Attitudes towards Temporary Migrants
Q. Temporary migrants include people on skilled worker visas (which are used to cover jobs where there are skill shortages including engineers, nurses and scientists), most New Zealand citizens living in Australia, and international students.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree, nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| Temporary migrants support the economy by spending their money in Australia | 57% | 17% | 19% | 39% | 23% | 12% | 5% | 3% |
| Businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants | 54% | 21% | 26% | 28% | 22% | 13% | 8% | 3% |
| If temporary migrants pay the same taxes as Australian citizens, they should be entitled to the same government support | 52% | 20% | 21% | 31% | 24% | 11% | 9% | 4% |
| It’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries | 52% | 20% | 21% | 31% | 24% | 13% | 7% | 4% |
| Without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages | 48% | 23% | 15% | 33% | 24% | 12% | 11% | 5% |
| Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants | 41% | 27% | 18% | 23% | 28% | 14% | 12% | 4% |
| TOTAL: Agree | Employment Status | Federal Voting Intention | ||||||
| Total | In paid employment | Not in paid employment | Retired | Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |
| Temporary migrants support the economy by spending their money in Australia | 57% | 60% | 51% | 64% | 59% | 62% | 56% | 50% |
| Businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants | 54% | 53% | 46% | 67% | 50% | 61% | 40% | 75% |
| If temporary migrants pay the same taxes as Australian citizens, they should be entitled to the same government support | 52% | 57% | 48% | 52% | 56% | 51% | 55% | 51% |
| It’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries | 52% | 52% | 44% | 63% | 51% | 59% | 32% | 65% |
| Without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages | 48% | 51% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 57% | 45% | 34% |
| Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants | 41% | 43% | 31% | 52% | 41% | 46% | 22% | 57% |
| Base (n) | 1,067 | 550 | 254 | 212 | 306 | 418 | 86 | 143 |
- More than half of participants agree with any of the statements about temporary migrants – except without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages (48%) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (41%).
- Retirees are more likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (67%), Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (52%) and it’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries (63%) than other participants (51%, 39% and 49% respectively).
- Similarly other or independent party voters are most likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (75% v 55% all other voters) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (57% v 41% all other voters).
- Coalition most likely to agree without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages (57% v 44% all other voters).
- Greens voters are least likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (40% v 59% all other voters), Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (22% v 45% all other voters) and it’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries (32% v 57% all other voters).
- Participants who support Kristina Kenneally’s “Australia first” approach more likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (68%) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (52%).
Raising Newstart
Q. The government has doubled the Newstart allowance to support people out of work for the next six months. When that time expires, which of the following would you prefer to see happen the Newstart allowance?
| Gender | Age Group | Location | |||||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | ||
| Maintain the current rate ($560 per week) | 24% | 24% | 24% | 32% | 27% | 15% | 26% | 21% | |
| Increase the former rate to equal the single pension amount ($472 per week) | 33% | 35% | 31% | 28% | 31% | 40% | 31% | 37% | |
| Return to the former rate ($285 per week) | 28% | 27% | 29% | 23% | 27% | 33% | 28% | 28% | |
| Unsure | 15% | 13% | 16% | 17% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 14% | |
| Base (n) | 1,093 | 539 | 554 | 341 | 372 | 380 | 734 | 359 | |
| Federal Voting Intention | |||||
| Total | Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |
| Maintain the current rate ($560 per week) | 24% | 28% | 20% | 34% | 18% |
| Increase the former rate to equal the single pension amount ($472 per week) | 33% | 38% | 31% | 38% | 36% |
| Return to the former rate ($285 per week) | 28% | 22% | 38% | 16% | 30% |
| Unsure | 15% | 12% | 11% | 12% | 15% |
| Base (n) | 1,093 | 325 | 435 | 108 | 114 |
Spending by a Liberal Government
Q. If the Liberal Party won Government at the next election, do you think they would increase or decrease spending on the following areas or spend about the same as the Labor Government?
|
Increase spending |
Decrease spending |
Spend about the same |
Don’t know |
|
| Public schools |
22% |
30% |
33% |
15% |
| Private schools |
28% |
27% |
28% |
16% |
| Universities |
18% |
29% |
36% |
16% |
| Support for manufacturing industries |
26% |
23% |
32% |
19% |
| Pensions |
19% |
32% |
36% |
14% |
| Welfare support |
12% |
45% |
28% |
14% |
| Health and hospitals |
33% |
27% |
25% |
14% |
| The environment |
11% |
39% |
34% |
16% |
| Defence |
31% |
19% |
34% |
16% |
| Foreign aid |
8% |
41% |
33% |
18% |
| Public transport |
23% |
26% |
35% |
16% |
| Roads |
26% |
22% |
36% |
16% |
| Border security |
44% |
14% |
28% |
14% |
| The arts |
7% |
40% |
32% |
21% |
| Subsidies for business |
34% |
20% |
28% |
18% |
Overall, respondents were more likely to think a Liberal Government would reduce spending on welfare support, the arts, the environment, foreign aid, pensions, public schools and universities. They were more likely to think they would increase spending on border security, defence and subsidies for business.
Liberal voters thought a Liberal Government would be more likely to increase than decrease spending on public schools, manufacturing industries, pensions, public transport, health and hospitals, defence, roads, border security and subsidies for business.
Attitudes to public sector cuts
Q. There have recently been a significant number of public service jobs cut in various states around the country.
How do you think each of the following will fare as are result of public sector job cuts?
|
Get better |
Get worse |
Stay much the same |
Don’t know |
|
| The rate of unemployment |
4% |
61% |
25% |
10% |
| Delivery of public services |
5% |
54% |
29% |
11% |
| The welfare of disadvantaged Australians |
5% |
53% |
30% |
12% |
| Retail and spending |
4% |
50% |
35% |
11% |
| The welfare of all Australians |
6% |
49% |
34% |
11% |
| State budgets |
18% |
42% |
27% |
13% |
| The economy in general |
11% |
41% |
37% |
11% |
| Governments’ ability to respond to natural disasters |
7% |
32% |
45% |
16% |
The majority of respondents believe that the following things will get worse as a result of public sector cuts: the rate of unemployment (61%), delivery of public services (54%) and the welfare of disadvantaged Australians (53%).
The larger portion of respondents also think that retail and spending will get worse (50%), as well as the welfare of all Australians (49%), state budgets (42%) and the economy in general (41%).
A larger portion of respondents believe that the governments’’ ability to respond to natural disasters will stay much the same (45%) than those that believe it will get worse (32%).
Asylum Seeker Debate
Q. Do you think the current debate over handling of asylum seekers shows that Australian politicians are genuinely concerned about the welfare of asylum seekers or are they just playing politics over the issue?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Genuinely concerned bout asylum seekers |
11% |
16% |
13% |
7% |
| Just playing politics |
78% |
74% |
81% |
85% |
| Don’t know |
11% |
10% |
6% |
8% |
Only 11% think that Australian politicians are genuinely concerned about the welfare of asylum seekers and 78% think they are just playing politics over the issue.
There were no substantial differences across demographic groups.
Interests Represented by Parties
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Families with young children | 34% | 31% | 5% | 29% |
| Students | 30% | 28% | 10% | 33% |
| Working people on average incomes | 40% | 32% | 5% | 23% |
| Working people on low incomes | 43% | 27% | 6% | 24% |
| Working people on high incomes | 13% | 63% | 2% | 22% |
| People on welfare | 38% | 23% | 8% | 30% |
| Pensioners | 33% | 28% | 5% | 34% |
| Small businesses and self-employed | 20% | 47% | 4% | 29% |
| Big business | 13% | 62% | 2% | 23% |
| The next generation of Australians | 19% | 31% | 17% | 33% |
| Indigenous people | 23% | 21% | 16% | 40% |
| Ethnic communities | 22% | 21% | 15% | 42% |
| Rural and regional Australians | 18% | 34% | 11% | 36% |
The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered best at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business, small business and self-employed, rural and regional Australians and the next generation. The Greens’ main strengths are in representing the next generation, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
There was little difference between the major parties in terms of representing the interests of families with young children, students, indigenous people and ethnic communities.
Family Payments
Q. The Federal Budget has frozen the income levels above which parents become ineligible for family payments. Do you approve or disapprove of this decision?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 52% | 65% | 47% | 56% |
| Total disapprove | 28% | 18% | 38% | 22% |
| Strongly approve | 17% | 25% | 12% | 24% |
| Approve | 35% | 40% | 35% | 32% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 13% | 25% | 19% |
| Strongly disapprove | 8% | 5% | 13% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 17% | 14% | 22% |
52% of respondents approve of freezing the income levels above which parents become ineligible for family payments and 28% oppose.
65% Labor and 56% of Greens voters approve – and Liberal/National voters are more likely to approve than disapprove (47%/38%).
Respondents with dependent children approve 47%/37% and households earning over $150,000 approve 48%/37%.
Perceptions of Welfare
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| Households earning more than $150,000 a year don’t need help through family payments | 67% | 27% | 29% | 38% | 20% | 7% | 6% |
| Households on high incomes pay high taxes so should get family payments for bringing up children | 33% | 61% | 7% | 26% | 41% | 20% | 7% |
| Welfare payments should only go to those on low incomes | 66% | 29% | 23% | 43% | 23% | 6% | 5% |
| All taxpayers, regardless of their income, should be eligible for some form of Government payment | 35% | 57% | 8% | 27% | 36% | 21% | 8% |
| Family payments aren’t really welfare – they just provide assistance for families raising children. | 60% | 32% | 14% | 46% | 23% | 9% | 7% |
| Welfare payments should be reduced for those who have been on them long term. | 41% | 48% | 15% | 26% | 33% | 15% | 12% |
| Welfare and family payments should be lower to encourage people to be more self-reliant and not rely so much on the Government | 40% | 50% | 12% | 28% | 35% | 15% | 9% |
| People on low incomes receiving welfare should have to justify how they spend it | 47% | 46% | 13% | 34% | 31% | 15% | 6% |
| Welfare for low-income families is different from family payments to middle-income families | 61% | 22% | 14% | 47% | 18% | 4% | 17% |
| The purpose of welfare payments is to reduce the difference in income between people with higher incomes and those with lower incomes | 40% | 49% | 8% | 32% | 36% | 13% | 11% |
About two-thirds of respondents agreed that “Households earning more than $150,000 a year don’t need help through family payments” (67%) and “Welfare payments should only go to those on low incomes” (66%). Although these statements were more strongly supported by Labor and Greens voters, 61% of Liberal/National voters agree that “Households earning more than $150,000 a year don’t need help through family payments”.
For households earning under $100K, 77% agree “Households earning more than $150,000 a year don’t need help through family payments” and 73% agree “Welfare payments should only go to those on low incomes”.
However, of households earning $150K+, 62% disagree that “Households earning more than $150,000 a year don’t need help through family payments” and 50% disagree that “Welfare payments should only go to those on low incomes”.
Although most respondents (60%) think that family payments are different from welfare benefits, only 33% agree that “Households on high incomes pay high taxes so should get family payments for bringing up children”.
Opinions are divided over issues regarding the obligations of people receiving welfare. 47% agree that “People on low incomes receiving welfare should have to justify how they spend it” and 46% disagree – 58% of Liberal/National voters agree but 55% of Labor voters disagree.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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Two Party Preferred:
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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