Australian politicians viewed as untrustworthy, corrupt

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By Leith van Onselen

Trust in the federal government is at its lowest point since 2008, according to a survey by Griffith University and Transparency Inter­national. The decline in trust is linked to an increased belief that some federal MPs are corrupt, with two-thirds of those surveyed favouring the creation of a federal anti-corruption body. From The Australian:

Trust in all levels of government is falling, driven by growing concern about corruption and fear that public officials are using their position to benefit themselves and their families…

The survey shows that the overall level of trust and confidence in the federal government is at its lowest level since 2008, ­before Ms Gillard toppled Mr Rudd as prime minister.

Just 46 per cent of respondents have trust and confidence in the federal government, down from 81.8 per cent in 2008 when the federal government was by far the most trusted level of government.

…state governments have also been losing ground on this measure. Just 45.6 per cent of ­respondents have trust and confidence in state governments compared with 56.9 per cent in 2008…

It found 67 per cent favoured the creation of a federal anti-­corruption body, especially in Victoria, NSW and South Australia…

The survey results show just 18.7 per cent of respondents ­believed the prime minister and those in his office were not ­involved in corruption, down from 27 per cent two years ago…

With the fourth Australian Prime Minister in ten years likely to be knifed this week, and Australia’s living standards falling, trust can only diminish further.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.