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Budget Measures

16 May 2017

Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the following measures contained in the budget?

  Total approve Total disapprove   Strongly Approve Approve Disapprove Strongly disapprove Don’t know
A levy on vacant properties owned by foreign investors 82% 7%   51% 31% 5% 2% 11%
Payment reductions for jobseekers who fail to attend Centrelink appointments 76% 14%   43% 33% 9% 5% 9%
A levy on businesses who hire foreign workers on permanent and temporary work visas 71% 16%   35% 36% 12% 4% 14%
A one-off cash payment for single parents and pensioners to compensate for increased energy prices 69% 19%   27% 42% 14% 5% 12%
A trial of drug testing for jobseekers receiving unemployment benefits 69% 22%   42% 27% 13% 9% 9%
A levy on big banks which will raise $6.2bn over four years 66% 19%   38% 28% 12% 7% 14%
Building a second airport in Sydney at Badgerys Creek 54% 18%   15% 39% 13% 5% 28%
A 0.5% increase to the Medicare levy to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme 49% 39%   15% 34% 22% 17% 13%

All but one measure, the increase to the Medicare levy to fund the NDIS, received majority approval.

The most popular measure was a levy of vacant properties owned by foreign investors (82% approve). Support for this measure was highest among those aged 65+ (94% approve), and lowest among those aged 18-24 (63%).

The least popular measure was the Medicare levy to fund the NDIS, although this still received 49% approval, and only 39% disapproval. Support for this measure was highest among Greens voters (68% approve) and Liberal/National voters (59%), and was lowest among those aged 35-44 (34% disapprove) and ALP voters (42%).

While 54% supported the Badgerys Creek airport, 67% of those living in NSW, where the airport would be located, supported the measure.

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