Australian economy, budget, Budget day, Businesses, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Impact of Budget, Polling, polls, the economy
Q. Do you think the Federal Budget was good or bad for you personally?
Q. Do you think the Federal Budget was good or bad for Australian businesses?
Q. Do you think the Federal Budget was good or bad for the Australian economy overall?
| You personally | Businesses | The economy overall | ||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Total good | 22% | 11% | 27% | 20% | 36% | 27% |
| Total bad | 26% | 29% | 32% | 25% | 28% | 29% |
| Very good | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 4% |
| Good | 19% | 9% | 24% | 17% | 30% | 23% |
| Neither good nor bad | 33% | 44% | 9% | 31% | 10% | 25% |
| Bad | 18% | 21% | 22% | 19% | 18% | 21% |
| Very bad | 8% | 8% | 10% | 6% | 10% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 16% | 31% | 23% | 26% | 20% |
Overall there was a less positive response to the 2011 budget than to the 2010 budget. The main differences were that respondents were less likely to rate the budget good and more likely to think it was neither good nor bad. The proportions who thought it was bad were similar to last year.
44% of respondents thought the Federal budget was nether good nor bad for them personally – 11% said it was good and 29% bad. The only substantial differences by demographics were that 51% of respondents aged 55+ thought it was nether good nor bad.
25% thought the budget was bad for business, 20% good and 31% said it was neither. 35% of Labor voters said it was good for business and 45% of Liberal/National voters said it was bad.
Respondents were split over whether it was good or bad for the economy overall – 27% said it was good and 29% bad. Labor voters split 50% good/9% bad compared to Liberal/National voters at 12% good/51% bad.
budget, Budget day, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Thinking about the Federal Budget to be announced next week – how interested are you in reading and hearing about the Federal Budget?
| 2010 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very interested | 30% | 38% | 41% | 44% | 32% |
| Somewhat interested | 37% | 29% | 32% | 29% | 30% |
| A little interested | 22% | 21% | 19% | 20% | 28% |
| Not at all interested | 8% | 8% | 5% | 6% | 9% |
| Can’t say | 4% | 3% | 2% | * | – |
67% of respondents say they are very or somewhat interested in reading and hearing about the Federal Budget – the same as recorded prior to the 2010 budget. However, those who say they are “very interested” has increased from 30% to 38%.
73% of both Labor and Liberal/National voters say they are interested.
Younger people are less interested – 60% of those under 35 are interested compared to 78% of those aged 55+.