Trust in govt, business, NGOs falls: poll

Trust in Australia's governments, business and media has all declined for the second consecutive year, an annual global survey shows.

More than half of those surveyed for the Edelman Trust Barometer said government is the most broken institution, while trust in non-government organisations fell below 50 per cent for the first time in five years.

Trust in business also dropped in the latest poll, but almost two-thirds of Australians believe CEOs should take the lead on change, rather than wait for government action.