Foreign Affairs Issues, Australia: November, December 1985

Topics in this survey include: respondent's interest in international affairs; US and USSR relations; respondent's reading on Geneva meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev; Geneva meeting and super-power relations; resolution of issues at Geneva meeting; Reagan or Gorbachev to blame for failure to accomplish more; resolution arms control issues; resolution Human Rights in USSR; resolution of conflicts in Afghanistan and Nicaragua; meetings between superpower leaders and world peace; Gorbachev and superpower tensions; anti-missile defence system; opinion of US continued development of anti-missile defence system; anti-missile defence system and nuclear arms control agreement v./ too important to give up; ANZUS; importance of ANZUS; US or Australia benefits gained by Australia from ANZUS; trust in US to come to Australia's defence; joint facilities prevent nuclear war and increase Australia and other Western countries' security; joint facilities and risk of attack of Australia; benefits/risks joint facilities; continue in ANZUS alliance; visits by US nuclear-powered warships; visits by US warships carrying nuclear weapons; US and New Zealand dispute over visits by nuclear warships to New Zealand ports; possible Australian positions in dispute. Standard variables include Federal voting intention, household size, age, marital status, schooling, occupation of respondent or of main income earner, household income, country of birth, industry sector, religion, tenure of dwelling, sex, area. This study is part of a series (SSDA No's 525 to 532) commissioned by the United States Information Service between 1982 and 1985 on Australians' attitudes to defence issues. Similar studies were carried out in New Zealand at the same time (SSDA No's 521 to 524) which contain some parallel questions.