Galaxy Poll: 60% think Canberra is out of touch with Northern Australia
A poll conducted by Galaxy Research for the Institute of Public Affairs reveals that the majority of Australians do not think that Canberra understands the needs of Northern Australian families and businesses.
Galaxy asked 1,063 respondents from across Australia:
“In your opinion, do decision makers in Canberra understand the needs of families and businesses living in Northern Australia?”
60 per cent of respondents believe that Canberra is out of touch with Northern Australia. Only 16 per cent of Australians thought the decision makers in Canberra were in touch with needs of Northern Australians.
Other key findings include:
- 67 per cent of residents of regional Australia thought that Canberra didn’t understand Northern Australian needs;
- 71 per cent of Queenslanders thought that Canberra didn’t understand Northern Australian needs; and
- 65 per cent of Western Australians felt thought that Canberra didn’t understand Northern Australian needs.
Of the residents of regional Western Australia and Queensland, those most likely to live in Northern Australia, 74 per cent were dissatisfied with federal government decision makers. By comparison, 56 per cent of people from the Southern States thought Canberra didn’t understand Northern Australia.
The Galaxy poll results indicate that Australians do not believe that a big, centralised government in Canberra is best placed to make decisions about regions that are geographically, economically and socially distant.
Read the full briefing document here: