Essential Report
Statements about the Budget
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Federal budget that was handed down on Tuesday 3rd May.
Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don’t know | Total agree 2015 | Total disagree 2015 | |||
Overall, the budget is fair and balanced | 32% | 46% | 4% | 28% | 28% | 18% | 22% | 28% | 32% | ||
This budget does not do enough to reduce the deficit | 48% | 22% | 15% | 33% | 19% | 3% | 29% | 37% | 18% | ||
This was the budget Australia needs at this time | 29% | 46% | 4% | 25% | 27% | 19% | 26% | 28% | 31% | ||
This budget favours businesses over workers | 61% | 19% | 25% | 36% | 16% | 3% | 21% | 47% | 12% | ||
This budget is more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy | 53% | 27% | 21% | 32% | 22% | 5% | 20% | 50% | 19% | ||
The budget does not go far enough in addressing multinational tax avoidance. | 57% | 18% | 26% | 31% | 16% | 2% | 25% | – | – |
There was majority agreement with the statements that the budget favours businesses over workers 61%), it does not go far enough in addressing tax avoidance by multinationals (57%) and is more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy (53%).
46% disagree that the budget was fair and balanced – compared to 32% in 2015. There was also a significant increase in those who agreed the budget favours businesses over workers (up 14%).

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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
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