By Rich Bowden:

The sixth annual poll by the Sydney-based think tank the Lowy Institute has surveyed Australian’s opinion on foreign policy, giving the Government a mediocre score and uncovering some shock findings on China.

Conducted in March from a sample of 1,000 participants, the survey ranked the Government four out of 10 for its handling of the premier policy areas of asylum seekers and whaling and five out of 10 for its efforts on climate change. The survey was taken before the Government’s dive in popularity following a number of policy backflips including its decision to defer the emissions trading legislation.

In policy areas where the Government has been credited with a solid performance — such as its handling of the global financial crisis — the score was still comparitively weak said the Lowy Institute’s Dr Michael Wesley to the ABC.

“In general Australians seem to be fairly bullish about the economy and our economic prospects, but even though the Government did act decisively on the stimulus package, Australians gave it only six out of 10 for handling the global financial crisis,” he said.

“It is a difficult one to score. I wonder whether people had moved on a little bit. Back in March the problems with the Greek economy hadn’t yet emerged and so I am a bit at a loss to explain that one, to tell you the truth.

“I think first-term governments often start off slowly on foreign policy. Certainly they are not marks that give any concern [sic] for complacency and I think the Government would be thinking there is room for improvement.”

Interestingly, nearly half of the recipients surveyed believe China will become a military threat to Australia within the next twenty years with 19 percent believing this to be a “very likely” proposition. The findings represent unease with the growing economic and regional power of China despite nearly 75 percent of people surveyed saying China’s growth was “good for Australia.”

Fifty-five per cent of those surveyed were supportive of Australia joining with other countries to limit China’s influence.

“The two sides of the China relationship play in to the rising support for the US alliance that is evident in the poll,” Lowy Poll Project director Fergus Hanson said to the Courier Mail.

Established in 2003, the Institute is an independent public policy think tank with the twin aims to “produce distinctive research and fresh policy options for Australia’s international policy,” and “to promote wide discussion of Australia’s role in the world.”

Tags: australia china, australia climate change, australia gfc, australian politics, lowy institute poll