Another wants action on the ground, “What are you going to do to restore an apolitical, frank and fearless public service?”

In seeking votes in 2022 the approach to climate change differs, but not too much as the political battleground in Australia is over whether climate action destroys jobs.

The ALP promises more climate action than the coalition, but not excessively more and not, it says, at the expense of jobs. The Morrison government is tying its climate credentials to emerging, unrealised and unproven technologies such as hydrogen energy and carbon capture and storage. A Coalition scare campaign paints Labor as keen to walk into an alliance with the Greens and attack jobs. Mr Albanese insists he is only running for majority government.

The readers want the leaders to talk directly with them.

One asks, “How are you planning for a sustainable and self-sufficient Australia?”

Almost one-third tie their vote to health

Another asks, “Will city politicians be willing to build windmills and solar panels on their beaches and knock down their townhouses instead of our prime agricultural land?”

With the COVID-19 pandemic smashing the nation’s health and aged care systems it is no surprise “health” was the second most important issue in the ACM readers survey, with more than 31 per cent of respondents picking it as the greatest area concern when casting votes.

Separately listed but related to the pandemic, more than 21 per cent of respondents listed “handling of the COVID-19 pandemic” and almost 17 per cent picked “aged care.”

“What is their plan for post Omicron and strategies for any future variant outbreaks,” a reader fires at the leaders.

Perhaps most surprising is that “issues affecting women” is quite low down on the list of most important issues.

After the year in which survivors and advocates such as Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame have become household names and the responses by the Prime Minister to some of the most sensitive issues have come into question, just over 7 per cent rated it as an election issue. However, it can be seen that this issue relates to “leadership” which came in at almost 27 per cent on the list of important issues.

Indeed, with little policy to debate early on, the election is focusing on character, trust, integrity and perhaps taking a punt on someone new.

“What will you do to repair the cultural rifts in Australian society,” one reader sought from Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese.

Another asked, “Do you think politicians should be qualified for the portfolios and positions that they represent?”

And, “What is your plan to address the 1.2 trillion dollar debt?”

The ACM readers survey shows childcare has been diffused as an election issue. The major parties released their main childcare policies last year and the heavy cost and workforce issues of this vital productivity measure has not been widely debated for some time. Less than one per cent rated it as an election issue.

Only five per cent of the 7285 respondents listed their own election issue of concern. Vaccine mandates came in at just 0.4 per cent of those surveyed.