Australian foreign policy
Australians are divided on many of the big questions about our role in the world. They hold mixed views on immigration, foreign aid, relationships with neighbours and security partnerships. In 2022, it remains an open question as to which partners, regions and forums should be the highest priority for Australia’s foreign policy. Four in ten Australians (43%) say that ‘focusing on Australia’s region, including Asia and the Pacific’ should be the highest priority for the federal government’s foreign policy. A third (33%) prioritise a globalist approach, saying that the government’s highest priority should be ‘focusing on global cooperation through multilateral institutions, including the United Nations’. Only one in five (20%) say Australia’s focus should be on ‘cooperation with Western countries and traditional partners, including the United States’. On 16 September 2021, the leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the creation of a trilateral security partnership called AUKUS. A slim majority of Australians (52%)say AUKUS will make Australia safer. Around one in five (22%) say AUKUS will make no difference to Australia’s safety, and 7% say the partnership will make Australia less safe. There are partisan differences to these responses: 70% of Australians who lean towards the Liberal and National parties say AUKUS will make Australia safer, a view shared by only 47% of Australians who lean towards the Labor Party and 44% who lean towards the Greens. Australians appear to see the implications of AUKUS in the region in a similar light. Around half (49%) say AUKUS will make the region more safe, 24% say the partnership will make no difference, and 8% say it will make the region less safe. A minority of Australians (11%) say they are not sure about AUKUS, and a similar proportion (8%) say they have never heard of AUKUS. In 2021, the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States convened in person as the Quad grouping. A slim majority of Australians say the Quad will make Australia (53%) and our region (52%) safer. One in five Australians say the Quad will make no difference to Australia (20%) or to the region (21%). Only a small proportion of Australians say the Quad will make Australia (4%) or the region (5%) less safe. One in ten Australians are unsure about the Quad’s impact on Australia (10%) and the region (11%), and 12% of Australians have never heard of the Quad. The Quad Leaders’ Tokyo Summit took place in May 2022, after the fieldwork for the 2022 poll had been completed.
98 questions match this theme
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Australian foreign policy
Australia’s foreign policy priorities
Which of the following should be the highest priority for the federal government’s foreign policy?
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China
Potential Chinese military base in the Pacific
To what extent are you concerned or not concerned about China potentially opening a military base in a Pacific Island country?
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Immigration and refugees
Immigration and national identity
Next, indicate whether the first statement or the second statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right:
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World leaders and countries
Australia's best friend in Asia
Which one of the following countries is Australia’s best friend in Asia?
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World leaders and countries
Australia's best friend in the world
Which one of the following countries is Australia’s best friend in the world?
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Security and defence
Australia’s response to the war in Ukraine
Thinking more about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, would you support or oppose Australia:
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Economic and trade policy
Budget priorities
Now about the federal budget. If you were making up the budget for the federal government this year, would you personally increase spending, decrease spending or keep spending about the same for:
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Security and defence
Foreign influence in Australian politics
Are you personally concerned or not concerned about the influence of each of the following countries on Australia’s political processes?
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Economic and trade policy
Globalisation
Now on globalisation. Do you believe that globalisation, especially the increasing connections of our economy with others around the world, is mostly good or mostly bad for Australia?
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Security and defence
Military conflict between China and United States
In the event of a military conflict between China and United States, please say which one of the following statements comes closest to your own personal view.
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Climate change and energy
Potential federal government policies on climate change
Would you support or oppose the following federal government policies?
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Security and defence
Russia's invasion of Ukraine
To what extent are you concerned or not concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
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Economic and trade policy
Support for free trade
Overall, do you personally think free trade is good or bad for each of the following:
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Security and defence
Use of Australian military forces
Would you personally be in favour or against the use of Australian military forces:
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China
Attending the Winter Olympics in China
The Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in China in 2022. Do you think Australia should attend the Winter Olympics, or not attend because of China’s human rights record?
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Climate change and energy
Australia's approach to international climate change negotiations
In the leadup to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, which one of the following two statements most closely represents your own view of the approach the Australian government should take in international climate change negotiations?
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Australian foreign policy
Australia's place in the world
Thinking about Australia's place in the world, do you think Australia is more a part of Asia, the Pacific, Europe, or not really part of any region?
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Australian foreign policy
Australia's reputation overseas
Now a question about Australia’s reputation overseas. Do you think each of the following factors have had a positive or negative influence on Australia’s reputation overseas?
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China
Australian media reporting about China
Overall, would you say Australian media reporting about China is:
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