Public trust in Australian politicians is falling even as voters demand a more active government role in delivering essential services, new research from the Centre for Policy Development has found.
More than four in five Australians want governments to retain the ability to provide social services directly, with health, education and childcare expected to remain affordable for all.
At the same time, almost six in 10 respondents said elected representatives no longer served their interests. Nearly 70 per cent believed modern politics was driven more by short-term electoral advantage than by efforts to tackle long-term challenges.
The findings come as support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation grows, reflecting disillusionment with Australia’s two major parties and wider frustration over the direction of national politics.
Australians call for greater say in policy
The Centre for Policy Development’s Purpose of Government Pulse draws on almost a decade of national polling conducted by Essential. Its latest findings suggest voters remain committed to public services but are increasingly sceptical of the politicians responsible for overseeing them.
Some 65 per cent of those surveyed said ordinary citizens should have a much greater say in setting the Government’s core policy priorities.
“There is a growing push for politicians who are more deeply connected to their local communities and focused on the issues that matter most to everyday people,” the report said.
Andrew Hudson, chief executive of the Centre for Policy Development, said the results showed Australians wanted political leaders to pursue substantial reforms rather than concentrate on immediate political gains.
“What this polling shows pretty clearly is that Australians are in favour of those services being delivered, and there is bipartisan agreement on a lot of these issues,” he told AAP.
Mr Hudson said there were areas where parties as politically distant as the Greens and One Nation could find common ground, including major reforms intended to improve people’s lives. He cited Ms Hanson’s call for an overhaul of the tax system.
He described the findings as evidence of a “populist wave for hands-on government”, with voters resisting attempts to reduce the state’s role in areas such as health and education.
“What the public is saying is don’t strip them back – pare them back, invest in them, and deliver them to a standard that is going to improve our quality of life,” he said.
The report said restoring confidence would require governments and politicians to demonstrate, in tangible ways, that they were delivering the services communities needed.
