Big business a big problem for voters: Study

MONDAY 23 JUNE 2008

Australian voters see big business as a greater threat than unions, think more should be spent on social services over tax cuts and say Peter Costello would not have saved the Coalition from electoral defeat at last year’s poll. Those are some of the key findings of a new study from The Australian National University.

The study – Trends in Australian Political Opinion 1987 – 2007 – uses voting habits and political opinions over an extended period using information from the ANU Australian Election Study surveys.

Trends across the 20-year period paint a picture at the last election of voters galvanised and engaged in politics, with firmly-held views and a high level of satisfaction in the country’s democracy.

The report was written by ANU Professor of Political Science Ian McAllister and Dr Juliet Clark of Deakin University. Professor McAllister said that the ‘Kevin ’07’ factor made him a hugely popular figure with voters, and little the Coalition could have done would have changed the outcome.

“Kevin Rudd was by far the most popular leader in the election, surpassing even Bob Hawke in 1987. Peter Costello was the least popular of the major party figures, well behind Bob Brown. The survey evidence suggests that, other things being equal, replacing Howard with Costello before the election would not have saved the Liberals from defeat,” he said.

Other trends identified in the study include:

· The continuation of a trend that downplays the threat from trade unions. By contrast, almost twice as many see big business as a problem.

· A long-term trend in support of more government spending on social services rather than tax cuts has continued.

· More voters followed the 2007 election in the mass media than at any election since 1993. Additionally, the level of interest in the 2007 election was the highest since 1993.

· Fewer people decided their vote during the 2007 election campaign than at anytime since 1987.

· Industrial relations leapt in importance as a major issue, second only to health.

· In 2007, voters showed the highest level of satisfaction with democracy – 86 per cent – than at any time since the question was first asked in 1969. Internationally, Australians’ satisfaction with democracy is second only to Denmark.

The full report can be downloaded from: http://assda.anu.edu.au/aestrends.pdf

For more information or to arrange interviews:

Professor Ian McAllister – (02) 6125 5553 / 0416 249 552

Martyn Pearce, ANU Media Office – (02) 6125 5575 / 0416 249 245