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CANBERRA - Australians care more about tackling climate change than terrorism and a majority like Americans but not necessarily their president, a new foreign policy survey shows.
And as Sydneysiders gear up for a week of upheaval as Asia Pacific leaders descend on the city, their opinion of US President George W Bush isn't likely to improve.
Mr Bush's early arrival on September 4, three days before the official start of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders' summit, is set to cost NSW taxpayers an extra A$4 ($4.69) million for security.
His earlier-than-expected appearance also means they'll be facing more road closures, traffic-stopping motorcades and other inconveniences.
The survey, released today by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, showed that 60 per cent of Australians had a favourable opinion of the United States, while 39 per cent feel less than kindly toward the superpower nation.
When it comes to Americans, more than three quarters of Australians have a favourable opinion of the nation's people.
Of Australians unimpressed by the US, Mr Bush is cited by nearly 70 per cent of people and he is the top reason they have an unfavourable view.
US foreign policy is cited by 63 per cent as the reason they are turned off America, followed by American culture (41 per cent).
But only one in five Australians cites American people as the reason they have an unfavourable impression of the US.
And while the federal government makes much of Canberra's close relationship with Washington, three quarters of Australians don't believe the US pays much attention to its ally when making foreign policy decisions.
Some 52 per cent believe the US doesn't pay too much attention to Australian interests when making international policy decisions, while 22 per cent think they don't pay any heed at all.
Australians have also been placing less weight on the importance of the Anzus alliance over the last few years.
In 2005, 45 per cent saw it as very important compared with 36 per cent this year.
Allan Gyngell, executive director of the Lowy Institute, said it remained to be seen if this was a long-term trend.
"The question is ... how much it relates to the administration that's in Washington at the moment," he told ABC radio.
"If you ask most Australians what they think about the United States, they certainly distinguish between their attitudes to Americans, which is quite positive, and America."
The survey also reveals Australians increasingly believe that climate change is the most compelling threat to the nation.
Asked to consider the effect of foreign policy, tackling climate change and protecting Australian jobs were rated as very important aims by 75 per cent of people.
By comparison, 65 per cent of people saw combating international terrorism as a very important outcome of foreign policy.
Similarly, 86 per cent were worried by the risk posed by climate change compared with 68 per cent for international terrorism.
In terms of Australia's top priority into the future, improving education and tackling climate change was top of the list for 28 per cent of people, while fighting climate change was viewed as most important by five per cent.
"(There is) a very strong, sustained, across the board belief by the Australian public that climate change issues should not only be an important foreign policy goal for Australia but it's an important threat (as well)," Mr Gyngell said.
- AAP
