The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Budget Response

23 May 2017
  • ALP leader Bill Shorten announced a number of policy measures in response to last week’s federal budget. Do you approve or disapprove of these measures?
  Total approve Total disapprove   Strongly approve Approve Neither approve nor disapprove Disapprove Strongly disapprove Don’t know
Create a $100m fund to invest in TAFE campuses 57% 10%   19% 38% 24% 6% 4% 10%  
Restrict the Medicare levy increase to taxpayers earning more than $87k per year, rather than all taxpayers 55% 21%   22% 33% 15% 12% 9% 10%  
Require at least one in ten people employed on every government infrastructure project to be an apprentice 55% 9%   17% 38% 24% 6% 3% 12%  
Continue the ‘deficit levy’ on earnings above $180k per year 54% 10%   21% 33% 18% 6% 4% 18%  
Oppose a cut to the company tax rate, which is expected to cost $65bn over ten years. 41% 23%   20% 21% 21% 14% 9% 16%  

The most popular measure was the $100m TAFE fund, which was supported by 57%. Support for this proposal was strongest amongst Labor voters (69% approve) and those aged 45-64 (63%).

The least popular measure was opposing the Coalition’s company tax cut, thought this still received 41% approval, and only 23% disapproval. Liberal/National voters were the only group in which more people disapproved (36%) than approved (25%) of this measure.

Error: