Australian Political Compass

This asks whether wealthy people should pay significantly higher taxes so the government can fund healthcare, education, and welfare. It's about income redistribution and whether high earners should carry more of the tax burden.

This asks whether companies operate more efficiently with fewer government rules, inspections, or restrictions. It's about trusting the free market over government oversight and regulation.

This measures whether you support expanding government programs — like disability support, welfare payments, and aged care — even if it means higher taxes to fund them.

This asks whether businesses should face minimal regulation covering things like worker safety, environmental standards, consumer protections, and product quality. Agreeing means preferring fewer government controls on business.

Australia is experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis, with rents and prices far outpacing wages. This asks whether you think the government should directly build and manage more public housing to help people who cannot afford private rentals or home ownership.

Negative gearing allows property investors to deduct losses on investment properties from their taxable income. Capital gains tax discounts reduce tax on asset sale profits. Supporters say these policies encourage investment; critics argue they primarily benefit the wealthy and push up house prices.

This asks how much weight Australian society should give to long-standing cultural traditions, customs, and social norms — such as those around family structures, religion, and national identity. Agreeing means preferring these are maintained even as society evolves.

This asks whether government should direct extra resources and policy attention toward groups that often face systemic disadvantage — such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disabilities, refugees, or LGBTQ+ Australians.

Australia has one of the highest per-capita immigration rates in the world. This asks whether you believe current immigration levels should be reduced to protect cultural cohesion or national security. Disagreeing means you see immigration as broadly positive or not a threat.

This asks whether you think Australia's multicultural character — shaped by immigration from many countries — has been a positive thing overall. It's about how you weigh the social, economic, and cultural contributions of migrants to Australian life.

The "Closing the Gap" framework targets disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in health, education, employment, and life expectancy. This asks whether you support dedicated government investment and specific policies to reduce these gaps.

This asks whether you think Australian culture and national identity are under pressure from global influences — such as migration, international media, or foreign investment — and whether active steps should be taken to protect them.

This measures your views on law and order. Agreeing means supporting stronger policing and tougher penalties to deter crime. Disagreeing means preferring approaches focused on rehabilitation, addressing root causes of crime, or less punitive sentencing.

This asks whether public protests — including blocking traffic, occupying spaces, or acts of civil disobedience — are a legitimate way to challenge government actions or policies considered unjust. It tests your views on the right to dissent.

This is about the trade-off between national security and individual privacy. Agreeing means you support government surveillance or monitoring powers if they improve public safety. Disagreeing means you prioritise privacy rights even if that limits security tools available to authorities.

This asks whether legal protections against government surveillance — such as warrant requirements and oversight mechanisms — should remain strong even if they limit the tools available to law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Australia is one of the world's largest per-capita greenhouse gas emitters and a major coal and gas exporter. This asks whether you support stronger government climate policies — like emissions targets, carbon pricing, or clean energy investment — even if they raise costs for households or businesses in the near term.

Australia's mining sector — particularly coal, iron ore, and natural gas — is a major part of the economy but also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. This asks whether environmental protection should come first, even if it limits industry growth or regional jobs.

Australia's energy transition — from coal and gas toward renewables — has significant implications for workers in fossil fuel industries and for household energy bills. This asks whether you think the pace of change is too rapid and causing unnecessary economic harm. Agreeing doesn't mean opposing climate action, just preferring a slower transition.

Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG), generating significant export revenue and supporting many regional jobs. This asks whether these industries should be protected from rapid phase-out, even when global climate commitments call for reduced fossil fuel use.

Medicare currently covers a broad range of medical services but excludes most dental, optical, and mental health care. This asks whether you support expanding what Medicare covers, which would require higher public spending. Australia has some of the highest out-of-pocket healthcare costs among developed nations.

The Australian government provides a private health insurance rebate and imposes a Medicare Levy Surcharge on higher earners without private cover, to encourage uptake of private insurance. Supporters say this reduces demand on the public system; critics argue it subsidises the wealthy and undermines Medicare's universality.

Housing affordability has become a major issue in Australia, with rents and prices surging well beyond income growth. This asks whether you support active government intervention — such as rent controls, increased social housing construction, or buyer assistance schemes — to make housing more accessible.

Some economists argue that housing affordability is primarily a supply problem — too few homes being built — and that the solution is cutting planning red tape and letting the market build more. This asks whether you believe market forces, rather than government controls or subsidies, are the right approach to fixing housing costs.