CANBERRA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Climate change, cost of living and the economy are the most important issues to Australians in the general election to be held on May 21, a poll has found.
State broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Friday published data from Vote Compass, which asks voters where they stand on a series of major issues before telling them which party they most closely align with.
It revealed that 29 percent of voters identified climate change as their most important issue for how they will vote in the election.
However, only 8 percent of people who said they intend to vote for the governing conservative Coalition identified climate change as an important issue compared to 30 percent of supporters of the opposition center-left Labor Party and 50 percent of people who vote for the left-wing Greens.
The Coalition has promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and has committed to a 2050 net zero target.
Under Labor's climate policy, emissions would be cut by 43 percent by 2030.
Cost of living and the economy rated as voters' next biggest concern, with 13 percent of 97,159 Vote Compass participants choosing each, followed by government accountability, the environment, and healthcare.
More than a third of Coalition voters chose the economy as their biggest issue followed by the cost of living and defence and public security.
Among Labor voters, climate change was followed by government accountability and cost of living.
Only 7 percent of Labor supporters said the economy was their biggest concern.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Thursday night announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will spend the next seven days in isolation. ■