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Peter Dutton and the Coalition best choice to manage relationship with China, new RedBridge poll finds

An exclusive poll has found who voters think is the best choice to deal with the Asian superpower out of Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese.

‘All options are on the table’: Coalition wants to ‘keep Australians safe’

Voters believe Peter Dutton and the Coalition are the best party to deal with China after the Asian superpower conducted live fire exercises off the coast of Australia.

Exclusive RedBridge polling also found that about 51 per cent of voters agreed or strongly agreed that the AUKUS pact made Australia safer, an increase from 49 per cent in 2024.

And the proportion of voters who believe that the historic security partnership increased the risk of war with China has fallen from 32 per cent in 2024 to 29 per cent in 2025.

BThe Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass
BThe Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

RedBridge director Tony Barry said China’s recent live fire exercises had helped turn around public sentiment towards Aukus but said cost of living pressures remained front of mind for voters over national security concerns.

“Recent global instability and China’s naval activity off Australia’s coast has improved support for AUKUS in recent months though qualitatively the cost of the program in a resource competitive environment continues to undermine public support,” said Mr Barry, a former Coalition strategist.

The RedBridge poll of 2007 also found that the proportion of voters who believe nuclear submarines were a good naval security investment had increased from 35 per cent in 2024 to 39 per cent in 2025.

Conversely, the proportion of voters who believe that Australia does not need nuclear submarines has fallen from 36 per cent in 2024 to 32 per cent.

The split between voters who wanted Australia to be more assertive or build a better relationship with China was almost even at 39 and 38 per cent.

RedBridge director Kosmos Samaras said the Coalition had greater brand equity on China but said managing the relationship with the Asian superpower was unlikely to be a top of mind issue at the soon to be called election.

“People are not going to be voting on that issue,” said Mr Samaras, a former Labor strategist.

Originally published as Peter Dutton and the Coalition best choice to manage relationship with China, new RedBridge poll finds

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/national/federal-election/peter-dutton-and-the-coalition-best-choice-to-manage-relationship-with-china-new-redbridge-poll-finds/news-story/0cfc464a1c78307d02ecb1a9fa1424b9