With Australia now into its second year of responding to COVID-19, healthcare remains the dominant community concern, even more so than earlier in the pandemic. When asked to name up to three issues that personally interest or concern them the most, and that the Australian Government should focus on, a majority of adults (59%) describe issues related to hospitals, healthcare and ageing, up from 45% in February 2021.
True Issues is a research tool to assist Australian businesses to understand where their issues truly sit within the contemporary issues landscape. This poll was conducted as an online survey between the 15th – 19th July among a representative national sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18+ years.
The economy and finances (21%), environment and climate change (20%) and employment and wages (19%) continue to round out the top four issues – with the economy and employment again less top of mind than they were in 2020.
With much of Australia’s population subject to winter lockdowns or other restrictions, and the vaccine rollout under ongoing scrutiny, the COVID-19 pandemic is raised as a top three issue or concern by almost half of adults (47%, higher than 32% in February).
Top of mind concerns are dominated by the appropriateness and effectiveness of the public health response to COVID-19, such as lockdowns, quarantines and the vaccine rollout. Australians are also thinking about the need to support business and workers through the ongoing economic fallout of the pandemic, toward a future recovery and ‘new normal’.
This was an excerpt from our latest True Issues report, to read the full report, click the link below.
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