An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey has revealed trust in governments of any political persuasion is at a historic low right across the developed world – but Australia has seen a surprising uptick.
Would you say you trust the government? Do you trust that politicians are making decisions based on what’s best for the country, or is self-interest their primary motivation?
The answer to those questions often depends on which side of the political divide you fall on. It seems like half the population is always angry with how things are being run – but which half is angry depends on who is in power.
It’s also no secret that the world has had more than its fair share of challenges in recent years – a global pandemic, rising geopolitical tensions and out-of-control inflation, just to name a few.
It’s probably no surprise then, that across the 60,000 people in 30 OECD countries surveyed in 2023 for the Drivers on Trust in Public Institutions Report, the share of people with low or no trust in their national government (44 per cent) outweighs the share of those with high or moderately high trust (39 per cent).
The results represent a two per cent drop in government trust since the last time the survey was conducted in 2021.
“Democratic governments today stand at a critical juncture, steering environmental and digital transitions while having to face increased polarisation within their countries,” the report reads.
The survey investigated people’s expectations and experiences with government and how that influenced their trust in public institutions. The experiences ranged from day‑to‑day interactions with government entities such as a public hospital or state road authority, to national government decision making on complex policy issues.
Women trust less than men
The results showed that in most countries, women (36 per cent) tend to trust the government less than men (43 per cent).
The gap was even more pronounced here in Australia, where women are 16 per cent less trusting (39 per cent vs 55 per cent) of government than men. This was one of the largest gender gaps seen in the survey.
The report noted that there has been a four-fold increase in the government trust gap between men and women since 2021.
Trust grew in Australia
But surprisingly, despite this gender gap, Australia was one of the few countries surveyed who actually recorded an increase in government trust. And a fairly big one at that.
The percentage of Aussies who answered that they had ‘High or moderately high’ trust in government grew almost eight per cent in the past two years.
This may have something to do with the change in government during that time. Not because the new lot are necessarily better than the old lot, just that they’re different.
There were also increases in trust recorded in France, Canada and Sweden – all countries who had federal elections during the same period.
“At the start of a government’s mandate, trust often increases due to people’s hopes for change and their recent participation in elections, which can boost the perceived legitimacy of the system, and may then decline over time as people start to evaluate the government’s performance against their expectations.”
So, do we really trust the government more, or do we just hope that we can?
Do you trust the government? What would it take for them to earn your trust? Let us know in the comments section below.
Agree it will mean different things to different people.
For me it would include being far more accountable and transparent in how they spend our taxes.
Stop over promising and underdelivering.
Think first of what’s best for our nation , rather than what’s best to retain a favoured position( vote ) of a pressure group or faction.
Set a real long term vision for the nation/state.and introduce a 4 year Federal term to allow more time to facilitate that vision..
Many more but don’t want to bore others.
Trust in government is low because many people now see governments as primarily servants of the big money people who largely funded their election campaign not servants of the people.
Big money owns the big parties so many people are switching their vote to minor parties and Independents who they believe are more likely to act in their and the countries best interests.
IMO many people are also sick of career politicians who are usually there entirely for themselves.
Agree, democracy with a two party system is deeply flawed. It’s a ‘dictatorship of big business’ Only democracy that works is Switzerland, where public referendums get voted on four times a year, and the government generally does what the people want.
Governments during my lifetime have torn away my trust. I thought the last straw was moving the pension age from 65 to 67 but I was wrong when I needed to go on Jobseeker. At 66 the mutual obligations are very similar to someone younger on Jobseeker right up to when I can receive the pension. Employers do not want employees in their mid to late 60s. Now it looks like the country will not have economic power in my late life when I am on a fixed income in need of power for heating and cooling as my body feels the extremes in temperature more. Trusting government is some kind of bad joke.
Here’s what it would take for me and should be mandatory for all political parties: Publication of balance sheet and profit and loss accounts with complete explanations of where every dollar goes every financial year. That would hopefully put a stop to all of the money wasted on things which do not benefit Australia and the Australian people and would certainly show who’s in it for Australia as a Country and who’s in it for themselves.
I wouldn’t trust this government as far as I could throw them. Just the latest coverup of their involvement with the CMFEU is just another example of the lack of trust never mind the hundred or so crims they let out onto the streets. Trust ? LOL.
Since Covid many people have woken up to the uncomfortable truth that our government isn’t there for us but does what they are told by big business interests. We are the 51st state of the US and blindly follow. It would need a totally new political system for me to trust government again, I would love to see a truly independent, non-aligned Australia where politicians make decisions in the best interest of our country and our people.
Not likely to happen soon and certainly not with this appalling labour govt that is sending us all to the poor house.
The present crop of Parliamentarians is just not of the quality of their predecessors and the Parliamentary rules has not been updated to ensure that truth is paramount.
My word is my bond is just lost upon the current society and Parliament is a poor leader to the next crop of MP,s,,.
I would suggest that the reason that trust in government has gone up, is the sheer amount of new migrants that have entered Australia. Over 1.2 mio in the last two years!!! They all love the government and are glad to be here and will also vote for labour at the next election. That’s certainly in my view a reason for our high migration numbers, as it also is in the US – they lead we follow….
Hopefully, as non citizens, they will not be eligible to vote.
My first suggestion would be to cut out the spin and tell the truth for a change. This also goes for departmental spokespersons. Never has the old adage “When do you know a politician is lying?” “When his mouth is moving.” I will not be holding my breath waiting for the improvement.
Pensioners are blamed for being a burden on Australian taxpayers by governments and some economists even though they have paid tax and union fees their entire working life. Currently the Australian Albanese Labor Government has brought in over 1.2 million immigrants which has put a huge burden on all Australian taxpayers. Labor doesn’t care about pensioners or what turmoil’s and hardship they go through.
With the high cost of living crisis, pensioners are making sacrafices by cutting back on what they purchase. They purchase the lowest grade of meat, or none at all or have more Green’s on a regular basis. There has to be choice or buying food or medication, one or the other, not both. Many pensioners have a mortgage, or pay rent, but mortgaged pensioners don’t get assistance like renting pensioners. Being on a pension and paying a mortgage take a large sum of money from each Centerlink payment, let alone all the other utilities and fuel costs. Furthermore, those pensioners living in rural or remote areas pay a higher cost for everything they buy.
It’s imperative that a Minister for the aged is a priority for all Australian elected Governments and should be implemented immediately by the current Labor Party. It’s evident that pensioners aren’t a priority for any government, evident by a Prime Minister who’s a multi-millionaire doesn’t care for particular sections of the Australian citizen’s. Having a P.M. who’s a multi-millionaire and earns $600,000, regardless of which side of politics, don’t give a damn about the people they’re supposed to represent. Australia needs more honest, tougher leaders whose love of country and all it’s people is paramount. It’s time the government takes seniors seriously and pay them a decent wage that can be lived on. Time the government gave back to the people who gave their blood, sweat and tears all their working lives and paid taxes for a decent livable pension payments.
Maybe if they actually started to listen to what the “average Joe Blo” is saying, rather than the Big Conglomerates.
I have faith in some of the independents certainly, still. The Teals are inspirational in many ways; thus far perscipacity and intellect, quite refreshing. Some other independents/minor party members who probably don’t need to be named, could perhaps form a separate party named Dingbats or some-such.
Payman’s ejection from Labor brings to the fore once again the subjugation of independent thought in that Party. To be fair, almost all thought seems to be banned under the coalition.
In Churchill’s day the lament was that they needed more Statesman and less politicians. A Statesman was brutally described as a dead politician…. I expect that the current crop will probably look better in hindsight also.
Perceptions: $300 for electricity for everyone- money for the rich. ABC filled with loathsome Sky appointees. Inflation? Let the RBA harm our kids with mortgages. Create homeless. Cost of living? Virtually nothing for the poor. Albanese – timid, a huge disappointment. Is swayed by lobbyists- fails to call out the genocide in Gaza. Unless there’s a titanic shift, I won’t Labor again. LNP are appalling, looks like Independents might get votes = hung Parliament
More ‘I don’t trust the government.’ University education – different costs, huge imposition on Arts/Humanities courses. HEALTH -failures from LNP government continue. Priorities are now Business, the Economy and currently Sport. I can get vaccinated every 6 months, younger people can’t. Antivirals- I can get them, younger people can’t. Looming worldwide shortage of COVID vaccines – are they even aware? I doubt it.
These days it would pretty well take “a miracle”. We have been systematically almost reduced to the 3rd world countries to which we have been transferring everything we had that was worthwhile thanks to the combined efforts of both big parties always working for anyone or anything except Australia. To quote something I heard “To fall below the bar of what it takes to be a politician you would need some really advanced tunneling equipment”.
Cannot trust our current Government. Albo is too busy wasting money; the failed Yes referendum, millions thrown at sporting teams, discretionary foreign aid to the Middle East and the Pacific, new jets, the $2.42 million payout to Higgins, Bowen’s un-costed green dream, fat pay rises for politicians and the new GG just to name a few. Meanwhile we have a housing crisis, cost of living crisis, and Albo is importing 1.5 million immigrants to make things worse; one has to wonder what is the ulterior motive. Albo and Chalmers keep telling us that the $300 energy relief and tax cuts will fix everything; the same $300 that politicians and multi millionaires also got! I wouldn’t class this is as targeted relief. Unfortunately retirees missed out on tax cuts not that this made a positive difference to anyone as the announced alcohol and fuel excise increases recovered the tax cuts and more to government coffers. My Federal red team member and also the State member are equally useless seat warmers and cannot see the forest from the trees. Time to drain the swamp.