Politicians and the government facing criticism is nothing new. But new research by the Scanlon Foundation paints an even bleaker picture than first thought, with public sentiment that political leaders will do the right thing continuing to slide.
Australia's leaders need to do better if they want to win over voters, according to research over a 10-year period from the Scanlon Foundation.
Quality of government and political leadership have been among the top-ranked issues for respondents over the past seven years, with around 10 per cent of Australians putting it second only to the economy in 2017.
The survey found that personal circumstances affect how people feel about politics. An average of just under 30 per cent of respondents said they trusted the federal government, falling to 13 per cent among those who considered themselves "poor" or "struggling to get along".
The picture of political pessimism continues when Australia is stacked up against its international partners.
According to studies by the Pew Research Centre, about 70 per cent of Canadians are satisfied with the state of democracy - among Australians, it's 58 per cent.
Meanwhile, 67 per cent of Canadians say they trust their national government, while the Scanlon reports show less than half of Australians surveyed share that belief.
