carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, Carbon Tax Compensation, compensating households, EMC, ER, Essential Report, Polling, polls
Q. It is expected that a tax on carbon pollution will increase the cost of electricity. Which of the following do you think should receive compensation for this increased cost?
| Should receive compensation | Should not receive compensation | Don’t know | |
| Low income households | 84% | 8% | 8% |
| Farmers | 74% | 13% | 13% |
| Small business owners | 70% | 14% | 15% |
| All households | 70% | 16% | 14% |
| Trade exposed industries | 28% | 44% | 29% |
| Manufacturing industries | 26% | 51% | 23% |
| The aluminium industry | 18% | 56% | 26% |
| Power companies | 15% | 68% | 17% |
There was strong majority support for compensating households (especially low income households), farmers and small businesses.
Support for compensating companies and industries was relatively low. A little over one quarter think trade exposed and manufacturing industries should be compensated and only 15% think power companies should be compensated.
Although all voter groups showed similar support for compensating low income families, Coalition voters showed stronger support for compensation for all other groups – for example, 78% of Coalition voters thought all households should be compensated compared to 65% of Labor voters and 51% of Greens voters.