Ocean Sentry
The Essential Research online poll found 87 per cent of respondents believed the Federal Government should take international legal action to try to stop Japan”s whaling program.
Of those who answered yes, 91 per cent said they believed legal action should go ahead even if the relationship with Japan was compromised.
The poll result comes during Kevin Rudd’s first visit to Japan since becoming prime minister.
The Government has recently backed away from taking the legal route, despite gathering evidence from the Japanese fleet’s summer hunt in Antarctic waters for such a purpose.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s performance on the whaling issue got the thumbs down, with 71 per cent of those polled saying he was not doing a good job in trying to stop the Japanese program.
The survey also found support for Mr Rudd’s perceived focus on relations with China ahead of Japan.
Seventy-two per cent of respondents felt China was the more important of the two Asian giants to Australia’s long-term foreign relations, compared with 28 per cent who favoured Japan.
The federal Opposition has accused Mr Rudd of damaging ties with Tokyo by visiting China and not Japan on his first major overseas trip earlier in the year.
Thirty-seven per cent of respondents believed Labor was best at managing international relations with regional countries, compared with 25 per cent for the Liberal Party and 38 per cent who said neither.
The poll also saw Labor’s lead over the Coalition widening by four points to 58-42 on a two-party preferred basis.
The online survey of more than 1000 respondents was conducted between June 4 and yesterday.
