Opinion of Carbon Pricing Proposal with Compensation
Q. Would you support or oppose this carbon pricing scheme if the money paid by big polluting industries was used to compensate low and middle income earners and small businesses for increased prices?
14 March | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
Total support | 54% | 51% | 78% | 34% | 80% |
Total oppose | 30% | 33% | 11% | 51% | 7% |
Strongly support | 17% | 17% | 30% | 8% | 35% |
Support | 37% | 34% | 43% | 25% | 44% |
Oppose | 14% | 12% | 7% | 18% | 8% |
Strongly oppose | 16% | 21% | 6% | 37% | 5% |
Don’t know | 17% | 16% | 14% | 13% | 8% |
With compensation for low and middle income earners and small businesses, support for the Government’s carbon pricing scheme increased to 51% and opposition dropped to 33%. This is a slight fall in support since this question was last asked in mid-March.
With compensation, support among Labor voters increases 15% to 78% and for Liberal/National voters increases 13% to 34%.
Support among men increased from 39% to 47% and for women increases from 38% to 55%.
Form of Compensation Preferred
Q. The Federal Government says that the funds raised from the carbon tax will be used to compensate those affected by price increases. Which of the following forms of compensation do you favour?
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
A direct payment to households | 39% | 44% | 37% | 50% |
An income tax cut | 33% | 36% | 34% | 26% |
A cut to the GST rate | 13% | 11% | 17% | 8% |
Cuts to corporate taxes | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
Don’t know | 13% | 8% | 10% | 14% |
39% favour compensation as a direct payment to households and 33% favour income tax cuts. Greens voters (50%) and Labor voters (44%) are most likely to favour a direct payment while Coalition voters split 37% direct payment/34% tax cut.
Older people strongly favour a direct payment – among those aged 55+, 51% favour direct payment and 21% a tax cut, while for those aged 18-44, 39% favour a tax cut and 33% favour a direct payment.

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