Essential Report
Centrelink debt recovery vs politicians’ entitlements
Q. Which of the following issues are you more concerned about – over payments to welfare recipients or how politicians use their travel expenses?
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
Over payments to welfare recipients | 8% | 5% | 14% | 10% | 7% | |
Politicians travel expenses | 46% | 52% | 35% | 60% | 50% | |
Both equally | 40% | 38% | 48% | 29% | 40% | |
Neither | 2% | 3% | 1% | – | 1% | |
Don’t know | 4% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% |
46% are more concerned about how politicians use their travel expenses than over payments to welfare recipients and 40% are equally concerned about both. Only 8% are more concerned about over payments to welfare recipients.
Those most concerned about how politicians use their travel expenses were Labor voters (52%), Greens voters (60%) and aged 18-34 (51%).

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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
Sign up for updates
Receive the Essential Report in your inbox.Essential Tags
2PP
Abbott
ALP
Anthony Albanese
Approval of opposition leader
Approval of Tony Abbott
asylum seekers
Australian economy
Bill Shorten
Carbon Tax
climate change
coronavirus
covid-19
economy
Education
Election
EMC
environment
ER
Essential Media
Essential Report
Federal Budget
Federal Government
federal politics
Gillard
Greens
Julia Gillard
kevin rudd
Labor
Labor Party
Liberal
Liberal Party
Liberals
mining
Nationals
Opposition leader
peter lewis
Polling
polls
Prime Minister
Scott Morrison
tony abbott
two party preferred
voting
Voting intention
Recent Comments
