Lack of confidence on corruption: poll

The media, trade unions and political parties top the list of institutions the public perceives to be the most corrupt and in which they have the least confidence, while 43 per cent of Australians believe that the level of corruption in Australia has increased, according to the latest ANUpoll released today. The poll, Perceptions of corruption and ethical conduct , measures public confidence in government and institutions, perceptions and experiences of corruption and the ethical conduct of elected representatives, as well as taking stock of the political mood. It confirms that acts of bribery involving public officials in Australia are very low, yet at the same time reveals that the public believes corruption is on the rise. The results also demonstrate a strong link between public confidence and perceptions of corruption. The Federal Government was seen as corrupt by almost one in three people and only one in five believe that governments can usually be trusted to do the right thing. However, Australians' satisfaction with democracy remains among the highest in the world suggesting the public distinguishes between the broad institutions of the political system, in which confidence is high, and the individuals who occupy elected positions within that system, in whom confidence is low. At the opposite end of the spectrum the armed forces, the public service and the police enjoy the highest levels of public confidence and are regarded as the least corrupt.