Using Wealth to Influence Opinion and Policy
QA. The Treasurer Wayne Swan has said some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests. Do you agree or disagree with the Treasurer’s statement? *
QB. Do you agree or disagree that some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests. *
A. Wayne Swan statement |
B. Unattributed statement |
|||||||
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
Total agree |
58% |
78% |
36% |
89% |
60% |
67% |
55% |
75% |
Total disagree |
26% |
6% |
51% |
2% |
24% |
18% |
30% |
14% |
Strongly agree |
24% |
38% |
9% |
54% |
27% |
36% |
15% |
50% |
Agree |
34% |
40% |
27% |
35% |
33% |
31% |
40% |
25% |
Disagree |
15% |
4% |
29% |
2% |
12% |
5% |
15% |
3% |
Strongly disagree |
11% |
2% |
22% |
– |
12% |
13% |
15% |
11% |
Don’t know |
16% |
16% |
14% |
9% |
15% |
15% |
16% |
11% |
* each question was asked of half the total sample.
There was similar majority agreement with this statement – that some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests – whether or not it was attributed to Wayne Swan. When attributed to Wayne Swan 58% agreed and 26% disagreed. When unattributed, 60% agreed and 24% disagreed.
When attributed to Wayne Swan, 78% of Labor voters and 89% of Greens voters agreed but 51% of Liberal/National voters disagreed.
When unattributed, a majority of voters of all parties agreed – although Labor and Greens voters not as strongly.

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