The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Spending by a Liberal Government

22 Apr 2013

Q. If the Liberal Party won Government at the next election, do you think they would increase or decrease spending on the following areas or spend about the same as the Labor Government?

 

Increase spending

Decrease spending

Spend about the same

Don’t know

Public schools

22%

30%

33%

15%

Private schools

28%

27%

28%

16%

Universities

18%

29%

36%

16%

Support for manufacturing industries

26%

23%

32%

19%

Pensions

19%

32%

36%

14%

Welfare support

12%

45%

28%

14%

Health and hospitals

33%

27%

25%

14%

The environment

11%

39%

34%

16%

Defence

31%

19%

34%

16%

Foreign aid

8%

41%

33%

18%

Public transport

23%

26%

35%

16%

Roads

26%

22%

36%

16%

Border security

44%

14%

28%

14%

The arts

7%

40%

32%

21%

Subsidies for business

34%

20%

28%

18%

Overall, respondents were more likely to think a Liberal Government would reduce spending on welfare support, the arts, the environment, foreign aid, pensions, public schools and universities. They were more likely to think they would increase spending on  border security, defence and subsidies for business.

Liberal voters thought a Liberal Government would be more likely to increase than decrease spending on public schools, manufacturing industries, pensions, public transport, health and hospitals, defence, roads, border security and subsidies for business.

Error: