Ethics survey
Truth in government
Over two weeks in August and September 2004 we conducted an online ethics survey on the issue of 'truth in government'. There were 158 participants in the survey, the results of which are below.
Note that the survey was conducted primarily to stimulate thinking and debate about this complex issue. It was not formally conducted and may not accurately reflect public opinion.
Many survey respondents also submitted comments about the general issue of of truth in government. Read an edited selection of these diverse comments.
The Ethics Centre's Executive Director, Simon Longstaff, has written an article about the issue of truth in government, making reference to this survey.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts or participate in further debate, why not visit our ethics forum?
About this survey
This text accompanied the original survey questions.
Recently the issue of 'truth in government' has become a major topic for debate around the world in relation to such matters as: the war in Iraq, the war on terror, the claims of the Sudanese Government in Darfur, etc..
In Australia this issue has also become a focus for public debate, particularly within the last few weeks with various former senior public servants raising truth in government as a major issue confronting the nation.
Survey results
1. How important to you is truth in government?
very important - 89%
fairly important - 8%
undecided - 2%
not overly important - 1%
unimportant - 0%
2. Do you believe that most politicians are generally truthful in public life?
yes - 23%
undecided - 15%
no - 62%
3. Do you believe that politicians should be generally truthful in public life?
yes - 98%
undecided - 1%
no - 1%
4. Does the general truthfulness - real or perceived - of politicians affect the way you vote?
yes - 88%
undecided - 4%
no - 7%
did not answer - 1%
5. Should a politician resign if he or she is found to have misled the public?
yes - 77%
undecided - 19%
no - 3%
did not answer - 1%
6. Is it ever acceptable for politicians to lie to the people they represent?
yes - 19%
undecided - 13%
no - 68%
7. In what circumstances do you think it would be acceptable for politicians to lie to the people they represent?
to enhance/preserve national security - 34%
to ensure electoral success - 1%
to protect jobs - 4%
it is never acceptable - 61%
8. If you had to choose between economic security and truth in government, to which would you give priority?
economic security - 15%
truth in government - 85%
9. If you had to choose between national security and truth in government, to which would you give priority?
national security - 33%
truth in government - 66%
did not answer - 1%
10. Should government ministers take personal responsibility for misleading or deceptive information which has been released by their office or department?
yes - 87%
undecided - 10%
no - 3%
11. Should public servants publicly expose politicians they know to be untruthful or misleading?
yes - 75%
undecided - 17%
no - 8%
12. To which should public servants give their primary loyalty?
to the government of the day - 13%
to the public interest - 87%
