Table 1

Table 1 Attitudes to the immigration intake: 1961 - 1996 (per cent)

year

too many

about right

too few

dont know

total

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

(1961)

(1964)

(1967)

(1968)

(1970)

(1971)

(1977)

(1981)

(1984 May)

(1984 June)

(1988)

(1990)

(1991)

(1996)

16

21

18

26

38

53

43

45

59

62

68

65

73

65

37

41

36

45

45

34

40

37

28

27

22

24

16

29

43

30

36

19

12

11

14

11

5

4

8

8

9

3

4

8

10

10

5

2

2

7

8

6

2

4

2

3

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Source and notes: Sources for polls 1-8 and 10-11, Betts, 1988, p. 70. (The 1984 May poll, no. 9 in Table 1, was not included in Betts 1988 because of its similarity and proximity to 1984 June. Both were Morgan polls published together in the Morgan Gallup Poll No. 589 1984.) (The exact wording of the questions of polls numbered here as 1 to 8 and 10 to 11 is set out in Betts, 1988, pp. 58-9 in Table 4.3, polls numbered in that table as 1-5, 7, 10 and 12-14. Poll no. 9 followed the wording of poll no. 10.)

Poll no. 12, is an Irving Saulwick poll, The Age, 14 May 1990, p.5. The sample was 1000 voters interviewed nation-wide by telephone. The question was: Over the past four years Australia's intake of immigrants has averaged 120,000 a year. The target for this financial year is 140,000. Do you think Australia should take more than 140,000 immigrants this year, about 140,000 immigrants, fewer than 140,000 immigrants, or take no immigrants this year? The fewer than 140,000 response (46%) and the take none response (19%) have been combined to constitute the 'too many' response in Table 1. Poll no 13 is also a Saulwick poll published in The Age , 4 November 1991, p. 3. The sample was 1000 voters interviewed nation-wide by telephone. The question read: Over the past four years Australia's intake of immigrants has averaged 132,000 a year. The target for this financial year is 111,000. Do you think that Australia should take: more than 111,000 immigrants this year, about 111,000 immigrants, fewer than 111,000 immigrants, or take no immigrants this year? Again the take fewer (46%) and take none (27%) have been combined for the too many response.

Poll no 14 is an AGB McNair poll conducted by telephone 14-16 June 1996. It drew on a nationwide sample of 2063 people aged 18 plus. It included people who were not enrolled to vote as well as those who were. In order to maintain comparability with polls 12 and 13 the data for no. 14 only refer to enrolled votes (n = 1937). The question was: ╘I would now like to ask you some questions on immigration to Australia. This year about 100,000 migrants will immigrate to Australia. Do you feel that the current level of immigration to Australia is too high, too low or about right? (Pattern for persons not enrolled to vote [n = 123]: too high 54%, about right 35% too low 3% don't know 8%.)

Source: Table 1

Table 1 Attitudes to the immigration intake: 1961 - 1996 (per cent)
	year	too many	about right	too few	dont know	total
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14	(1961) (1964) (1967) (1968) (1970) (1971) (1977) (1981) (1984 May) (1984 June) (1988) (1990) (1991) (1996)	16 21 18 26 38 53 43 45 59 62 68 65 73 65	37 41 36 45 45 34 40 37 28 27 22 24 16 29	43 30 36 19 12 11 14 11 5 4 8 8 9 3	4 8 10 10 5 2 2 7 8 6 2 4 2 3	100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Source and notes: Sources for polls 1-8 and 10-11, Betts, 1988, p. 70. (The 1984 May poll, no. 9 in Table 1, was not included in Betts 1988 because of its similarity and proximity to 1984 June. Both were Morgan polls published together in the Morgan Gallup Poll No. 589 1984.) (The exact wording of the questions of polls numbered here as 1 to 8 and 10 to 11 is set out in Betts, 1988, pp. 58-9 in Table 4.3, polls numbered in that table as 1-5, 7, 10 and 12-14. Poll no. 9 followed the wording of poll no. 10.) Poll no. 12, is an Irving Saulwick poll, The Age, 14 May 1990, p.5. The sample was 1000 voters interviewed nation-wide by telephone. The question was: Over the past four years Australia's intake of immigrants has averaged 120,000 a year. The target for this financial year is 140,000. Do you think Australia should take more than 140,000 immigrants this year, about 140,000 immigrants, fewer than 140,000 immigrants, or take no immigrants this year? The fewer than 140,000 response (46%) and the take none response (19%) have been combined to constitute the 'too many' response in Table 1. Poll no 13 is also a Saulwick poll published in The Age , 4 November 1991, p. 3. The sample was 1000 voters interviewed nation-wide by telephone. The question read: Over the past four years Australia's intake of immigrants has averaged 132,000 a year. The target for this financial year is 111,000. Do you think that Australia should take: more than 111,000 immigrants this year, about 111,000 immigrants, fewer than 111,000 immigrants, or take no immigrants this year? Again the take fewer (46%) and take none (27%) have been combined for the too many response. Poll no 14 is an AGB McNair poll conducted by telephone 14-16 June 1996. It drew on a nationwide sample of 2063 people aged 18 plus. It included people who were not enrolled to vote as well as those who were. In order to maintain comparability with polls 12 and 13 the data for no. 14 only refer to enrolled votes (n = 1937). The question was: ╘I would now like to ask you some questions on immigration to Australia. This year about 100,000 migrants will immigrate to Australia. Do you feel that the current level of immigration to Australia is too high, too low or about right? (Pattern for persons not enrolled to vote [n = 123]: too high 54%, about right 35% too low 3% don't know 8%.)