Observation
In considering Australia’s foreign policy, there can sometimes be a clash between economic interests and democratic values. Asked about priorities for Australia in this situation, six in ten Australians (60%) say that Australia’s democratic values are more important, whereas more than one third (38%) say that economic interests are more important. In a similar question asked more than a decade ago in 2007, three-quarters of the country (74%) said that ‘democratic or humanitarian values’ were more important, compared to 18% selecting ‘economic or political interests’. This indicates an increased emphasis on economic interests in the past decade.