The Conversation’s 2025 election reader survey results

Yesterday I spent several hours engrossed in the 7,143 responses to our reader survey on what you want from our federal election coverage. Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond; your comments were thoughtful, perceptive, vivid and original – even the sharply worded ones that made me wince.

The main themes show we’ve got engaged readers who care about our society and its future. Climate change was the number one issue for most of you, and a few people remarked it was getting insufficient attention. This strikes me as correct: both major parties are wary of the issue because they know they’re falling short.

That’s why the media has a crucial role in leading the climate debate. In the latest article in our series about Australia’s major policy challenges. Frank Jotzo from ANU argues there’s an urgent need for serious climate policy discussion, but the looming presence of US President Donald Trump is making it very hard for our leaders to stay focused.

Drill a little deeper into our survey results, and they reveal some interesting patterns of changing priorities.

Those of you under 25 care most passionately about climate change, biodiversity and Australian identity. You’re also interested in party accountability and ethical leadership.

If you’re aged 25–44, your main concerns are housing, education, equity and climate justice. You’re also interested in how policy changes will affect your future and have a high appetite for explanatory journalism.

Those of you in the 45–64 bracket are most likely policy-focused and frustrated with superficial media coverage. You are likely to be highly attuned to policy detail and political accountability. You most likely share the climate concerns of many other respondents, but are also focused on governance, health care and the cost of living.

If you’re over 65, you are the most civic-minded and deeply engaged. You show a strong concern for the climate, policy clarity, and national governance. You want more information, especially about how policies affect Australians day-to-day.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of the survey is reading the individual comments. Amid all the grim global news, it’s encouraging to read people who want us to “keep being awesome” and who are “grateful for the measured voice amidst all of the sensationalist rubbish”.

And just to stay unbiased, there was also a healthy dose of criticism. Are there really that many typos? We always wish there were fewer and we fix them as promptly as possible. And yes, we’ll also keep doing what we can to “keep the bastards honest”!

While we’ve now closed the survey we are keeping comments open here so you can still help shape our election coverage.