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Likelihood of federal budget delivering outcomes

25 May 2021

Q. How likely do you think it will be that the budget will deliver the following outcomes over the next few years?

TOTAL:

Quite likely / Very likely

 This budget

May’21

 Last budget

Oct’20
Create jobs 52% 53%
Help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19 55% 56%
Keep debt under control 31% 36%
Create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future 55% 58%
Place unnecessary burdens on future generations 58% 62%
Base (n) 1,100 1,082
  • There is no significant difference in people’s views towards the likelihood of the federal budget delivering on the listed outcomes compared to last October.
  TOTAL:

Quite likely / Very likely

TOTAL:

Not very likely / Not at all likely

 Very likely Quite likely Not that likely Not very likely Not at all likely
Create jobs 52% 13% 9% 43% 35% 8% 6%
Help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19 55% 16% 11% 44% 29% 10% 6%
Keep debt under control 31% 34% 6% 25% 36% 21% 12%
Create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future 55% 16% 17% 38% 29% 12% 4%
Place unnecessary burdens on future generations 58% 14% 17% 41% 28% 10% 4%
  • Out of the budget outcomes listed, most Australians think it’s likely that the budget will place unnecessary burdens on future generations (58%).
  • While 55% think it’s likely the budget will help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19, 55% also think it’s likely the budget will create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future.
  • The budget is not expected to keep debt under control, with 34% thinking this is not very / not all likely.
TOTAL:

Quite likely / Very likely

 Total Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention
Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
Create jobs 52% 55% 49% 47% 49% 58% 39% 75% 42% 44%
Help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19 55% 59% 51% 52% 53% 60% 46% 76% 47% 40%
Keep debt under control 31% 32% 30% 35% 34% 24% 25% 43% 19% 22%
Create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future 55% 60% 50% 52% 53% 59% 63% 50% 55% 57%
Place unnecessary burdens on future generations 58% 61% 55% 53% 55% 66% 63% 57% 60% 61%
Base (n) 1,100 539 561 341 379 380 369 410 105 112
  • Coalition voters are more likely to think the budget will deliver on positive outcomes (i.e. create jobs, help Australia recover from Covid-19, and keep debt under control) than Labor, Greens and minor/independent party voters; They are less likely to think the budget will create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future (50% to 61% all other voters).
  • However, Coalition voters are just as likely as these other voters to think the budget will place unnecessary burdens on future generations.
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