Australians’ levels of confidence in the different parties on issues of gender equality vary substantially. It is clear from data collected just prior to the federal election that gender matters and that the records and policy priorities of the parties are viewed quite differently on this dimension. Overall, Australians have less confidence in the two Coalition parties (Liberals and Nationals) on issues related to gender equality than they do for Labor and the Greens.
46.8 per cent of Australians have some level of confidence in the Greens on gender equality.
50 per cent of Australians have some level of confidence in the Labor party regarding gender equality.
67.7 Almost two-thirds of Australians have little confidence in the Liberal party (26.7 per cent with no confidence at all and 41.0 per cent with not very much confidence).
76.8 More than three-quarters of Australians having little confidence in the National party (32.1 per cent with no confidence at all and 44.7 per cent with not very much confidence).
The April 2022 ANUpoll asked respondents ‘How much confidence do you have in the following political parties on issues related to gender equality?’ The parties asked about were: Liberal; National; Labour; Greens; One Nation; and United Australia Party.
There are substantial differences in the level of confidence in the different parties on issues related to gender equality (Figure 3). For none of the political parties asked about do more than half of the Australian population have quite a lot of confidence or a great deal of confidence and the proportion with a great deal of confidence is low.
The two parties in which the Australian population has the greatest level of confidence with regards to gender equality are the Greens and Labor parties. Just over one-in-ten (11.5 per cent) of Australians have a great deal of confidence in the greens on gender equality and 35.3 per cent having quite a lot of confidence. While there is a smaller per cent of Australians who have a great deal of confidence in the Labor party regarding gender equality (7.2 per cent), there is a much greater per cent of Australians who have quite a lot of confidence (42.8 per cent) which combined means that exactly half of Australians have some level of confidence in the Labor party.
There is less confidence in the two Coalition parties with regards to gender equality. Almost two-thirds of Australians have little confidence in the Liberal party (26.7 per cent with no confidence at all and 41.0 per cent with not very much confidence), rising to more than three-quarters of Australians having little confidence in the National party (32.1 per cent with no confidence at all and 44.7 per cent with not very much confidence).
The lowest level of confidence in relation to gender equality is for the United Australia Party and to a lesser extent, One Nation. Less than one-in-five Australians have confidence in One Nation (2.9 per cent have a great deal of confidence and 16.8 per cent have quite a lot of confidence) with only slightly over one-in-ten Australians having confidence in the United Australia Party (1.9 per cent have a great deal of confidence and 10.8 per cent have quite a lot of confidence)
A higher proportion of men have confidence (quite a lot or a great deal of confidence) in the Liberal, National and Labor parties on gender equality than do women (Figure 4). The only party for which women have a greater level of confidence is the Greens party, with 49.3 per cent of women having a great deal or quite a lot of confidence compared to 43.7 per cent for men. A very low proportion of both men and women have confidence in One Nation (about one-in-five) or the United Australia Party (about one-in-eight) and while men have a slightly higher (but not statistically significantly different) level of confidence in these two parties the level of confidence is very low for both genders.