facts and reality sadly is under http://www.news.com.au/national/australians-just-dont-trust-politcians-or-banks/story-e6frfkvr-1226393315416: FAITH in Federal Parliament has come crashing down in less than 10 months in a wave of cynicism which has swept several of our other major national institutions. The Reserve Bank, the public service, and even charities have been casualties of the extraordinary fall in faith.
The raging political debates and scandals and the unpopularity of the minority Labor Government has shredded our trust in Parliament itself, according to an Essential Media poll released today.
In late September last year 55 per cent of voters said they trusted Parliament.
Today's polling found that had fallen to just 22 per cent of voters remaining faithful - a fall of 33 per cent.
Trust in the Commonwealth Public Service also has dived, perhaps because voters see bureaucrats as agents of the Government.
In February this year 49 per cent of voters said they trusted public servants. That has now fallen to 30 per cent.
The Reserve Bank also has had its reputation battered, with the 67 per cent trusting it last September but now just 49 per cent prepared to take the central bank at face value.
This could be related to official interest rate cuts which don't result in equal size reductions in mortgage rates.
This is a matter for private banks but perhaps the Reserve Bank is being blamed.
Respect for the High Court has dropped from 72 per cent of voters to 60 per cent and even charitable organisations are being treated with caution, their trust rating falling from 61 per cent of voters to 50 per cent.
The only increase in the recorded trust factor was for the ABC, which rose from 46 per cent to 54 per cent.
However, in another reflection of political polarisation, just 46 per cent of Coalition voters believed the national broadcaster.
Labor voters had greater faith than the aggregate of voters in Parliament (34 per cent), the High Court (67 per cent), the Reserve Bank (57 per cent) and the public service (42 per cent).
The cynicism appears to be an echo of the distrust voters have in political leaders.
Essential Media found just a tiny 32 per cent of voters approved how Julia Gillard was doing her job as Prime Minister, and the same proportion of voters approved the performance of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
