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Economy: Direct investment vs trickle-down approach
Q. Which of the following is closest to your view on the best way to create jobs and grow the economy?
| Total | Gender | Age Group | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| The government should directly invest in the economy by creating projects and jobs, and raise the standard of living for the majority of workers | 69% | 67% | 70% | 57% | 66% | 81% |
| The government should relax regulation and lower taxes for the wealthy to encourage businesses to grow and create jobs | 19% | 23% | 14% | 28% | 20% | 10% |
| Unsure | 13% | 9% | 16% | 15% | 14% | 9% |
| Base (n) | 1,066 | 531 | 535 | 340 | 341 | 385 |
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| The government should directly invest in the economy by creating projects and jobs, and raise the standard of living for the majority of workers | 69% | 72% | 66% | 77% | 75% |
| The government should relax regulation and lower taxes for the wealthy to encourage businesses to grow and create jobs | 19% | 17% | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Unsure | 13% | 11% | 12% | 5% | 8% |
| Base (n) | 1,066 | 332 | 433 | 91 | 111 |
- There is a majority preference for the government to directly invest in creating jobs and growing the economy.
- 69% opted for direct investment, while 19% preferred deregulation and lower taxes. 13% were unsure between the two options.
- There was no difference in the support for direct investment between men and women (67% to 70%), but men were more likely to select deregulation (23% to 14%).
- There were no differences in preference between voters of Coalition or Labor, with the majority of each all favouring direct investment (72% of Labor voters, 66% of Coalition voters).
Coronavirus concerns
Q. To what extent are you concerned about the threat of Covid-19 (coronavirus) in Australia?
| 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | |
| Very concerned | 36% | 37% | 40% | 50% | 43% | 36% | 25% | 28% | 27% | 32% | 30% |
| Quite concerned | 45% | 45% | 46% | 40% | 44% | 48% | 50% | 45% | 48% | 49% | 49% |
| Not that concerned | 15% | 13% | 10% | 7% | 9% | 12% | 21% | 23% | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Not at all concerned | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 1,076 | 1,068 | 1,010 | 1,058 | 1,054 | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 |
- There has been no shift in concern about threat of Covid-19 in the past two weeks with 36% very concerned about the threat (37% in early September).
Federal government response to Covid-19
Q. Overall, how would you rate the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | |
| Very poor | 5% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Quite poor | 13% | 12% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 6% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 20% | 20% | 17% | 16% | 18% | 20% | 16% |
| Quite good | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 43% | 42% | 40% | 39% | 43% |
| Very good | 21% | 18% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 27% | 30% | 30% | 28% | 30% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 18% | 19% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 12% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 11% |
| TOTAL: Good | 61% | 59% | 61% | 63% | 64% | 64% | 71% | 72% | 70% | 68% | 73% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 1,076 | 1,068 | 1,010 | 1,058 | 1,054 | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 |
- Rating of the Federal Government’s handling of Covid-19 stays steady at 61% rating it very or quite good (59% earlier in the month).
State government response to Covid-19
Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| TOTAL: Good | 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 |
| NSW | 67% | 57% | 59% | 61% | 62% | 63% | 70% | 65% | 67% | 62% | 65% |
| VIC | 47% | 50% | 47% | 49% | 53% | 49% | 65% | 75% | 72% | 71% | 73% |
| QLD | 68% | 66% | 73% | 68% | 67% | 69% | 64% | 67% | 68% | 69% | 74% |
| SA | 81% | 74% | 65% | 72% | 76% | 79% | 79% | 76% | 79% | 70% | 84% |
| WA | 84% | 87% | 84% | 86% | 82% | 77% | 75% | 77% | 84% | 79% | 83% |
- Positive rating of the NSW Government has rebounded this week, with 67% rating the performance as very or quite good, up from 7% earlier in August.
- Positive rating of the Victorian Government remains steady at 47% over the past two weeks.
Attitudes to latest Victorian restrictions (VICTORIA ONLY)
Q. On 6 September, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the state’s roadmap for easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the updated restrictions?
| TOTAL: AGREE | 21/09 | 10/08 |
| I have a good understanding of what I am and am not allowed to do under the current restrictions | 74% | 80% |
| The restrictions affecting my area seem appropriate | 60% | 67% |
| The restrictions affecting my area will be effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19 | 64% | 63% |
| State & federal governments are doing enough to help people and businesses that are negatively affected by the restrictions | 40% | 54% |
| The changes won’t have much impact on my own lifestyle | 45% | 46% |
| VICTORIA ONLY | TOTAL:
Agree |
TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree, nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree |
| I have a good understanding of what I am and am not allowed to do under the current restrictions | 74% | 6% | 43% | 31% | 20% | 2% | 4% |
| The restrictions affecting my area seem appropriate | 60% | 19% | 29% | 31% | 21% | 9% | 9% |
| The restrictions affecting my area will be effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19 | 64% | 10% | 29% | 35% | 26% | 5% | 5% |
| State & federal governments are doing enough to help people and businesses that are negatively affected by the restrictions | 40% | 24% | 15% | 26% | 36% | 16% | 8% |
| The changes won’t have much impact on my own lifestyle | 45% | 32% | 20% | 25% | 23% | 18% | 15% |
- 74% of Victorians agree they have a good understanding of what they are (and are not) allowed to do under the current restrictions, this hasn’t changed significantly from the 80% who agreed earlier the lockdowns. 60% agree that the restrictions are appropriate and 64% agree that the restrictions are effective at stopping the spread of the virus.
- 40% agree that enough is being done to help people and businesses that are negatively affected by the restrictions, this is lower that the 54% who agreed last month.
Attitudes towards Queensland border closure
Q. To what extent do you support or oppose the Queensland state government decision to close its borders to Victoria, New South Wales and ACT to prevent the spread of Covid-19?
| Total | State | |||||
| NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | ||
| Strongly oppose | 13% | 20% | 14% | 10% | 5% | 1% |
| Somewhat oppose | 13% | 16% | 13% | 12% | 7% | 7% |
| Somewhat support | 31% | 34% | 35% | 20% | 23% | 31% |
| Strongly support | 36% | 23% | 29% | 50% | 55% | 54% |
| Unsure | 8% | 7% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 7% |
| TOTAL: Oppose | 25% | 36% | 26% | 22% | 13% | 8% |
| TOTAL: Support | 66% | 57% | 64% | 70% | 78% | 85% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 352 | 274 | 212 | 85 | 104 |
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| Strongly oppose | 13% | 15% | 10% | 6% | 11% | 19% | 9% | 17% | 8% | 24% |
| Somewhat oppose | 13% | 15% | 11% | 14% | 11% | 14% | 9% | 18% | 12% | 15% |
| Somewhat support | 31% | 31% | 30% | 40% | 29% | 25% | 35% | 30% | 32% | 24% |
| Strongly support | 36% | 33% | 39% | 30% | 39% | 38% | 39% | 31% | 40% | 30% |
| Unsure | 8% | 7% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 8% | 7% |
| TOTAL: Oppose | 25% | 30% | 22% | 20% | 22% | 33% | 17% | 35% | 20% | 39% |
| TOTAL: Support | 66% | 64% | 69% | 70% | 67% | 62% | 74% | 61% | 73% | 54% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 539 | 542 | 338 | 374 | 369 | 298 | 460 | 115 | 104 |
- Two-thirds (66%) of Australians support the closure of its internal borders. Support for the decision is high in Queensland (70%), WA (85%) and SA (78%) support is lower in NSW (57%).
State of the economy
Q. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?
| Sep’20 | Sep’19 | May’18 | Nov’17 | May’17 | Dec’16 | |
| Very good | 8% | 5% | 8% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Quite good | 16% | 27% | 31% | 30% | 27% | 21% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 30% | 32% | 32% | 38% | 36% | 37% |
| Quite poor | 32% | 25% | 18% | 17% | 23% | 28% |
| Very poor | 14% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 8% |
| Unsure | 2% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| NET: Good | 23% | 32% | 39% | 33% | 30% | 23% |
| NET: Poor | 46% | 33% | 24% | 24% | 29% | 36% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 1,097 | 1,033 | 1,021 | 1,007 | 1,001 |
| Total | Gender | Age | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| Very good | 8% | 11% | 4% | 9% | 12% | 1% |
| Quite good | 16% | 18% | 13% | 21% | 16% | 11% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 30% | 28% | 31% | 34% | 30% | 26% |
| Quite poor | 32% | 30% | 33% | 23% | 29% | 41% |
| Very poor | 14% | 12% | 16% | 9% | 12% | 20% |
| Unsure | 2% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| NET: Good | 23% | 29% | 17% | 30% | 28% | 12% |
| NET: Poor | 46% | 42% | 49% | 33% | 41% | 61% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 539 | 542 | 338 | 374 | 369 |
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | Independent / Other | ||
| Very good | 8% | 4% | 10% | 7% | 9% |
| Quite good | 16% | 13% | 20% | 13% | 13% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 30% | 26% | 29% | 33% | 29% |
| Quite poor | 32% | 38% | 28% | 34% | 33% |
| Very poor | 14% | 18% | 12% | 12% | 16% |
| Unsure | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 0% |
| NET: Good | 23% | 17% | 30% | 19% | 22% |
| NET: Poor | 46% | 56% | 39% | 46% | 49% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 298 | 460 | 115 | 104 |
- Rating of the state of the economy has fallen in the last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now 23% of people the state of the economy as very or quite good, down 9%pts from 32% last year. Over the same time those rating the economy as poor (very/quite) has increased from 33% to 46%.
- Those most pessimistic about the state of the economy include women (17% rating very/quite good, down from 30% last year), people aged over 55 (12%, down from 31% last year) Labor voters (17%) and Greens voters (19%).
- Rating of the economy among Coalition voters has dropped from 45% very/quite good in Sep’19 to 30% this year.
Indictors of whether the Australian economy is in a good or poor state
Q. Which of the following indicators do you think is the most important when thinking about whether the Australian economy is in a good or poor state?
| Sep’20 | Sep’19 | |
| The unemployment rate | 39% | 25% |
| The cost of household bills | 13% | 22% |
| The value of the Australian dollar to international currencies | 12% | 13% |
| The amount of homeless people on the streets | 8% | 10% |
| The interest rate set by Reserve Bank of Australia | 6% | 9% |
| The gross domestic product per person | 7% | 8% |
| The consumer price index | 6% | 6% |
| The size of the national surplus | 6% | 6% |
| The number of new shops, restaurants and cafes opening | 3% | 2% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 1,097 |
| Total | Gender | Age | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| The unemployment rate | 39% | 34% | 44% | 38% | 42% | 38% |
| The cost of household bills | 13% | 12% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 11% |
| The value of the Australian dollar to international currencies | 12% | 13% | 10% | 19% | 9% | 8% |
| The amount of homeless people on the streets | 8% | 10% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| The interest rate set by Reserve Bank of Australia | 6% | 5% | 6% | 2% | 7% | 8% |
| The gross domestic product per person | 7% | 9% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 10% |
| The consumer price index | 6% | 8% | 4% | 8% | 5% | 5% |
| The size of the national surplus | 6% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 5% | 9% |
| The number of new shops, restaurants and cafes opening | 3% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 539 | 542 | 338 | 374 | 369 |
- People rating the unemployment level as the key indicator for a healthy economy has increased in the past 12 months from 25% to 39% while the cost of household bills has fallen from 22% to 13%. All other indicators remain consistent.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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