A majority of Australians continue to support a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, including an overwhelming majority of young Australians.
The latest fortnightly survey of 1,000 respondents suggests a soft no campaign by the Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, unleashed over the summer break has, thus far, failed to shift voter sentiment, with 65% of respondents supporting the change, a two-point increase from the percentage recorded last December.
Poll respondents were asked to be explicit about the nature of their support or opposition to the concept. Of the yes cohort, 38% of respondents characterised their position as a hard yes while 26% said they were a soft yes. In the no camp, 21% characterised themselves as hard no and 14% as soft no.
The voice to parliament is backed more enthusiastically by progressives than conservatives. It is supported by 77% of Guardian Essential poll respondents who identify themselves as Labor voters and 89% of Greens supporters but only 41% of Coalition voters. Just over half (52%) of respondents who say they vote for minor parties and independents say they support the voice.
The latest numbers confirm that 74% of poll respondents in February were either positive or neutral about the prime minister, Anthony Albanese (22% of voters were negative and 4% unsure) while 57% were positive or neutral about Dutton (35% of respondents were negative and 5% unsure). Those metrics are similar to the result recorded last November.
The latest Guardian Essential survey results come as the voice to parliament debate is continuing to dominate the national political conversation and federal parliament resumes for 2023.
