Elections, Politics & Parties
January 2021
Polling: Prime Minister Morrison’s response to COVID-19 misinformation and the US Capitol riots
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about how Prime Minister Scott Morrison should handle two current issues: a Liberal politician who posted misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on social media and President Trump’s role in last week’s riots in the US Capitol.
December 2020
Polling: National Political Issues
The Australia Institute surveyed nationally representative samples of over 1,000 Australians each month from August about what they think the most important national political issue is right now. In every month, more Australians identified the economy as the most important national political issue than any other issue (between 37% and 48%). Health was second-most likely
- QLD
Polling – Truth in political advertising in Queensland
New research from The Australia Institute has shown that a significant majority of Queensland voters want to see truth in political advertising laws introduced at a state level, following the 2020 state election. The Australia Institute surveyed 1,447 Queenslanders between 3 and 7 November 2020. Only people who voted in the 2020 state election were
November 2020
August 2020
- SA
Polling – SA Parliament Integrity
New research from The Australia Institute shows three in five South Australians (58%) do not trust Members of State Parliament when it comes to claiming their salary and benefits.
July 2020
- NT
Comes with the territory: Ensuring fair political representation for Northern Territorians – and all Australians
Australia’s federal parliamentarians have never been so thinly spread. Whereas at Federation there were 51,000 Australians per House of Representatives MP, there are now 170,000 Australians per MP. That leaves MPs stretched and voters disengaged. It is bad enough that there are 170,000 Australians per MP, but it is even worse that rounding the NT’s
April 2020
- TAS
Parliamentary Scrutiny During the COVID-19 Crisis in Tasmania
In the last week of March 2020, both the Tasmanian State Parliament and New Zealand’s Parliament voted to suspend sittings. New Zealand adjourned for about five weeks (till the 28th of April) and the Tasmanian parliament for about five months, until August. Before the Tasmanian Parliament adjourned, it granted extraordinary powers to the government through
November 2019
Submission to an inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy. The submission outlines how the Australia Institute’s existing research applies to each of the committee’s terms of reference.
August 2019
- SA
We can handle the truth: Opportunities for truth in political advertising
Truth in political advertising laws are supported by 84% of Australians. Successful models include industry self-regulation in New Zealand and making misleading advertising an offence in South Australia. Decisions about what constitutes “the truth” may be fraught, but they are routinely made by companies and regulators under consumer law. Australia can choose from a variety of models, but some form of truth in
June 2019
May 2019
- SA
Polling – Young SA voters and climate change
New research from The Australia Institute has found that young voters and their strong interest in tackling global warming could be a significant factor at the next election in South Australia, across both the Lower House and the Senate.
April 2019
- RURAL-REGIONAL-REMOTE
Polling – Lattes and Chardonnays
New research from The Australia Institute dispels stereotypes around what Australians drink and their political leanings finding that café latte drinkers vote Liberal/National more than any other party.
March 2019
Point blank: Political strategies of Australia’s gun lobby
The Australian public supports stronger gun control and stricter restrictions and laws on firearms. Despite this, there is a real danger of our firearm laws being watered down. Successive inquiries have found that no state or territory has ever fully complied with the National Firearms Agreement. The public will on firearms is being circumvented because
Compulsory voting: Ensuring government of the people, by the people, for the people
Voter turnout is at record lows in federal elections. A review of non-voting penalties should be undertaken and consideration given to Scandinavian-style progressive penalties. “Members of the Committee also regard compulsory voting as a corner-stone of Australia’s democratic system.” Joint Standing Committee into Electoral Matters (2018) Report on the conduct of the 2016 federal election
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
Balance of Power – Senate projections, Spring 2018
In this report series, we present and analyse the results of Senate voting intention polls to project the potential makeup of the Senate following one or more elections. On current polling, future elections are likely to return a crossbench that is about as large and divided as the current one. Future governments – whether Coalition