A Greater Australia: Population, policies and governance - CEDA

Section 3.1Figure 2Survey results – would you say your feelings are positive, negative orneutral towards immigrants from [country]? 2010–2011Per cent100908070NegativeNeutralPositive60504030201002010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011English-speaking countriesEuropeAsiaMiddle-EastSource: Scanlon Foundation (Markus 2010–2011)is close to the indication of negative sentiment obtained in the survey towards thoseof the Muslim faith, indicating that attitudes towards Muslims in all likelihood informattitudes to immigrants from Iraq and Lebanon.In contrast, the level of negative sentiment towards immigrants from English-speakingcountries (England, New Zealand and the United States) and European countries (Italy,Greece and Germany) averaged less than three per cent. Negative sentiment towardsimmigrants from Asian countries averaged 11 per cent.It is notable that in both the 2010 and 2011 surveys more than 95 per cent of respondentsare positive or neutral towards immigrants from Italy and Greece, more than 90per cent towards Vietnamese and more than 85 per cent towards Chinese.These findings point to a substantial change in Australian attitudes in a relatively shortperiod of time. Continental Europeans, who were the target of hostility in the 1950s and1960s, and immigrants from Asia whose entry to Australia was much questioned inthe 1980s, are now seen in a positive or neutral light by a large majority of Australians.While one in four admit to negative feelings towards immigrants from Lebanon andIraq, those with positive and neutral attitudes are the clear majority.Future population targetsA number of polls in 2010 asked questions with regard to future population. There areindications that such questions are too abstract to obtain reliable readings of publicopinion.The Third Intergenerational Report was released by the Treasury in February 2010.It projected a population of 35.9 million by 2050. This projection sparked extensiveand polarised public debate, which was waged between what came to be termedadvocates for a “Big Australia” and “Small Australia”, with little understanding that theIntergenerational Report’s projection was relatively conservative and based on the continuationof trends of the last 40 years.A Greater Australia: Population, Policies and Governance123