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Processing Asylum Seekers

16 May 2011

Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to PNG and Malaysia if it means it will cost taxpayers substantially more than it would if we just processed asylum seekers on the mainland in Australia?

Total Vote Labor Vote Liberal/ National Vote Greens
Total support 24% 35% 23% 15%
Total oppose 60% 49% 66% 69%
Strongly support 6% 8% 6% 3%
Support 18% 27% 17% 12%
Oppose 29% 31% 25% 35%
Strongly oppose 31% 18% 41% 34%
Don’t know 16% 16% 11% 16%

Respondents were more likely to oppose the plan to send asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to PNG and Malaysia if it means it will cost taxpayers substantially more than it would if we just processed asylum seekers on the mainland in Australia – 24% support and 60% oppose.

Labor voters showed the largest shift in opinion if increased cost to taxpayers was taken into account  – their opposition increased from 25% to 49%.

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