A Roy Morgan survey for the Australian Institute of Company Directors has found the economy and economic management the major vote-deciding issue for directors, narrowly ahead of climate change, and that over 70 per cent of respondents supported the establishment of a federal anti-corruption watchdog.
The institute’s CEO Angus Armour said that most Australians were feeling cost of living pressures and both sides of politics had focussed on the economy, which was also “top of mind” for directors.
“The results also reflect what we have known for some time, directors are seeking a clearer pathway and stronger commitments on climate change, which is almost of equal importance to directors as strong economic management,” added Armour.
“The results also reveal that the establishment of a federal anti-corruption watchdog is critical to maintain integrity of government.”
The federal government took the promise of an integrity commission to the 2019 election, but one has not been established. The opposition has pledged to create a National Anti-Corruption Commission if it wins the election next month.
After economic management and climate change, leadership and government integrity were third and fourth for influencing voting intentions among the 1,700 company directors surveyed.
The overall Director Sentiment Index for the first half of 2022 remained positive since the last survey, taken in December last year, though it had fallen since then.
The “number one issue keeping [directors] awake at night” was cybercrime and data security, 60 per cent of directors nominated labour shortages as a top economic challenge, and Western Australians were the most optimistic about the strength of their state’s economic prospects.
Results of the survey can be found here.
Picture: peo.gov.au
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