Essential Report Part 3 – Australia still insular and parochial.

Rounding up the coverage of today’s polls, we have the final non-budget questions from Essential Report that focus on expectations of economic recovery from the GFC, as well as public opinion on refugees, asylum seeker policy and the current situation on Fiji.

First up, the GFC:

Which of the following is closest to your view of the global financial crisis and Australia’s current economic situation?

On the cross-tabs Essential says:

Coalition voters were more likely than Labor voters to think that the global financial crisis and Australia’s current economic situation will affect quite a lot of people and will not improve for a couple of years (58% v 53%).

Labor voters were more likely than Coalition voters to think that the global financial crisis and Australia’s current economic situation will affect some people but things will start to improve this year (24% v 19%).

Older respondents were more likely than younger respondents to think that the global financial crisis and Australia’s current economic situation will affect some people but things will start to improve this year (24% 50 + year olds v 14% 18 – 24 year olds).

Next up, a few questions were asked on refugee and asylum seeker policy. For those of us hoping the country had moved on from its rectal tunnel vision from the Howard years – getting all hysterical about a handful of people in boats – well sadly, think again. The cross-tabs are particularly enlightening.

Over the last few years, Australia has accepted about 13,000 refugees per year. Do you think Australia should increase the number of refugees we take in, decrease the number of refugees or should the number of refugees we accept stay about the same?

The cross-tabs tell us:

62% of people surveyed think that Australia should decrease the number of refugees that we accept, 24% think the amount of refugees Australia takes should stay the same.

Older respondents were more likely than younger respondents to think that Australia should decrease the number of refuges Australia we take in (67% 50 + year olds v 47% 18 – 24 year olds).

Coalition voters were more likely than Labor voters to think that Australia should decrease the number of refuges we take in (71% v 62%). Green voters were more likely to think the number of refugees Australia accepts should stay the same (36%).

Do you think the Rudd Government’s policies on asylum seekers are too tough, too soft or about right?

The cross-tabs give us:

Coalition voters were more likely to think the Rudd Government’s policies on asylum seekers are too soft (77%), while Labor and Green voters were more likely to think that the Rudd Government’s policies on asylum seekers is about right (37% Labor voters and 42% of Green).

Older respondents were more likely than younger respondents to think the Rudd Government’s policies on asylum seekers are too soft (61% 50 + year olds v 38% 18 – 24 year olds).

With the slow leaking of the ALP vote that we witnessed in Part 1 today, forget the GFC, forget the budget – if you want to know why the ALP vote has leaked then you need to look no further than asylum seekers taking centre stage in the media zoo over the last month. Oh yes, we’re a sophisticated people.

Finally a single question on the Fiji situation:

Considering the recent political problems in some Pacific nations such as Fiji, do you think Australia should become more involved in the affairs of Pacific nations or should we leave them to sort out their own affairs?

On the cross-tabs Essential says:

Labor voters were more likely than Coalition voters to think that Australia should leave Pacific nations to sort out their own affairs (66% v 61%).

Older respondents were more likely than younger respondents to think that Australia should leave Pacific nations to sort out their own affairs (66% 50 + year olds v 44% 18 – 24 year olds).

In a nutshell, it’s still a case of “Those bloody reffo’s should go back where they came from, and with our Island neighbours – let god sort ‘em out” .We’re still as insular and parochial as ever.