The survey was taken between 1 and 4 August 2023, with nationally representative samples by gender, age group and state/territory and additional Queenslanders and South Australians sampled to produce more precise results for those states.

Key findings:

• Two in three Australians (67%) think that the outgoing RBA Governor should have to wait some period of time before being able to begin work at a private bank
• One in five Australians (19%) think the outgoing RBA Governor should be indefinitely prohibited from beginning work at a private bank
• One in eight Australians (13%) think the outgoing RBA Governor should be able to immediately begin work at a private bank

“Australians demand the highest integrity from the Reserve Bank. The governorship of the RBA should not be seen a step towards a high paying role in the financial sector,” said Greg Jericho, Chief Economist of the Australia Institute.

“Given the immense power held by the Governor of the Reserve Bank, it would be inappropriate for Philip Lowe to go from overseeing Australia’s financial system to straightaway profiting within that system.”