surveys by researchwise, so they are extensively tested variables regarding public
opinion. Respondents also were provided with the opportunity to identify, for
themselves, any other issues they perceived as “key issues,” and were allowed multiple
responses.
Figure 3 show that 50 percent of respondents identified corruption as a key issue. It
ranked 5th when compared to other prompted issues, including health care (61 percent),
education (60 percent), the environment (55 percent) and crime (53 percent).
Interestingly, given the raft of legislation passed by state and federal governments in
Australia since the terrorist attacks in New York in September 2001, and Bali in
October 2002, which has increased the coercive powers of the executive arm of
government, only 42 percent of respondents considered national security a key issue.
So, it seems that corruption as an issue of concern is more firmly entrenched in the
national consciousness than national security. This may surprise many, given the
almost blanket media coverage of the federal government’s efforts in recent years
against terrorism, most notably as a justification for Australia’s military deployment
as part of “the coalition of the willing” in Iraq. Similarly, it again raises the question of
how much reliance can be placed on the consistently high ranking given to Australia in
corruption perception indices, such as those produced by TI.