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Pioneering burns surgeon Dr Fiona Wood has again topped the list of Australia’s 100 Most Trusted People, and
we still believe in The Wiggles. New entrants into the Top Ten include Glenn McGrath, Hugh Jackman, and soldier Mark Donaldson VC, who stood in the line of fire in Afghanistan to deflect attention from wounded colleagues.
The fifth annual Australian Reader’s Digest Trust Survey reveals the people we believe in and those we don’t. Those surveyed – a representative sample of 750 Australians – were asked to rate how much they trusted 100 well-known people, on a scale of one-to-ten.
AUSTRALIA’S MOST TRUSTED PEOPLE
1. Dr Fiona Wood
2. Mark Donaldson VC
3. Professor Ian Frazer
4. Ian Kiernan
5. Glenn McGrath
6. Hugh Jackman
7. Dr Harry Cooper
8. Dick Smith
9. Princess Mary
10. The Wiggles
Those Australians who failed to generate support include: Senator Steven Fielding, Kyle Sandilands, Tony Abbott, Brendan Nelson, Malcolm Turnbullm, Nick D’Arcy, Shane Warne, Marcus Einfeld, Ben Cousins, Sue Morphet (Pacific Brands CEO), and in last position is David Hicks.
Kevin Rudd slips just two spots to 64th position, making him our highest-ranking politician and well clear of his Canberra colleagues. Last year, the then-Opposition leader Brendan Nelson could only manage 93rd spot. He’s still there and current Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull is actually in his shadow, a spot back in 94th. Analysts suggest it is the destiny of all politicians to be in the bottom quarter of these rankings, and Rudd’s post-stimulus test will come in next year’s survey.
We place incredible pressure on sportspeople to be ‘community leaders’. Those with our trust include retired competitors Glenn McGrath (5th), Pat Rafter (16th), Layne Beachley (17th), and Grant Hackett (21st). At the other end of the scale there’s Nick D’Arcy (95th), Ben Cousins (98th), and the mud still sticks for Shane Warne, who is in 96th position.
The movie Australia seems to have propelled Hugh Jackman forward, while sending co-star Nicole Kidman down. A gender effect could also help explain why children’s group Hi-5 took a pummelling, dropping 18 places after former member Kellie Crawford posed in lingerie for a men’s mag. However, it should also be noted that, for the first time, the Governor-General (with Quentin Bryce the first female appointed to the position) has made the top 25.
The global financial crisis has had a clear impact on our trust ratings. We look to certain figures to tell us authentic, trustworthy stories about what’s going to happen. RBA boss Glenn Stevens and broadcaster Kerry O’Brien fit the bill. At the other end of the scale, Pacific Brands CEO Sue Morphet (99th) could only edge out David Hicks on the list, after her company retrenched staff and sent jobs overseas to China.
Source: Reader’s Digest