Essential Report
Budget Spending Priorities
Q. Which of the Liberal party, or the Labor party would you trust more to…?
Liberal | Labor | Don’t know | NET: Difference | |
Manage the economy in the interests of business | 54% | 19% | 26% | +35 |
Deliver a Budget surplus | 48% | 22% | 31% | +26 |
Manage the economy overall | 44% | 29% | 27% | +15 |
Set the economy up for the long-term | 43% | 29% | 28% | +14 |
Reduce taxes | 37% | 36% | 27% | +1 |
Ensure the taxation system is fair | 33% | 38% | 29% | -5 |
Make multinationals pay their fair share of tax | 31% | 38% | 31% | -7 |
Fund basic services like schools and hospitals | 32% | 46% | 22% | -14 |
Manage the economy in the interests of working people | 31% | 45% | 25% | -14 |
Close tax loopholes for the wealthy | 24% | 46% | 30% | -24 |
- The Coalition is seen as more trustworthy than Labor to manage the economy in the interests of businesses (54% trust the Coalition to do this, compared to 19% who trust Labor), deliver the Budget surplus (48% vs. 22%), manage the economy overall (44% vs. 29%) and set the economy up for the long-term (43% vs. 23%).
- Labor were seen as just as trustworthy as the Coalition to reduce taxes (36% vs. 37%).

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Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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