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  • Oct, 2012

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    Importance of relationships with other countries

    Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?

     

    Very important

    Quite important

    Not very important

    Don’t know

     

    Very Important 28 Mar 11  

    Very Important 14 Nov 11  

    Change

    United States

    55%

    36%

    5%

    3%

    60%

    55%

    New Zealand

    54%

    36%

    7%

    3%

    69%

    61%

    -7

    United Kingdom

    47%

    44%

    6%

    3%

    56%

    47%

    China

    45%

    44%

    6%

    4%

    48%

    48%

    -3

    Indonesia

    33%

    43%

    18%

    5%

    31%

    27%

    +6

    Japan

    31%

    52%

    12%

    5%

    39%

    32%

    -1

    India

    26%

    45%

    22%

    6%

    26%

    23%

    +3

    Germany

    20%

    44%

    29%

    7%

    23%

    18%

    +2

    South Africa

    14%

    35%

    43%

    8%

    16%

    12%

    +2

    More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (54%) and the United States (55%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with the China (45%) and the United Kingdom (47%).

    A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 60% of Liberal/National voters, 60% of Labor voters and 43% of Greens voters.

    Since this question was asked last November, there have been decreases in the rating of the importance of relations with New Zealand (-7%) and an increase in the rating of the importance of relations with Indonesia (+6%).

  • Oct, 2012

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    Change in relationships with other countries

    Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?

     

    Get closer

    Stay the same

    Become less close

    Don’t know

     

    Get closer

    28 Mar 11

    Get closer

    14 Nov 11

    Change

    China

    29%

    50%

    9%

    12%

    32%

    35%

    -6

    New Zealand

    26%

    59%

    4%

    11%

    37%

    33%

    -7

    Indonesia

    25%

    47%

    16%

    12%

    21%

    23%

    +2

    India

    24%

    47%

    15%

    14%

    19%

    23%

    +1

    Japan

    22%

    59%

    7%

    13%

    26%

    24%

    -2

    United Kingdom

    21%

    62%

    6%

    10%

    25%

    19%

    +2

    United States

    21%

    59%

    10%

    10%

    24%

    18%

    +3

    Germany

    18%

    59%

    7%

    16%

    18%

    20%

    -2

    South Africa

    12%

    57%

    14%

    16%

    13%

    14%

    -2

    29% favour closer relations with China, 26% with New Zealand, 25% with Indonesia and 24% with India.

    Liberal/National voters are more likely to favour closer relationships with United States (25%).

    Greens voters are more likely to favour closer relationships with Indonesia (34%), Japan (34%) and India (44%),

    Since this question was asked last year, the percentages wanting a closer relationship with the China (-7%) and the New Zealand (-6%) have declined.

  • Mar, 2011

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    Importance of Relationships with Other Countries

    Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?

    Very important Quite important Not very important Don’t know Very Important 15 Nov Change
    New Zealand 69% 24% 4% 3% 54% +15
    United States 60% 33% 5% 2% 56% +4
    United Kingdom 56% 35% 6% 3% 44% +12
    China 48% 42% 6% 4% 45% +3
    Japan 39% 47% 9% 4% 30% +9
    Indonesia 31% 43% 20% 6% 30% +1
    India 26% 42% 26% 5% 24% +2
    Germany 23% 42% 29% 6% 15% +8
    South Africa 16% 36% 39% 8% 12% +4

    More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (69%), United States (60%) and the United Kingdom (56%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with China (48%).

    A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 70% of Liberal/National voters and 57% of Labor voters and 48% of Greens voters.

    Since this question was asked in November, there have been substantial increases in the rating of the importance of relations with New Zealand (+15%), United Kingdom (+12%) and Japan (+9%).

    Comments »

  • Mar, 2011

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    Change in Relationships with Other Countries

    Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?

    Get closer Stay the same Become less close Don’t know Get closer

    15 Nov

    Change
    New Zealand 37% 55% 3% 5% 29% +8
    China 32% 52% 9% 7% 30% +2
    Japan 26% 59% 8% 7% 21% +5
    United Kingdom 25% 62% 7% 5% 20% +5
    United States 24% 61% 11% 5% 20% +4
    Indonesia 21% 51% 20% 8% 23% -2
    India 19% 53% 18% 9% 22% -3
    Germany 18% 62% 10% 10% 14% +4
    South Africa 13% 59% 17% 11% 11% +2

    37% think that Australia’s relationship with New Zealand should get closer and 32% think our relationship with China should get closer.

    Labor voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with China (31%) and New Zealand (31%).

    Liberal/National voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (42%) and United States (34%).

    Greens voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (43%), China (38%) and Japan (34%).

    Since this question was asked in November, the percentage wanting a closer relationship with New Zealand has increased 8%, and increased 5% for Japan and the United Kingdom.

    Comments »

  • Apr, 2010

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    Australia’s relations with other nations

    Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?

      Very important Quite important Not very important Don’t know
    United States 59% 33% 4% 4%
    New Zealand 56% 34% 6% 5%
    China 51% 36% 7% 5%
    United Kingdom 46% 41% 9% 5%
    Indonesia 40% 40% 13% 7%
    Japan 39% 48% 8% 5%
    India 27% 44% 21% 7%
    Germany 18% 44% 29% 8%
    South Africa 12% 41% 39% 8%

     Over half think that it is very important for Australia to have a close relationship with the United States (59%), New Zealand (56%) and China (51%).

     Labor voters were more likely to think a close relationship with China is very important (56%) while Green voters were more likely to think it is not very important (15%).

     Labor voters were more likely to think relations with Indonesia are very important (48%) and relations with India are quite important (51%). 

    Coalition voters were more likely to think Australia’s relations with India are not very important (26%). However, these voters were more likely to think Australia’s relations with the United Kingdom (52%) and the United States (68%) are very important.  Comments »

  • Apr, 2010

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    Australia’s relations with other nations

    Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?

      Get closer Stay the same Become less close Don’t know
    China 33% 45% 13% 9%
    New Zealand 33% 56% 2% 8%
    Indonesia 30% 48% 12% 10%
    United States 24% 59% 9% 8%
    United Kingdom 24% 62% 5% 8%
    India 24% 50% 16% 10%
    Japan 24% 59% 8% 10%
    Germany 16% 65% 7% 12%
    South Africa 13% 63% 12% 12%

    When it comes to Australia’s relationship getting closer with various countries, 33% think Australia’s relations with China should get closer, 45% think our relations with China should stay the same and 13% think they should become less close.

    33% support a closer relationship with New Zealand and 30% support a closer relationship with Indonesia.  The country that scores the highest in terms of one which Australia should become less close with is India (16%). 

    Labor (36%) voters were more likely to think that Australia’s relations with China should become closer, while Coalition (17%) and Greens (23%) voters were more likely to think it should be less close. 

    Labor voters were more likely to think Australia’s relations with India should stay the same (55%), while Coalition voters were more likely to think they should become less close (20%). Comments »

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