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Whistleblowers

31 May 2016

Q. Currently whistleblowers in government agencies who reveal any information about government decisions and projects may be tracked down by the Australian Federal Police and prosecuted using national security powers. Do you approve of such laws or should they be limited to leaks of information that harms our national security?

  Total   Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote other
Approve of laws to prosecute people who release Government information 30%   28% 45% 14% 20%
Laws should only apply to national security matters 50%   54% 41% 78% 64%
Don’t know 19%   18% 14% 8% 16%

50% thought that laws about whistleblowers should only apply to national security matters and 30% approved of laws to prosecute people who release Government information.

A majority of Labor (54%) and Greens voters (78%) thought laws should only apply to national security matters. Liberal/National voters were divided.

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