Albanese Policies Popular, Yet Largely Unknown
Yet the policies enjoy widespread support once people are made aware of them.
The results pose big questions about the ability of government to communicate its record in an era of fractured media and news avoidance.
In the poll of 2009 Australians, respondents were given a list of nine policies (including one fake) and asked to answer whether each policy was implemented by the Albanese government.
They were then asked if they supported or opposed each policy.
“High levels of news avoidance and declining trust in mainstream media make it harder for governments to communicate their policies and achievements, posing issues for democracy,” said Stephen Long, Senior Fellow at The Australia Institute.
“In a fractured media landscape, there is no longer a ‘national debate’ or a ‘national swing’ – so politicians will need to pay more attention to the priorities of particular communities,” said Bill Browne, Director of the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program.
“Australians have relatively high awareness of changes to stage 3 tax cuts and of wage increases for aged care workers, a reminder that voters notice when governments improve the financial position of those worse off.
“The high level of support for a native forest logging ban, even though it didn’t happen, is a reminder that this government could have been much braver on environmental issues. The public is way ahead of the Albanese Government on environmental, climate and integrity reforms.
“Most voters haven’t heard of the Albanese Government’s achievements, but when they are told about them, they support them.”
https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/albanese-government-policies-popular-but-not-well-known/