Q. How much trust do you have in the following national institutions:
| A lot of trust | Some trust | A little trust | No trust | Don’t know | |
| The Australian Defence Force | 41% | 37% | 13% | 4% | 5% |
| The Federal Police | 27% | 41% | 21% | 6% | 5% |
| The Federal and High Courts | 24% | 36% | 26% | 9% | 5% |
| Our intelligence agencies like ASIO | 20% | 39% | 23% | 9% | 10% |
| The Reserve Bank | 19% | 37% | 27% | 12% | 5% |
| The Family Court | 15% | 35% | 28% | 15% | 7% |
| The Commonwealth Public Service | 10% | 39% | 30% | 15% | 6% |
| Business and banking regulators | 6% | 27% | 34% | 27% | 6% |
Respondents were most likely to say they had a lot of trust in the Australian Defence Force (41%), Federal Police (27%) and Federal and High Courts (24%).
The least trusted institutions were business band banking regulators (61% little/no trust), the Commonwealth Public Service (45%) and the Family Court (43%).
Labor voters were more likely to have a lot or some trust in the Commonwealth Public Service (59%), the Federal and High Courts (66%) and the Family Court (56%).
Liberal/National voters were more likely to have a lot or some trust in the Australian Defence Force (86%) and intelligence agencies like ASIO (66%). Comments »
Essential Report, personal information, Polling, polls, trust, trust in leaders, trust in media
Q. Thinking about your personal information that you sometimes have to give to organisations and companies, how much trust do you have in following organisations to handle your personal information appropriately?
| A lot of trust | Some trust | Little trust | No trust | Don’t know | |
| The medical profession | 39% | 40% | 12% | 7% | 2% |
| Banks | 19% | 40% | 27% | 13% | 2% |
| Governments | 12% | 38% | 28% | 20% | 2% |
| Australian companies | 6% | 43% | 35% | 13% | 2% |
| On-line companies | 2% | 25% | 41% | 29% | 3% |
| Political parties | 2% | 20% | 34% | 40% | 4% |
| Foreign companies | 1% | 18% | 36% | 41% | 4% |
| The media | 2% | 14% | 35% | 47% | 2% |
Of the organisations measured, the medical profession is the most trusted to handle personal information (79% a lot/some trust). Banks (59%) are trusted more that Governments (50%) or Australian companies (49%).
The media are the least trusted with 82% saying they have little or no trust in them.
People aged under 35 tend to be more trustful with their personal information – especially with Governments (58% a lot/some trust), banks (69%) and on-line companies (35%).
2PP, Essential Report, fair industrial relations system, federal politics, Greens, Labor, leadership, Liberal, management of the economy, Nationals, party trust, political leadership, Polling, polls, preferred PM, protecting the environment, quality education for all children, trust, two party preferred
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Management of the economy | 29% | 47% | 3% | 22% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 38% | 35% | 5% | 23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 33% | 35% | 6% | 25% |
| Protecting the environment | 18% | 21% | 39% | 23% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 40% | 31% | 4% | 24% |
| Political leadership | 26% | 38% | 5% | 31% |
| Addressing climate change | 21% | 24% | 29% | 26% |
| Controlling interest rates | 26% | 44% | 3% | 28% |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 35% | 35% | 4% | 26% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 21% | 28% | 22% | 29% |
| Housing affordability | 26% | 34% | 4% | 35% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 29% | 37% | 4% | 30% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 25% | 40% | 3% | 32% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 19% | 39% | 11% | 31% |
| Managing population growth | 21% | 36% | 7% | 36% |
Labor is the most trusted party on only one issue – a fair industrial relations system. There is little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
This represents a weakening in Labor’s position over the last few months. In January Labor was trusted most to handle ensuring a quality education for all children and in October Labor also had a significant lead on protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
ABC, Channel 10, Channel 7, Channel 9, media, News, Sky News, the media, trust, trust in media
Q. How much trust do you have in the news and current affairs on the following TV channels?
| A lot of trust | Some trust | Not much trust | Don’t know | |
| ABC | 42% | 42% | 9% | 6% |
| Channel 7 | 8% | 53% | 33% | 6% |
| Channel 9 | 8% | 54% | 31% | 6% |
| Channel 10 | 7% | 55% | 31% | 6% |
| Sky News | 12% | 40% | 17% | 31% |
42% say they have a lot of trust in the ABC news and current affairs and 42% have some trust. Only 9% have not much trust.
Levels of trust in the free-to-air commercial channels are similar – less than 10% have a lot of trust and over 30% say they have not much trust in them.
Sky News is trusted more than the other commercial channels – 12% say they have a lot of trust and only 17% have not much trust.
Highest levels of trust in the ABC are shown by men (47% a lot of trust), Greens voters (62%) and Labor voters (48%) and those on income over $1,600pw (49%). Comments »
banks, business lobby, environment, mining, the media, trust, trust in group, unions
Q. And how much trust do you have in the following groups to represent the interests of people like you?
| Total a lot/some trust | A lot of trust | Some trust | A little trust | No trust at all | Don’t know | |
| Environment groups | 38% | 8% | 30% | 28% | 22% | 11% |
| Unions | 33% | 8% | 25% | 27% | 30% | 10% |
| Business lobby groups | 21% | 4% | 17% | 30% | 35% | 15% |
| Religious groups | 20% | 5% | 15% | 24% | 43% | 13% |
| Mining companies | 20% | 2% | 18% | 27% | 40% | 13% |
| Banks | 15% | 2% | 13% | 26% | 49% | 10% |
| The media | 14% | 1% | 13% | 33% | 43% | 9% |
38% said they have a lot or some trust in environment groups and 33% have a lot/some trust in unions. Banks (15%) and the media (14%) were the least trusted groups.
49% had no trust at all in banks and 43% had no trust at all in religious groups and the media.
51% of Labor voters have trust in unions and 47% have trust in environment groups. The most trusted groups for Liberal/National voters are mining companies (32%) and business lobby groups (31%). Comments »