Australia’s most and least trusted professions: politicians are on the rise but nurses still dominate

NEW social research shows we trust our politicians more than we used to — but the list of most and least trusted professions offers up a few more surprises.

Nurse has been voted the most trust profession for the 22nd year in a row.

FEDERAL politicians, real estate agents and lawyers are rising in the esteem of Australians — but car salesmen still remain the nation’s least trusted workers.

Roy Morgan’s annual Image of Professions Survey finds nurses continue their domination as having the most ethical and honest profession, named top for the 22nd year in a row — this year by 92 per cent of people surveyed.

Their fellow health professionals — pharmacists and doctors — retained equal second position on the list of 30 jobs, both trusted by 86 per cent of people.

Advertising people managed to distinguish themselves from car salesmen, now found to be ethical and honest by 9 per cent of people rather than 5 per cent last year, while only 4 per cent of people remain in trust of those who sell us our new wheels.

Car salesmen have been the workers least trusted by Australians since the poll began in 1988.

Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan said 23 professions increased their ethical and honesty rating in 2016.

However, none may be more surprising than politicians, especially as they head to the polls.

“Interestingly, Federal MPs (at) 17 per cent, up four per cent, have increased on the eve of a new Federal Election and are at their highest since early 2009, at the time the Rudd Government sent out stimulus payments of up to $950 to more than 13 million Australians,” Mr Morgan said.

Politicians are now seen as more trustworthy — music to the ears of federal MPs in the lead-up to an election.

“The biggest losers in 2016 were Ministers of Religion (at) 35 per cent, down 4 per cent, hitting a new record low and bank managers (at) 30 per cent, down 4 per cent this year and down a massive 13 per cent since 2014.

“After a Royal Commission last year into union corruption, union leaders (at) 13 per cent, down 1 per cent, were one of only four professions to lose respect from Australians over the past year.”

Engineers now are more trusted than school teachers, however, university lecturers gained the most, with 68 per cent of people finding them ethical and trustworthy, up from 61 per cent last year.

About one in three people trust now lawyers (at 35 per cent, up 4 per cent) while one in 10 people find real estate agents ethical and honest (up 1 per cent).

Roy Morgan surveyed 655 people earlier this month. The pollsters themselves ranked 15th.

THE FULL LIST

1. Nurses

2. Pharmacists

2. Doctors

4. Engineers

5. School teachers

6. Dentists

7. Police

8. High Court Judges

9. State Supreme Court Judges

10. University lecturers

11. Accountants

12. Public servants

13. Lawyers

13. Ministers of Religion

15. Public opinion pollsters

16. Bank managers

17. Financial planners

18. Directors of Public Companies

19. Business executives

20. Talk-back radio announcers

20. Newspaper journalists

22. TV reporters

23. Federal MPs

24. State MPs

25. Stock brokers

26. Union leaders

27. Insurance brokers

28. Real estate agents

29. Advertising people

30. Car salesmen