Election Diary: Dutton tops list of most distrusted, amid deepening voter cynicism about political leaders
- Written by The Conversation
In this election, voters are more distrustful than ever of politicians, and the political heroes of 2022 have fallen from grace, swept from favour by independent players.
A Roy Morgan survey has found, for the first time, that Australians are driven more by who they distrust than who they trust.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is the most distrusted figure, outranking even US President Donald Trump. He’s three times more distrusted than Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Nor are any federal ministers or opposition frontbenchers in the top five trusted figures.
In March 2022, before the election of May that year, federal Labor figures, then in opposition, were riding a wave. Federal Labor frontbenchers occupied the top three “net trust” spots. Now, they have dropped out entirely from the top five.
The five political leaders with the highest net trust in 2022 were, in order: Penny Wong, Albanese, Tanya Plibersek, then Western Australian Labor premier Mark McGowan, and Jacqui Lambie, an outspoken crossbench senator from Tasmania.
in 2025, all but Lambie have disappeared from the top five. (McGowan has retired from politics.)
The new list is headed by ACT independent Senator David Pocock, who has been a key figure in negotiations with the government on a number of issues. Lambie has risen to second place. She’s followed by three premiers: Queensland’s David Crisafulli (LNP), Chris Minns (Labor, NSW) and Roger Cook (Labor, WA).
Both Pocock and Lambie recorded almost no distrust.
Pocock was seen by respondents as genuine and principled, and someone who listened to constituents. He was praised for championing the vulnerable and the environment and approaching politics with humility, according to the survey.
Lambie won points for being a straight talker. One respondent described her as “crude but honest”.
The Morgan survey asks people open-ended questions: to nominate the political leaders they trust and distrust and say why.
Dutton heads the 2025 list of those with the highest net distrust scores. Clive Palmer is second and Trump next. Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen follow.
The list is rounded out by Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allan, Greens Leader Adam Bandt, One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor, Nationals Barnaby Joyce and Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash.
In 2022 there were no Labor politicians in the most distrusted list; now there are three, two from the federal government and one premier.
In 2022 the distrust list, in order, was: Palmer, Scott Morrison, Dutton, Joyce, Hanson, Vladimir Putin, Craig Kelly, Dominic Perrottet, Taylor, Cash and Josh Frydenberg.
Anzac Day brought a truce in campaigning, as political players prepare for a final frantic week before the poll.
But ugliness broke out at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, when a small group of neo-Nazis heckled during the Welcome to Country by Bunurong and Gunditjmara elder Uncle Mark Brown.
The Age reported that convicted neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant led the men. Hersant last year was found guilty of performing an illegal Nazi salute.
Police escorted Hersant from the service.
Later Victoria Police said a 26-year-old man had been intervidewed over offensive behaviour and police would proceed via summons.
At the service, Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner was also booed when acknowledging the traditional owners of the land.
In Perth at the dawn service, a heckler shouted obscenities during the Welcome to Country.
Albanese responded, saying: “The disruption of Anzac Day is a disgraceful act and the people responsible must face the full force of the law. This was an act of low cowardice on a day when we honour courage.”
Dutton said neo-Nazis were “a stain on our national fabric”. He said the Welcome to Country was “an important part of official ceremonies and it should be respected”.
