New polling released today reveals that Australian men aged 18 to 24 are the demographic most likely to believe that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is acting in the best interests of working men.
The polling, by Demos AU commissioned by the ACTU, found that 66 per cent of men aged 18 to 24 agree that “Anthony Albanese is acting in the best interests of working men.”
This group of young men are the strongest backers of the Prime Minister’s record supporting workers, but men across all age demographics agreed that he was most trusted to act in the best interests of not only ‘working men’, but also ‘working women.’
Men in this age group were also the most likely to believe that Albanese will act in the best interests of all workers compared to other men, with 68 per cent responding affirmatively, significantly higher than 56 per cent for all men and 60 per cent of women who said the same.
Women aged 18 to 24 also showed the strongest support of any group in trusting Albanese to act in the best interests of ‘working women,’ ‘all workers,’ and ‘young workers.’
The findings offer a stark contrast to the international trend of young men increasingly aligning with right-wing and populist parties, including in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and South Korea.
The polling emerges amid a broader debate about the gender divide with young Australian voters, with the results suggesting that the Albanese Government’s positioning on workers’ rights, higher wages, job security and investments in Free TAFE and apprenticeships may be resonating with disillusioned young voters.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President, Michele O’Neil:
“In an election fought on cost-of-living pressures, who is trusted to act in the best interests of working people matters.
“Young people are having a major influence on election outcomes around the world, so understanding who they trust in Australia to have their back is important.
“Earning trust is not an easy task, but the polling shows that the Federal Government has been successful in positioning itself as champions of the working class.
“The union movement campaigned and won important work rights under this Federal Government, which has boosted workers’ pay packets, increased people’s job security, and made it much easier to study at TAFE and complete an apprenticeship.
“Men aged under 25 stand out as the group most likely to believe that the Prime Minister will act in the interests of working men. That’s significant when right-wing political parties in other countries have tapped into the economic frustrations of these workers to make gains in elections.”
Quotes attributable to Queensland Council of Unions General Secretary, Jacqueline King:
“This latest polling shows that young workers, especially young men, are seeing through the election noise to see who is delivering for them.
“In Queensland and across the country, young people are backing job security, wage growth, and showing real support for Fee Free TAFE and apprenticeships delivered under the Albanese Government.
“While we’ve seen rising support for the far right overseas, Australian young men instead are backing stronger rights at work and a government that’s interested and investing in their future. That’s good news for workers, and it’s good news for democracy.
“These numbers reinforce what we’re hearing on the ground – young Queenslanders want fairness, opportunity and respect at work. And they know that under Peter Dutton, all of that is at risk.”
