Q. And overall, how do you feel about the Government cutting income tax?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Income less than $600 pw | $600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | $1,500-2,000 pw | Over $2,000 pw | |
| I support the income tax cuts | 39% | 34% | 53% | 22% | 31% | 24% | 44% | 46% | 43% | 42% |
| I would rather see the money used to reduce Government debt | 18% | 13% | 25% | 12% | 19% | 18% | 21% | 15% | 15% | 22% |
| I would rather see the money used to reverse cuts to schools and hospitals | 30% | 42% | 14% | 52% | 35% | 46% | 26% | 32% | 29% | 22% |
| Don’t know | 13% | 11% | 8% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 8% | 7% | 13% | 14% |
46% of incomes under $600 would rather the money be spent on schools and hospitals.
39% say they support the income tax cuts over paying off debt or funding schools and hospitals. 30% would rather the money spent of schools and hospitals and 18% would rather the money be used to reduce debt.
Further changes to incomes tax rates will mean that by 2024-25, workers will receive the following tax cuts –
| FUTURE TAX CUTS | ||
| INCOME | TAX CUT | WEEKLY |
| $37k | $0 | |
| $50k | $540 | $10.38 |
| $87k | $540 | $10.38 |
| $100k | $1,125 | $21.63 |
| $120k | $2,025 | $38.94 |
| $180k | $4,725 | $90.87 |
| $200k+ | $7,225 | $138.94 |
Q. Do you agree or disagree with giving higher tax cuts to those on higher incomes?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Income less than $600 pw | $600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | $1,500-2,000 pw | Over $2,000 pw | |
| Total agree | 40% | 37% | 56% | 26% | 28% | 26% | 31% | 43% | 43% | 54% |
| Total disagree | 44% | 48% | 32% | 59% | 60% | 57% | 52% | 47% | 42% | 31% |
| Strongly agree | 9% | 12% | 11% | 7% | 3% | 7% | 8% | 13% | 4% | 14% |
| Agree | 31% | 25% | 45% | 19% | 25% | 19% | 23% | 30% | 39% | 40% |
| Disagree | 19% | 13% | 21% | 21% | 25% | 15% | 21% | 26% | 20% | 16% |
| Strongly disagree | 25% | 35% | 11% | 38% | 35% | 42% | 31% | 21% | 22% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 14% | 12% | 16% | 12% | 16% | 17% | 9% | 16% | 15% |
40% agree with giving higher tax cuts to those on higher incomes and 44% disagree.
Those most likely to agree were Liberal National voters (56%), incomes over $2,000pw (54%) and aged under 35 (54%).
Those most likely to disagree were Greens voters (59%) and incomes under $1,000pw (54%).
Q. Do you agree or disagree that people earning $200,000 should pay a higher rate of tax than those earning $41,000?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Income less than $600 pw | $600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | $1,500-2,000 pw | Over $2,000 pw | ||
| Total agree | 79% | 86% | 76% | 80% | 77% | 83% | 81% | 86% | 78% | 73% | |
| Total disagree | 14% | 9% | 17% | 14% | 16% | 10% | 12% | 10% | 17% | 19% | |
| Strongly agree | 41% | 50% | 33% | 55% | 40% | 47% | 40% | 44% | 43% | 36% | |
| Agree | 38% | 36% | 43% | 25% | 37% | 36% | 41% | 42% | 35% | 37% | |
| Disagree | 10% | 6% | 13% | 10% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 13% | 13% | |
| Strongly disagree | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 6% | |
| Don’t know | 7% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 4% | 6% | 8% |
79% agree that people earning $200,000 should pay a higher rate of tax than those earning $41,000.
At least three quarters of all voter groups agreed.
Q. Which of the following terms do you think describe the budget?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Income less than $600 pw | $600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | ||
| In the national interest | 53% | 39% | 81% | 36% | 34% | 47% | 55% | 57% | |
| Responsible | 52% | 40% | 80% | 33% | 31% | 39% | 55% | 56% | |
| Competent | 48% | 33% | 71% | 34% | 40% | 40% | 49% | 55% | |
| Disappointing | 48% | 62% | 25% | 61% | 66% | 65% | 48% | 46% | |
| Fair | 47% | 34% | 71% | 33% | 36% | 31% | 48% | 54% | |
| Wasteful | 37% | 48% | 19% | 50% | 50% | 53% | 30% | 36% | |
| Visionary | 31% | 26% | 44% | 16% | 24% | 24% | 27% | 36% | |
| Reckless | 30% | 39% | 15% | 37% | 41% | 41% | 29% | 26% |
However, they were more strongly of the view that the budget was not wasteful, reckless or visionary.Respondents were fairly evenly divided over whether the budget was in the national interest, responsible, competent disappointing and fair.
Those earning less than $600 pw were most negative about the budget with 65% agreeing it was disappointing and only 31% thinking it was fair.
Q. In general, do you think the Federal Budget, will be good or bad for?
| Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | 2017 good | 2017 bad | |||
| People who are well off | 52% | 7% | 21% | 31% | 30% | 5% | 2% | 11% | 51% | 5% | ||
| Australian business | 45% | 10% | 10% | 35% | 33% | 7% | 3% | 13% | 45% | 8% | ||
| The middle class | 42% | 16% | 4% | 38% | 35% | 12% | 4% | 7% | – | – | ||
| Average working people | 40% | 22% | 5% | 35% | 31% | 16% | 6% | 7% | 22% | 36% | ||
| The economy over all | 36% | 20% | 7% | 29% | 33% | 14% | 6% | 10% | 38% | 17% | ||
| Australian families | 35% | 25% | 5% | 30% | 32% | 16% | 9% | 8% | 25% | 32% | ||
| People on lower incomes | 35% | 33% | 7% | 28% | 25% | 18% | 15% | 7% | 20% | 41% | ||
| Older Australians | 26% | 30% | 6% | 20% | 33% | 18% | 12% | 10% | 25% | 30% | ||
| Younger Australians | 25% | 25% | 5% | 20% | 39% | 17% | 8% | 12% | – | – | ||
| You personally | 24% | 17% | 5% | 19% | 53% | 10% | 7% | 7% | 18% | 32% |
More than half think that the budget will be good for people who are well off – and a substantial proportion think it will be good for Australian business (45%), the middle class (42%) and average working people (40%).
Compared to last year’s budget more people think it will be good for average working people (up from 22% to 40%), for Australian families (up from 25% to 35%) and for people on lower incomes (up from 20% to 35%). However, only 24% think it will be good for them personally (up 6% since last year). 36% think it will be good for the economy overall – little change from 38% last year.
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Federal budget?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | 2017 agree | 2017 disagree | |
| Overall, the budget is fair and balanced | 46% | 38% | 6% | 40% | 25% | 13% | 16% | 43% | 38% |
| This budget does not do enough to reduce the deficit | 56% | 24% | 15% | 41% | 20% | 4% | 20% | 41% | 31% |
| This was the budget Australia needs at this time | 39% | 42% | 7% | 32% | 28% | 14% | 19% | 39% | 36% |
| This budget will benefit the wealthy more than ordinary Australians and make Australia a more unfair society | 54% | 27% | 21% | 33% | 21% | 6% | 19% | – | – |
| This budget is more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy | 62% | 21% | 25% | 37% | 17% | 4% | 16% | 51% | 27% |
There was majority agreement that the budget is more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy (62% agree), the budget does not do enough to reduce the deficit (56%) and the budget will benefit the wealthy more than ordinary Australians (54%)
The least widely agreed with statement was that this was the budget Australia needs at this time, with 39% agree/42% disagree.
Compared to responses to last year’s budget, respondents were more likely to think this budget does not do enough to reduce the deficit (up 15% to 56%) and the budget is more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy (up 11% to 62%).
There was little difference between the 2017 and 2018 budgets in terms of being “fair and balanced”
Q. If a Federal Election was held today to which party will you probably give your first preference vote? If not sure, which party are you currently leaning toward? If don’t know – Well which party are you currently leaning to?
| Total | 2 weeks ago 24/4/18 | 4 weeks ago 10/4/18 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 35% | 35% | 35% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 38% | 37% | 38% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 37% | 36% | 37% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 11% | 10% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 2% | 2% | 2% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 6% | 8% | 7% | |||
| Other/Independent | 6% | 6% | 7% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | ||||||
| Liberal National | 47% | 47% | 47% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 53% | 53% | 53% | 49.6% |
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Prime Minister?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Apr 2018 | Mar 2018 | Dec 2017 | Sep 2017 | |||
| Total approve | 40% | 27% | 73% | 20% | 20% | 39% | 41% | 41% | 41% | ||
| Total disapprove | 42% | 60% | 16% | 55% | 65% | 42% | 43% | 44% | 46% | ||
| Strongly approve | 9% | 5% | 17% | 4% | 4% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 7% | ||
| Approve | 31% | 22% | 56% | 16% | 16% | 31% | 32% | 33% | 34% | ||
| Disapprove | 22% | 32% | 13% | 28% | 21% | 26% | 26% | 27% | 28% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 20% | 28% | 3% | 27% | 44% | 16% | 17% | 17% | 18% | ||
| Don’t know | 19% | 13% | 11% | 24% | 15% | 19% | 16% | 15% | 14% |
73% (up 3%) of Liberal/National voters approved of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing, compared to 27% of ALP voters and 20% of Greens and other voters.40% approved of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Prime Minister (up 1% from last month), and 42% disapproved (no change – a change in net approval rating from -3 to -2.
By gender, men were 45% approve/43% disapprove and women 35% approve/40% disapprove.
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Apr 2018 | Mar 2018 | Dec 2017 | |||
| Total Approve | 37% | 65% | 25% | 36% | 13% | 35% | 37% | 36% | ||
| Total Disapprove | 41% | 19% | 60% | 37% | 67% | 43% | 44% | 45% | ||
| Strongly approve | 8% | 17% | 4% | 5% | 1% | 6% | 8% | 7% | ||
| Approve | 29% | 48% | 21% | 31% | 12% | 29% | 29% | 29% | ||
| Disapprove | 21% | 16% | 26% | 29% | 25% | 22% | 23% | 23% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 20% | 3% | 34% | 8% | 42% | 21% | 21% | 22% | ||
| Don’t know | 23% | 16% | 14% | 27% | 19% | 23% | 19% | 19% |
65% (up 6%) of ALP voters approved of the job Bill Shorten is doing, compared to 36% of Greens voters and 25% of Liberal/National voters.37% approved of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader (up 2% from last month), and 41% disapproved (down 2%) – a change in net approval rating from -8 to -4.
By gender, men were 42% approve/43% disapprove and women 31% approve/39% disapprove.