Thursday, June 19, 2008

In Wiggles we trust - and Mary can mind the house

Yuko Narushima

June 19, 2008

AUSTRALIANS trust the Wiggles and Princess Mary but are sceptical of politicians such as Brendan Nelson and Tony Abbott, who scraped in just ahead of criminal businessman Rodney Adler in a list of the nation's most trustworthy people.

The Trust Survey released by Reader's Digest yesterday asked 750people who they would enlist to mind the house, pack a parachute and back them in a pub fight.

For the fourth year running, the burns surgeon and mother of six, Dr Fiona Wood, was named the most trusted person in the country, followed by the clinical immunologist Professor Ian Frazer and the Clean Up Australia Day campaigner Ian Kiernan.

"You cannot be divisive and top that list," the demographer Bernard Salt said. "It's all about capturing that broad middle space."

A likely candidate to bump DrWood from her post would be Australian and have links to Princess Diana, someone on whom the nation could cast its aspirations, he said.

"If Prince William were to come to Australia and pick a bride from the western suburbs of Sydney who worked at a kindergarten, she'd have all of the pistons working in her direction," he said.

In the next tranche of favourites were entertainers and animal lovers. These included the veterinarian Dr Harry Cooper, the children's band the Wiggles, Princess Mary and the TV personality Ernie Dingo.

At the tail end of the field were politicians and Australians with high-profile falls from grace. MrAdler, a former HIH director, was Australia's least-trusted person, with the philandering AFL star Wayne Carey and fellow player Ben Cousins, who was charged with drug possession, filling the next two places.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the most-trusted politician, rating 62nd on the list of 100people. The Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, rated 93rd.

Who we'd trust with our kids - and our lives

TOP 5 MOST-TRUSTED AUSTRALIANS

1. Dr Fiona Wood - burns specialist

2. Professor Ian Frazer - cancer researcher

3. Ian Kiernan - Clean Up Australia

4. Dr Harry Cooper - TV veterinarian

5. The Wiggles - entertainers

FIVE LEAST-TRUSTED AUSTRALIANS

Rodney Adler - disgraced businessman

Wayne Carey - retired AFL player

Ben Cousins - suspended AFL player

David Hicks - confessed terrorism supporter

Sol Trujillo - Telstra CEO

Source: Reader's Digest

Source

No comments: