |
-14 |
| Job creation |
8% |
20% |
39% |
13% |
16% |
4% |
-1 |
| Public services |
6% |
15% |
42% |
13% |
20% |
4% |
-12 |
| Benefits for people on Government support – such as pensioners and the unemployed |
5% |
13% |
39% |
16% |
23% |
5% |
-21 |
| Your personal financial situation |
6% |
16% |
42% |
15% |
16% |
4% |
-9 |
Under a Liberal Government, respondents though that the economy overall (+10) and company profits (+25) would be better.
However they were more likely to think that workers rights and conditions (-22), benefits for people on Government support (-21), the environment (-14), interest rates (-12), job security (-12), public services, health services (-11) and the cost of living (-10) would all be worse. 22% think their own financial situation will be better, 31% think it will be worse and 42% much the same.
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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