(09/08/10) -

Australia’s Environment Admired by Americans, Britons and Canadians

Few respondents in the three countries were able to correctly identify Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott when shown their pictures.

Few respondents in the three countries were able to correctly identify Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott when shown their pictures.

Australia is regarded by many people in Canada, the United States and Britain as an attractive destination due to its natural environment, but several misconceptions about life in the country persist, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of representative national samples of 1,014 Canadians, 1,007 Americans and 1,739 Britons also shows that respondents have a hard time identifying the country’s two main political leaders, but offer glowing reviews when they ponder their interaction with Australian people.

Life in Australia

At least two-thirds of respondents (USA 66%, BRI 70%, CAN 74%) say they would expect to be able to practice their religion and observe their cultural traditions freely and without restrictions if they moved to Australia.

Three-in-five Canadians (62%) and Britons (67%)—along with almost half of Americans (48%)—expect to work in the same profession that they currently have in their respective countries.

At least one-in-four respondents believe they will pay higher taxes if they moved to Australia (USA 33%, BRI 25%, CAN 25%). There is a discernible difference in one question: while three-in-four Britons (77%) expect to have a better quality of life in Australia, only 39 per cent of Americans and 36 per cent of Canadians concur.

Australia is clearly not regarded as a dangerous place when respondents are asked to contemplate crime and public safety. Two thirds of Canadians (69%) expect Australia to be as safe as their own country. Two-in-five Britons (40%) and one third of Americans (32%) believe Australia would be safer than their respective countries.

Remarkably, one third of Americans (33%) think it is “very likely” or “moderately likely” that they will see a kangaroo in the streets of an Australian city on an average day, along with 21 per cent of Canadians and 16 per cent of Britons.

The Australian People

Respondents in Canada, the United States and Britain were asked to choose words to describe the last Australian person they met in their own country. The findings were overwhelmingly positive, with more than 70 per cent of respondents in the three countries branding Australians as down to earth, more than three-in-five saying they are open, and more than half claiming they are honest.

Two thirds of Canadians (66%) and Americans (65%) describe Australians as “intelligent”, along with almost half of Britons (47%). Every negative attribute is in single digits across the three countries, with one exception: one-in-five Britons (19%) assert that Australians as arrogant.

Australia as a Country

At least two-in-five respondents (CAN 46%, BRI 44%, USA 41%) consider Australia as an ally of their own country, while a third (BRI 38%, CAN 35%, USA 33%) deem it a friend.

When asked about the most appealing thing that comes to mind when they think about Australia, the top answer was the natural environment (BRI 37%, CAN 36%, USA 35%). One-in-four Americans (23%) and Canadians (21%) mention the people, while Britons also have positive things to say about social services and quality of life (12%) and perceive Australia as a place for good employment opportunities (11%).

It was impossible for a third of Americans (34%), a third of Britons (also 34%) and two-in-five Canadians (40%) to choose a least appealing thing when thinking about Australia. The top response are the fact that Australia is remote and isolated (CAN 29%, USA 28%, BRI 21%), followed by the climate and weather (USA 13%, BRI 13%, CAN 10%). Discrimination was an issue for 10 per cent of respondents in Canada and Britain, while high taxes are a concern for 10 per cent of Americans.

Two-in-five respondents in the three countries (CAN 40%, USA 40%, BRI 39%) rate the state of relations between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians as good or very good. The state of relations between Australia-born citizens and immigrants gets a more positive rating (CAN 43%, BRI 46%, USA 49%).

The notion of Australia being a country that does what the United States wants it to do in foreign affairs is only endorsed by 19 per cent of Canadians, 19 per cent of Americans and 16 per cent of Britons. Conversely, a third of Canadians (34%) and Americans (34%) believe Australia has become a bigger actor in foreign affairs. Britons (41%) are more likely to believe that Australia remains a small country with little influence in foreign affairs.

Misconceptions

Respondents were shown four incorrect statements about Australia and asked whether they thought they were true or false. Half of Britons (49%) and Canadians (48%)—as well as two-in-five Americans (39%)—mistakenly believe that same-sex marriage is legal in Australia. More than half of Americans (53%) wrongly assume that the Australian dollar is worth more than the British pound, along with two-in-five Britons (40%) and a third of Canadians (32%).

Three-in-five Americans (61%) incorrectly identify Australia as a Republic, along with 33 per cent of Britons and 28 per cent of Canadians. Significantly fewer respondents (USA 26%, CAN 18%, BRI 18%) erroneously think that Australa—which has no nuclear facilities to generate electricity—is a global leader in nuclear energy production.

The Political Leaders

In order to gauge the level of awareness of Australia’s main federal political leaders, respondents in the three countries were shown pictures of both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, and asked to name each one.

While nine per cent of Britons correctly identified Gillard, only four per cent of Canadians and 0.34 per cent of Americans were able to do so. Abbott was correctly identified by six per cent of Britons, one per cent of Canadians, and 0.06 per cent of Americans.

A large proportion of respondents in the three countries (USA 56%, CAN 52%, BRI 40%) have not been following news related to Australia over the past month. When informed about the fact that the last General Election in Australia did not produce a clear winner, one-in-four respondents (USA 26%, BRI 25%, CAN 24%) express concern about the stability of Australia’s government.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Peter Harris, Executive Vice President and Managing Director
+61 2 9256 2001
peter.harris@angus-reid.com

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From August 27 to August 31, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,014 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists; 1,007 American adults who are Springboard America panelists; and 1,739 British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1% in Canada and the U.S., and 2.3% in the UK. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the three countries. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.