The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Important issues

23 Aug 2016

Q. Which of the following issues are the most important for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months?

  Total   Most import-ant 2nd most import-ant 3rd most import-ant   Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote Other   Dec 2014 Change
Improving our health system 45% 16% 17% 12% 51% 40% 39% 47%   47% -2
National security and terrorism 37% 15% 12% 10% 27% 50% 17% 41%   23% +14
Reducing unemployment 31% 11% 9% 11% 34% 28% 10% 33%   37% -6
Tax avoidance by big companies 31% 10% 11% 10% 38% 26% 28% 36%   27% +4
Housing affordability 31% 11% 9% 11% 37% 24% 35% 25%   22% +9
Reducing the budget deficit 30% 12% 9% 9% 23% 44% 12% 36%   32% -2
More funds for education 20% 4% 7% 9% 23% 17% 27% 16%   23% -3
Protecting workers wages and conditions 18% 5% 6% 7% 23% 12% 15% 21%   24% -6
Addressing climate change 18% 6% 6% 6% 20% 10% 55% 13%   20% -2
Investing in public transport 14% 3% 4% 7% 10% 17% 12% 16%   14%
Protecting the environment 14% 4% 4% 6% 15% 7% 40% 15%   13% +1
Investing in roads 7% 2% 2% 3% 5% 10% 2% 11%   10% -3
Free trade agreements 5%   1% 2% 2% 2% 7% 4% 4% 6% -1

The most important issues for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months were improving our health system (45%), national security and terrorism (37%), reducing unemployment (31%), tax avoidance by big companies (31 and housing affordability (31%).

For Labor voters the most important issues were improving our health system (51%), tax avoidance by big companies (38%) and housing affordability (37%).

For Liberal/National voters the most important issues were national security and terrorism (50%), reducing the budget deficit (44%) and improving our health system (40%).

For Greens voters the most important issues were addressing climate change (55%), protecting the environment (40%) and improving our health system (39%).

Since this question was asked in December 2014, there have been increases for national security and terrorism (up 14%) and housing affordability (up 9%) and decreases for reducing unemployment (down 6%) and protecting workers wages and conditions (down 6%).

Error: