Finding No. 6044 – This special snap SMS Morgan Poll was conducted with a representative cross-section of 2,123 Australians over the weekend of January 23-27, 2015.
A special snap SMS Morgan Poll today shows a small majority of Australians (52%, down 1% since August 2009) say that Australians convicted of drug trafficking in another country and sentenced to death should be executed while 48% (up 1%) don’t. Of Australians, a larger majority (62%) said the Australian Government should not do more to stop the execution of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan while 38% say the Australian Government should do more to stop the execution. Today’s special SMS Morgan Poll was conducted with a cross-section of 2,123 Australians over the last few days, January 23-27, 2015.
Death Penalty
Analysis by Voting Preference
Analysing the results by voting preference shows Liberal voters strongly in favour of the executions being carried out (63% cf. 37%), as are National voters (69% cf. 31%), however both ALP voters (55% cf. 45%) and Greens voters (68% cf. 32%) are against the executions being carried out.
Analysis by Gender
Analysis by gender shows a gender split with men in favour of the death penalty and women against the death penalty:
- Men: Favour executions being carried out (60%) cf. against executions being carried out (40%);
- Women: Favour executions being carried out (46%) cf. against executions being carried out (54%).
Analysis by Age
Analysing by age shows younger Australians (under 35) are against the executions being carried out while Australians aged 35-49 are the most in favour of the executions being carried out:
- 18-24yr olds: Favour executions being carried out (36%) cf. against executions being carried out (64%);
- 25-34yr olds: Favour executions being carried out (48%) cf. against executions being carried out (52%);
- 35-49yr olds: Favour executions being carried out (63%) cf. against executions being carried out (37%);
- 50-64yr olds: Favour executions being carried out (52%) cf. against executions being carried out (48%);
- 65+yr olds: Favour executions being carried out (50%) cf. against executions being carried out (50%).
Analysis by State
Analysing by State shows all States except Victoria in favour of the executions being carried out for Australians convicted of drug trafficking in another country:
Western Australia (62% in favour of executions being carried out cf. 38% against), Tasmania (60% cf. 40%), South Australia (55% cf. 45%), Queensland (53% cf. 47%), NSW (52% cf. 48%) and Victoria (49% cf. 51% against).
Should the Australian Government do more to stop the execution of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan?
Analysis by Voting Preference
Analysing the results by voting preference shows Liberal voters strongly of the opinion that the Australian Government should not do more to stop the execution of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, (74% cf. 26%), as are National voters (88% cf. 12%), however both ALP voters (53% cf. 47%) and Greens voters (54% cf. 46%) believe the Government should be doing more.
Analysis by Gender
Analysis by gender shows both men and women say the Australian Government should not do more to stop the executions of Sukumaran and Chan being carried out:
- Men: Government should not do more (71%) cf. Government should do more (29%);
- Women: Government should not do more (53%) cf. Government should do more (47%);
Analysis by Age
Analysing by age shows a majority of all age groups say the Australian Government should not do more for Sukumaran and Chan:
- 18-24yr olds: should not do more (63%) cf. do more (37%);
- 25-34yr olds: should not do more (61%) cf. do more (39%);
- 35-49yr olds: should not do more (66%) cf. do more (34%);
- 50-64yr olds: should not do more (59%) cf. do more (41%);
- 65+yr olds: should not do more (59%) cf. do more (41%);
Analysis by State
- Analysing by State shows all States say the Australian Government should not do more for Sukumaran and Chan:
- South Australia (66% should not do more cf. 34% should do more), Tasmania (66% cf. 34%), Queensland (65% cf. 35%), Western Australia (62% cf. 38%), Victoria (61% cf. 39%) and New South Wales (57% cf. 43%).
Gary Morgan says:
“A slight majority of Australians (52%) say that Australians convicted of drug trafficking in another country and sentenced to death should be executed. However, there is a clear gender split with men (60%) in favour of the death penalty being carried out while only 46% of women believe that convicted drug traffickers overseas should be executed.
“Australians across five States (NSW, QLD, WA, SA and Tasmania) are in favour of convicted Australian drug traffickers having the death penalty while only in Victoria are slightly more respondents opposed (51%) to the death penalty being carried out compared to 49% in favour.
“However, when asked whether the Australian Government should do more to stop the execution of Andrew Chan & Myuran Sukumaran a clear majority of Australians (62%) say the Australian Government should not do more compared to only 38% that say the Australian Government should do more.
“Looking at key demographics shows that a majority of Australians in each age group, both genders and through all six States agree that the Australian Government should not do more to stop the executions of Chan & Sukumaran. However, amongst both ALP supporters (53% cf. 47%) and Greens supporters (54% cf. 46%) a slight majority say the Australian Government should do more to stop the executions.”
Finding No. 6044 – This special snap SMS Morgan Poll was conducted with a representative cross-section of 2,123 Australians over the weekend of January 23-27, 2015.
Questions: Death Penalty for Drug Trafficking?
Respondents were asked: “In your opinion if an Australian is convicted of drug trafficking in another country & sentenced to death, should the penalty be carried out? Y=Yes N=No”
On previous telephone polls respondents were asked: “In Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore and some other countries, the penalty for drug trafficking is death. If an Australian is convicted of trafficking drugs in another country and sentenced to death, in your opinion, should the penalty be carried out or not?”*
| |
All Australians 14+
|
|
|
| |
Jan
‘86
|
Jul
‘86
|
Jul
‘87
|
Feb
‘89
|
Jun
‘90
|
May
‘92
|
May
‘93
|
Aug
‘95
|
Nov
‘05
|
Dec
‘05
|
Aug
‘09
|
Aug
‘09#
|
Jan
‘15#
|
| |
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Death Penalty should be carried out
|
73
|
80
|
80
|
79
|
75
|
76
|
70
|
66
|
57
|
61
|
50
|
53
|
52
|
|
Death Penalty should not be carried out
|
21
|
16
|
17
|
17
|
21
|
19
|
26
|
29
|
36
|
35
|
44
|
47
|
48
|
|
Can’t say
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
*This question initially referred to Malaysia only. Sri Lanka was added in 1989 and Indonesia and Singapore were added in 2005. #August 2009 results re-percentaged without ‘can’t say’. Can’t say was not offered as an option for this special SMS Morgan Poll conducted over the weekend with Australians aged 18+.
Voting Preference
|
|
Total
|
Electors
|
Liberal
|
National#
|
ALP
|
Greens
|
Other#
|
Can’t say#
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Death Penalty should be carried out
|
52
|
52
|
63
|
69
|
45
|
32
|
55
|
49
|
|
Death Penalty should not be carried out
|
48
|
48
|
37
|
31
|
55
|
68
|
45
|
51
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
#Small sample sizes (Under 100) should be treated with caution.
Age & Gender
| |
Total
|
Gender
|
Age
|
|
Men
|
Women
|
18-24#
|
25-34
|
35-49
|
50-64
|
65+
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Death Penalty should be carried out
|
52
|
60
|
46
|
36
|
48
|
63
|
52
|
50
|
|
Death Penalty should not be carried out
|
48
|
40
|
54
|
64
|
52
|
37
|
48
|
50
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
#Small sample sizes (Under 100) should be treated with caution.
State
|
|
|
State
|
|
|
Total
|
NSW
|
VIC
|
QLD
|
WA
|
SA
|
TAS#
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Death Penalty should be carried out
|
52
|
52
|
49
|
53
|
62
|
55
|
60
|
|
Death Penalty should not be carried out
|
48
|
48
|
51
|
47
|
38
|
45
|
40
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
#Small sample sizes (Under 100) should be treated with caution.
Question: Should the Australian Government do more for Andrew Chan & Myuran Sukumaran?
Respondents were asked: “Do you think the Australian government should do more to stop the execution of Bali Nine members Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan? Y=Yes N=No”
Voting Preference
|
|
Total
|
Electors
|
Liberal
|
National#
|
ALP
|
Greens
|
Other#
|
Can’t say#
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Australian Govt. should do more
|
38
|
31
|
26
|
12
|
53
|
54
|
35
|
40
|
|
Australian Govt. should not do more
|
62
|
69
|
74
|
88
|
47
|
46
|
65
|
60
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
#Small sample sizes (Under 100) should be treated with caution.
Age & Gender
| |
Total
|
Gender
|
Age
|
|
Men
|
Women
|
18-24#
|
25-34
|
35-49
|
50-64
|
65+
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Australian Govt.
should do more
|
38
|
29
|
47
|
37
|
39
|
34
|
41
|
41
|
|
Australian Govt.
should not do more
|
62
|
71
|
53
|
63
|
61
|
66
|
59
|
59
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
#Small sample sizes (Under 100) should be treated with caution.
State
|
|
|
State
|
|
|
Total
|
NSW
|
VIC
|
QLD
|
WA
|
SA
|
TAS#
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Australian Govt.
should do more
|
38
|
43
|
39
|
35
|
38
|
34
|
34
|
|
Australian Govt.
should not do more
|
62
|
57
|
61
|
65
|
62
|
66
|
66
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
#Small sample sizes (Under 100) should be treated with caution.
For further information:
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Contact
|
Office
|
Mobile
|
|
Gary Morgan:
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+61 3 9224 5213
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+61 411 129 094
|
|
Michele Levine:
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+61 3 9224 5215
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+61 411 129 093
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Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. The following table gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. The figures are approximate and for general guidance only, and assume a simple random sample. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
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Sample Size
|
Percentage Estimate
|
|
40%-60%
|
25% or 75%
|
10% or 90%
|
5% or 95%
|
|
1,000
|
±3.2
|
±2.7
|
±1.9
|
±1.4
|