AUSTRALIAN OPINION ON INTERNATIONAL-TRADE AND THE SECURITY LINK WITH THE UNITED-STATES

In recent years, the Australian government has shifted the focus of it s foreign economic and trade policies away from traditional practices and partners and onto Asia while simultaneously maintaining close dipl omatic and defence ties with Washington. Using the results of the 1993 Australian Election Study survey, this note examines the place of pub lic opinion in this continuing exercise. We find that although there i s public support for increased trade with Asia, strong protectionist a nd pro-alliance sentiments remain strong within the populace at large. These prevailing sentiments and their, albeit at this stage limited, interconnections could serve to complicate any push towards greater tr ade ties with its Asian neighbours.