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Government Actions on Economy

29 Aug 2011

Q. If the Australian economy weakens and unemployment goes up would you approve or disapprove of the Government taking the following actions?

Total approve Total disapprove Strongly approve Approve Disapprove Strongly disapprove Don’t know
Reduce interest rates 79% 11% 32% 47% 8% 3% 11%$
Cut taxes for both individuals and businesses 61% 25% 16% 45% 21% 4% 14%
Cut taxes on low and middle income earners to help with cost of living while offsetting the revenue loss with a carbon tax on the 500 big polluters 61% 27% 26% 35% 15% 12% 12%
Introduce a mining tax on the big miners and use the money for govt. investment in infrastructure and social spending to stimulate the economy 58% 26% 24% 34% 16% 10% 16%
Cut taxes on lower and middle income earners to help with cost of living with no offsetting carbon tax on the 500 big polluters 51% 33% 15% 36% 24% 9% 16%
Cut taxes and cut Government investment in infrastructure and social spending 39% 43% 12% 27% 30% 13% 18%

Actions most approved were reduce interest rates (79% approve), cut taxes for both individuals and businesses (61%) and cut taxes on low and middle income earners to help with cost of living while offsetting the revenue loss with a carbon tax on the 500 big polluters (61%).

Cutting taxes while offsetting the revenue loss with a carbon tax was more popular than not offsetting the tax cuts with a carbon tax (61% to 51%).

The only action not approved by a majority was cutting taxes and investment in infrastructure and social spending (39% approve/43% disapprove). This was approved by 48% of Liberal/National voters but only 33% of Labor voters and 27% of Greens voters.

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