Essential Report

Likelihood of federal budget delivering outcomes

May 25, 2021

Q. How likely do you think it will be that the budget will deliver the following outcomes over the next few years?

TOTAL: Quite likely / Very likely	This budget May’21	Last budget Oct’20
Create jobs	52%	53%
Help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19	55%	56%
Keep debt under control	31%	36%
Create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future	55%	58%
Place unnecessary burdens on future generations	58%	62%
Base (n)	1,100	1,082

There is no significant difference in people’s views towards the likelihood of the federal budget delivering on the listed outcomes compared to last October.

	TOTAL: Quite likely / Very likely	TOTAL: Not very likely / Not at all likely	Very likely	Quite likely	Not that likely	Not very likely	Not at all likely
Create jobs	52%	13%	9%	43%	35%	8%	6%
Help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19	55%	16%	11%	44%	29%	10%	6%
Keep debt under control	31%	34%	6%	25%	36%	21%	12%
Create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future	55%	16%	17%	38%	29%	12%	4%
Place unnecessary burdens on future generations	58%	14%	17%	41%	28%	10%	4%

Out of the budget outcomes listed, most Australians think it’s likely that the budget will place unnecessary burdens on future generations (58%).
While 55% think it’s likely the budget will help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19, 55% also think it’s likely the budget will create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future.
The budget is not expected to keep debt under control, with 34% thinking this is not very / not all likely.

TOTAL: Quite likely / Very likely	Total	Gender			Age Group				Federal Voting Intention
TOTAL: Quite likely / Very likely	Total	Male	Female	18-34		35-54	55+	Labor		TOTAL: Coalition	Greens	TOTAL: Other
Create jobs	52%	55%	49%	47%		49%	58%	39%		75%	42%	44%
Help Australia recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19	55%	59%	51%	52%		53%	60%	46%		76%	47%	40%
Keep debt under control	31%	32%	30%	35%		34%	24%	25%		43%	19%	22%
Create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future	55%	60%	50%	52%		53%	59%	63%		50%	55%	57%
Place unnecessary burdens on future generations	58%	61%	55%	53%		55%	66%	63%		57%	60%	61%
Base (n)	1,100	539	561	341		379	380	369		410	105	112

Coalition voters are more likely to think the budget will deliver on positive outcomes (i.e. create jobs, help Australia recover from Covid-19, and keep debt under control) than Labor, Greens and minor/independent party voters; They are less likely to think the budget will create long-term problems that will need to be fixed in the future (50% to 61% all other voters).
However, Coalition voters are just as likely as these other voters to think the budget will place unnecessary burdens on future generations.

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