Q. Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Jul 2015 | |||
| Governments should prioritise support for the coal industry over the renewable energy industry | 13% | 13% | 19% | 3% | 15% | 6% | ||
| Government should prioritise support for the renewable energy industry over the coal industry | 37% | 46% | 29% | 67% | 26% | 50% | ||
| The Government should treat both industries equally | 35% | 29% | 46% | 22% | 48% | 28% | ||
| Don’t know | 15% | 12% | 7% | 8% | 12% | 15% |
37% (down 13% since July 2015) of respondents agree more with the statement that the Government should prioritise support for the renewable energy industry over the coal industry and only 13% (up 7%) think they should prioritise coal over renewables. 35% (up 7%) think they should treat both industries equally.
Those most likely to think the Government should give priority to renewable energy were Greens voters (67%), Labor voters (46%) and respondents with university education (50%).
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 13/3/18 | 4 weeks ago 27/2/18 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 35% | 33% | 32% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 38% | 36% | 35% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 36% | 38% | 35% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 9% | 9% | 10% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 2% | 3% | 2% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 8% | 8% | 8% | |||
| Other/Independent | 7% | 7% | 10% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | ||||||
| Liberal National | 48% | 46% | 47% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 52% | 54% | 53% | 49.6% |
Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results. The two-party preferred estimate is calculated by distributing the votes of the other parties according to their preferences at the 2016 election.
How much do you know and understand about dividend imputation and franking credits?
| Total | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | Less than $600
pw |
$600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | $1,500-2,000 pw | More than $2,000 pw | ||
| A lot | 7% | 10% | 4% | 9% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 5% | 8% | 10% | 11% | |
| A fair amount | 14% | 18% | 11% | 13% | 12% | 18% | 9% | 10% | 17% | 14% | 19% | |
| A little | 22% | 25% | 18% | 17% | 21% | 27% | 18% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 25% | |
| Heard of them but don’t know anything about them | 27% | 24% | 29% | 19% | 32% | 29% | 290% | 32% | 25% | 29% | 20% | |
| Never heard of them | 30% | 22% | 38% | 42% | 30% | 18% | 39% | 32% | 28% | 26% | 24% |
Only about one in five respondents said they knew much about dividend imputation and franking credits – 7% said they knew a lot and 14% a fair amount. 30% said they had never heard of them and 27% had heard of them but don’t know anything about them.
Those most likely to know a lot or a fair amount were incomes over $2,000pw (30%), aged 65+ (30%) and university educated (33%).
When companies pay dividends to Australian shareholders out of after-tax profit, shareholders receive franking credits, which they can claim as a tax deduction. If the shareholder does not pay any tax, they receive a cash refund from the tax office. This system is known as “dividend imputation” and these cash payments cost the Government about $6 billion per year. Do you personally receive a tax deduction or a cash payment for franking credits?
| Total | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | Less than $600
pw |
$600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | $1,500-2,000 pw | More than $2,000 pw | |||
| Yes, receive a tax deduction | 16% | 20% | 12% | 18% | 15% | 15% | 3% | 10% | 17% | 19% | 29% | ||
| Yes, receive a cash payment | 10% | 12% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 14% | 9% | 12% | 12% | 9% | 8% | ||
| No, don’t receive either. | 60% | 56% | 64% | 52% | 64% | 64% | 72% | 64% | 61% | 53% | 52% | ||
| Not sure | 14% | 12% | 16% | 22% | 14% | 7% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 19% | 10% | ||
26% said they either received a tax deduction or a cash refund for their franking credits.
Those most likely to receive a tax deduction were incomes over $2,000pw (29%), full-time workers (23%) and university educated (24%).
Those most likely to receive a cash payment were aged 65+ (22%).
The Labor Party has proposed to end the cash refunds for imputation credits. Taxpayers will still be able to claim a tax deduction. Do you support or oppose ending the cash refunds?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | |||
| Total support | 32% | 48% | 24% | 46% | 23% | 40% | 24% | 41% | 27% | 30% | ||
| Total oppose | 30% | 17% | 47% | 17% | 32% | 33% | 27% | 17% | 28% | 46% | ||
| Strongly support | 10% | 18% | 4% | 15% | 7% | 16% | 4% | 11% | 10% | 10% | ||
| Support | 22% | 30% | 20% | 31% | 16% | 24% | 20% | 30% | 17% | 20% | ||
| Oppose | 14% | 10% | 20% | 12% | 11% | 13% | 15% | 11% | 14% | 16% | ||
| Strongly oppose | 16% | 7% | 27% | 5% | 21% | 20% | 12% | 6% | 14% | 30% | ||
| Don’t know | 37% | 34% | 29% | 38% | 45% | 26% | 48% | 42% | 45% | 24% |
| Total | Less than $600
pw |
$600-1,000 pw | $1,000-1,500 pw | $1,500-2,000 pw | More than $2,000 pw | Know a lot/fair amount | Know a little | Receive tax de-duction | Receive cash back | Receive neither | |||
| Total support | 32% | 33% | 35% | 29% | 30% | 41% | 44% | 39% | 40% | 25% | 35% | ||
| Total oppose | 30% | 27% | 30% | 32% | 33% | 32% | 48% | 42% | 48% | 65% | 23% | ||
| Strongly support | 10% | 13% | 13% | 7% | 7% | 12% | 17% | 11% | 17% | 4% | 11% | ||
| Support | 22% | 20% | 22% | 22% | 23% | 29% | 27% | 28% | 23% | 21% | 24% | ||
| Oppose | 14% | 11% | 16% | 15% | 11% | 15% | 11% | 23% | 17% | 23% | 12% | ||
| Strongly oppose | 16% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 22% | 17% | 37% | 19% | 31% | 42% | 11% | ||
| Don’t know | 37% | 40% | 35% | 39% | 38% | 27% | 8% | 19% | 12% | 9% | 42% |
32% support ending cash refunds for imputation credits and 30% were opposed. 37% did not give an opinion.
Those most likely to support ending cash refunds were Labor voters (48%), Greens voters (46%), aged 18-34 (41%) and incomes over $2,000pw (41%).
Those most likely to oppose ending cash refunds were Liberal-National voters (47%) and aged 65+ (57%).
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | ||
| Paying people money to compensate for tax they haven’t paid does not make sense | 68% | 16% | 28% | 40% | 12% | 4% | 15% | |
| The $6 billion per year spend on these tax credits would be better used funding spending on schools and hospitals | 65% | 20% | 30% | 35% | 14% | 6% | 15% | |
| The $6 billion per year spend on these cash refunds would be better used to stop the pension age from being increased to seventy | 60% | 23% | 27% | 33% | 16% | 7% | 18% | |
| Pensioners who own shares should not receive more in government payments than those who do not own shares | 54% | 30% | 18% | 36% | 22% | 8% | 17% | |
| The $6 billion per year spend on these tax credits would be better used to cut the budget deficit | 53% | 27% | 16% | 37% | 20% | 7% | 20% | |
| The vast majority of people receiving money to compensate for tax are wealthy | 52% | 26% | 20% | 32% | 16% | 10% | 22% | |
| The $6 billion per year spend on these tax credits would be better used funding income tax cuts | 49% | 27% | 16% | 33% | 20% | 7% | 23% | |
| Retirees receiving cash refunds should not have their payments reduced, no matter how wealthy they are | 48% | 32% | 15% | 33% | 24% | 8% | 20% | |
| The issue of dividend
imputation is too complex for me to form an opinion |
40% | 41% | 8% | 32% | 30% | 11% | 18% |
40% agreed that the issue of dividend imputation is too complex for me to form an opinion.
Despite this, around 80% gave an opinion on each statement.
There was strongest agreement with the statements –
And while 54% agreed that “Pensioners who own shares should not receive more in government payments than those who do not own shares”, 48% agreed that “Retirees receiving cash refunds should not have their payments reduced, no matter how wealthy they are”.
A majority (52%) agreed that “The vast majority of people receiving money to compensate for tax are wealthy “.
Those who claimed to have more knowledge about dividend imputation were much more likely to think “Retirees receiving cash refunds should not have their payments reduced, no matter how wealthy they are” (60%) and more likely to disagree that the money would be better used funding schools and hospitals (40% disagree), stopping the pension age from being increased to seventy (42%), cutting the budget deficit (45%) and funding income tax cuts (50%).
| Total agree | Total disagree | Know a lot/fair amount
agree |
Know a lot/fair amount
disagree |
Know a little
agree |
Know a little
disagree |
|||
| Paying people money to compensate for tax they haven’t paid does not make sense | 68% | 16% | 60% | 34% | 65% | 23% | ||
| The $6 billion per year spend on these tax credits would be better used funding spending on schools and hospitals | 65% | 20% | 51% | 40% | 60% | 28% | ||
| The $6 billion per year spend on these cash refunds would be better used to stop the pension age from being increased to seventy | 60% | 23% | 49% | 42% | 57% | 30% | ||
| Pensioners who own shares should not receive more in government payments than those who do not own shares | 54% | 30% | 53% | 42% | 55% | 37% | ||
| The $6 billion per year spend on these tax credits would be better used to cut the budget deficit | 53% | 27% | 45% | 45% | 54% | 33% | ||
| The vast majority of people receiving money to compensate for tax are wealthy | 52% | 26% | 48% | 48% | 52% | `31% | ||
| The $6 billion per year spend on these tax credits would be better used funding income tax cuts | 49% | 27% | 43% | 50% | 52% | 32% | ||
| Retirees receiving cash refunds should not have their payments reduced, no matter how wealthy they are | 48% | 32% | 60% | 33% | 50% | 41% | ||
| The issue of dividend imputation is too complex for me to form an opinion | 40% | 41% | 28% | 66% | 30% | 59% |
Would you support or oppose the following tax measures?
| Total support | Total oppose | Strongly support | Support | Oppose | Strongly oppose | Don’t know | ||
| Making multi-national corporations pay their fair share of tax | 84% | 5% | 59% | 25% | 4% | 1% | 11% | |
| Stopping people with family trusts from splitting their income to avoid tax | 58% | 20% | 20% | 38% | 15% | 5% | 22% | |
| Capping the maximum tax deduction for managing tax affairs, such as payments to lawyers or accountants, at no more than $4,000 for individuals | 53% | 17% | 17% | 36% | 13% | 4% | 31% | |
| Limiting negative gearing to investments in newly built properties and halving the capital gains tax concession | 46% | 24% | 17% | 29% | 17% | 7% | 31% | |
| Cutting the company tax rate to 25% | 40% | 30% | 11% | 29% | 20% | 10% | 31% | |
| Limiting the amount of tax-free superannuation contributions individuals can make | 34% | 42% | 10% | 24% | 28% | 14% | 25% | |
| Cutting the tax rate for the top income tax bracket while the budget is still in deficit | 28% | 50% | 9% | 19% | 27% | 23% | 24% | |
| Increasing the tax rate for workers earning under $87,000 a year | 19% | 65% | 6% | 13% | 28% | 37% | 16% |
Tax measures with majority support were –
Tax measures with majority opposition were –
Cutting the company tax rate to 25% had 40% support and 30% opposed.
Who do you trust most to manage a fair tax system?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
| Labor | 26% | 63% | 4% | 38% | 12% | |
| Liberal-National | 28% | 2% | 66% | 4% | 21% | |
| No difference | 31% | 20% | 21% | 42% | 58% | |
| Don’t know | 15% | 15% | 95 | 16% | 9% |
There was little difference in between the parties in terms of who would be most trusted to manage a fair tax system.
28% favoured the Liberal National parties, 26% Labor and 31% said their was no difference.
53% of over 65’s said they would trust Liberal-National most.