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, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Network 10, Network Ten, Polling, polls
Q. Overall, do you expect the Federal Budget to be good or bad for you personally?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total good | 12% | 21% | 9% | 7% | 10% | 14% | 22% | 8% | 5% |
| Total bad | 35% | 18% | 50% | 33% | 40% | 30% | 21% | 40% | 43% |
| Very good | 2% | 2% | 2% | – | 1% | 2% | 3% | 1% | * |
| Good | 10% | 19% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 12% | 19% | 7% | 5% |
| Neither good nor bad | 44% | 54% | 36% | 53% | 43% | 44% | 45% | 42% | 46% |
| Bad | 27% | 16% | 37% | 25% | 30% | 23% | 17% | 30% | 32% |
| Very bad | 8% | 2% | 13% | 8% | 10% | 7% | 4% | 10% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 9% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 6% |
35% expect the Federal Budget will be bad for them personally and 12% expect it will be good – 44% think it will be neither.
Labor voters are split – 21% good/18% bad while 50% of Liberal/National voters expect it will be bad and only 9% expect it will be good.
Younger voters are more optimistic than older voters – those aged under 35 are split 22% good/21% bad while 43% of over 55’s expect it will be bad and only 5% good. By income, the only major difference from the average is that 45% of people on incomes under $600 pw expect it will be bad for them.
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+.
asylum seekers, budget, East Timor, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, processing centre for asylum seekers
Q. Do you support or oppose the Australian Government’s proposal to establish a regional processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total support | 37% | 47% | 33% | 38% | 42% | 32% | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Total oppose | 38% | 27% | 46% | 38% | 39% | 36% | 29% | 39% | 46% |
| Strongly support | 11% | 13% | 9% | 5% | 12% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 13% |
| Support | 26% | 34% | 24% | 33% | 30% | 23% | 32% | 26% | 22% |
| Oppose | 18% | 16% | 20% | 22% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Strongly oppose | 20% | 11% | 26% | 16% | 21% | 18% | 12% | 19% | 28% |
| Don’t know | 25% | 25% | 21% | 25% | 19% | 32% | 31% | 24% | 20% |
Opinions on the Australian Government’s proposal to establish a regional processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor are evenly divided – 37% support the proposal and 38% oppose.
Strongest support comes from Labor voters (47%) and those aged 18-34 (40%). Strongest opposition comes form Liberal/National voters (46%) and those aged 55+ (46%).
budget, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Budget, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, spending on programs, spending on services
Q. Thinking about the next Federal Budget, overall do you think the Government should increase, maintain or cut spending on services and programs?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Increase spending | 15% | 16% | 13% | 20% |
| Maintain spending | 49% | 58% | 46% | 54% |
| Cut spending | 22% | 14% | 31% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 12% | 10% | 11% |
49% think the Government should maintain spending in the next Federal Budget, 22% think spending should be cut and 15% think it should be increased.
By voting intention, 74% of Labor voters and Greens voters think spending should be maintained or increased compared to 59% of Liberal/National voters. 31% of Liberal/National voters think spending should be cut.
Q. Thinking about the Federal Budget – how much attention did you pay to this week’s Federal Budget?
| Last year | This year | |
| Total a lot/some | 66% | 53% |
| Total a little/none | 31% | 44% |
| A lot | 29% | 18% |
| Some | 37% | 35% |
| A little | 25% | 29% |
| None | 6% | 15% |
| Can’t say | 3% | 3% |
Just over half (53%) of respondents said they paid a lot or some attention to the Federal Budget. This is significantly lower than the corresponding figure of 66% for last year’s budget.
Those most interested were men (60% a lot/some) and people aged 55+ (65%). Only 44% of respondents aged 18-34 paid a lot or some attention to the budget. Comments »
budget, economy, Labor, Prime Minister, rudd
Q. Do you think that with this Budget, the Government has done enough to reduce the deficit and return the budget to surplus in the next few years?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Liberal/ National | |
| Has done enough | 31% | 59% | 12% |
| Hasn’t done enough | 39% | 16% | 69% |
| Don’t know | 31% | 26% | 20% |
31% think that the Government has done enough to reduce the deficit and 39% think they have not done enough. Responses mostly followed party preferences – 59% of Labor voters think they have done enough and 69% of Coalition voters think they have not done enough. Greens voters split 40% enough/31% not enough. Comments »