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  • Nov, 2014

    ,

    Increase in GST

    Q. Would you support an increase in the GST if it was : 

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Directly invested in hospitals and health services

    56%

    57%

    63%

    66%

    46%

    Invested in aged pensions

    44%

    47%

    52%

    34%

    37%

    Directly invested in vital infrastructure like roads and railways

    39%

    40%

    50%

    32%

    24%

    Used to pay off our national debt

    28%

    21%

    45%

    18%

    18%

     

    A majority (56%) would support an increase in the GST if it was directly invested in hospitals and health services. There was also substantial support for increasing the GST if invested in aged pensions (44%) or directly invested in vital infrastructure like roads and railways (39%). Only 28% support increasing the GST to pay off the national debt.

    Liberal/National voters were more likely to favour increasing the GST for all purposes. Increasing the GST to invest in hospitals and health services was supported by 66% of Greens voters and 57% of Labor voters.

    There were few differences by income – except that 53% of those earning less than $1,000 pw supported raising the GST to invest in aged pensions.

  • May, 2014

    Changes to GST

    Q. Do you support or oppose the following changes to the GST to cover cuts to funding commitments to the states for schools and hospitals announced in the recent Federal Budget?

    Raising the GST to 12% for all items currently covered

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Total support

    32%

    25%

    45%

    24%

    23%

    Total oppose

    58%

    70%

    46%

    63%

    51%

    Strongly support

    9%

    6%

    16%

    5%

    9%

    Support

    23%

    19%

    29%

    19%

    14%

    Oppose

    19%

    17%

    21%

    14%

    20%

    Strongly oppose

    39%

    53%

    25%

    49%

    31%

    Don’t know

    9%

    5%

    10%

    13%

    12%

    Expanding the GST to cover fresh fruit and vegetables

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Total support

    18%

    12%

    27%

    11%

    21%

    Total oppose

    75%

    83%

    65%

    83%

    73%

    Strongly support

    5%

    4%

    9%

    8%

    Support

    13%

    8%

    18%

    11%

    13%

    Oppose

    21%

    16%

    27%

    16%

    20%

    Strongly oppose

    54%

    67%

    38%

    67%

    53%

    Don’t know

    7%

    4%

    9%

    6%

    6%

    There was majority opposition to both raising the GST to 12% (58%) and expanding the GST to cover fresh fruit and vegetables (75%).

    While there was strong majority opposition to expanding the GST across all voter groups, Liberal/National voters were split over raising the GST to 12% (45% support/46% oppose).

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