Federal Budget Surplus

Q. Do you think it is more important for the Government to return the budget to surplus by 2012/13 as planned – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – OR should they delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure?

	Total	Vote Labor	Vote Lib/Nat	Vote Greens
Return to surplus by 2012/13	14%	16%	16%	9%
Delay return to surplus	69%	72%	70%	72%
Don’t know	17%	12%	13%	19%

69% support delaying the return to surplus if it means cutting services and raising taxes – while 14% think it is more important to return to surplus by 2012/13.

78% of those aged 45+ support delaying the return to surplus.