Australian Candidate Study, 2010

The 2010 Australian Candidate Study is the ninth in a series of election studies on federal election candidates. In 2010, candidates from the following parties were surveyed - Australian Labor Party, Liberal Party of Australia, National Party of Australia, and Australian Greens. The study examined the prominent election issues, including attitudes to particular economic issues, social issues and opinions on the most critical problems facing Australia. Opinions on other political issues such as international security relations, assistance for Aborigines and women, and social issues such as abortion and pornography were also sought. Demography and representation are examined through questions on the Australian democratic system, voting ages, voting methods, the role of the Monarchy and referendums. In addition, the political background of candidates was investigated, including electoral history, party political involvement and membership of community organisations. The study includes campaign information such as the amount of time candidates spent on campaign activities and the amount of support received from various sources. Background variables include age, country of birth, age when left school, number of years of tertiary study, religion, frequency of attending religious services, marital status, House contested and party affiliated with. Some of these variables have been grouped to ensure confidentiality of the candidates.