budget, economics, Federal Budget, investment, jobs, stimulus, trickle-down
Q. Which of the following is closest to your view on the best way to create jobs and grow the economy?
| Total | Gender | Age Group | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| The government should directly invest in the economy by creating projects and jobs, and raise the standard of living for the majority of workers | 69% | 67% | 70% | 57% | 66% | 81% |
| The government should relax regulation and lower taxes for the wealthy to encourage businesses to grow and create jobs | 19% | 23% | 14% | 28% | 20% | 10% |
| Unsure | 13% | 9% | 16% | 15% | 14% | 9% |
| Base (n) | 1,066 | 531 | 535 | 340 | 341 | 385 |
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| The government should directly invest in the economy by creating projects and jobs, and raise the standard of living for the majority of workers | 69% | 72% | 66% | 77% | 75% |
| The government should relax regulation and lower taxes for the wealthy to encourage businesses to grow and create jobs | 19% | 17% | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Unsure | 13% | 11% | 12% | 5% | 8% |
| Base (n) | 1,066 | 332 | 433 | 91 | 111 |
Q. From the options below, which of the following initiatives should the government prioritise in the upcoming Federal Budget in October?
Please select your top three choices with 1 being the top priority, 2 being the second top priority and 3 being the third top priority.
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| TOTAL: TOP 3 | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |
| Build more affordable housing | 60% | 57% | 64% | 60% | 57% | 64% | 66% | 54% | 61% | 56% |
| Invest in renewable energy projects | 52% | 53% | 50% | 45% | 52% | 56% | 48% | 51% | 66% | 54% |
| Invest in large-scale infrastructure projects (e.g. roads, transport networks, ports etc.) | 48% | 51% | 45% | 37% | 47% | 58% | 41% | 59% | 26% | 55% |
| Extend JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments at current rate | 47% | 47% | 47% | 52% | 45% | 45% | 52% | 39% | 61% | 44% |
| Directly fund jobs in aged care | 41% | 36% | 46% | 35% | 37% | 51% | 41% | 41% | 35% | 44% |
| Establish a universally accessible early learning system | 27% | 29% | 25% | 38% | 31% | 13% | 29% | 24% | 33% | 27% |
| Fast-track tax cuts for higher income earners | 25% | 28% | 23% | 33% | 31% | 13% | 22% | 31% | 20% | 21% |
| Base (n) | 1,081 | 539 | 542 | 338 | 374 | 369 | 298 | 460 | 115 | 104 |
Q. The Federal Budget will be announced on Tuesday 8th Do you think the Government should increase, decrease or keep spending the same for –
| Increase spending | Keep spending the same | Decrease spending | Don’t know | Increase spending May 2017 | Change since May 2017 | ||
| Health care | 67% | 25% | 3% | 5% | 62% | +5 | |
| Age pensions | 56% | 31% | 5% | 8% | 48% | +8 | |
| Education | 55% | 33% | 6% | 6% | 54% | +1 | |
| More affordable housing | 52% | 36% | 6% | 6% | 44% | +8 | |
| Assistance to the needy in Australia | 46% | 41% | 7% | 7% | 38% | +8 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs | 44% | 43% | 6% | 7% | 44% | – | |
| Renewable energy | 43% | 39% | 12% | 6% | 41% | +2 | |
| Public transport infrastructure | 41% | 44% | 8% | 7% | 47% | -6 | |
| Building highways, roads | 37% | 48% | 9% | 6% | 38% | +1 | |
| Scientific research | 36% | 48% | 9% | 7% | 37% | -1 | |
| Environmental protection | 35% | 44% | 15% | 6% | 30% | +5 | |
| Assistance to the unemployed | 33% | 44% | 17% | 6% | 22% | +11 | |
| Anti-terrorism | 31% | 51% | 11% | 7% | 32% | -1 | |
| Military/defence | 20% | 50% | 23% | 7% | 20% | – | |
| Assistance to businesses | 13% | 47% | 33% | 7% | 10% | +3 | |
| Assistance to the needy in the rest of the world | 12% | 33% | 48% | 7% | 11% | +1 |
The areas with majority support for increasing spending were health care (67% support), age pensions (56%), education (55%) and affordable housing (52%).
Since this time last year, the main changes have been increased support for spending on assistance to the unemployed (up 11%), age pensions (up 8%), more affordable housing (up 8%) and assistance to the needy in Australia (up 8%).
The areas with the highest support for decreasing spending were assistance to the needy in the rest of the world (48% support), assistance to businesses (33%) and military/defence (23%).
Q. In general, do you expect the Federal Budget, will be good or bad for the following?
| Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | Total Good (May ’17) | Total Bad (May ’17) | ||
| People who are well off | 55% | 8% | 27% | 28% | 26% | 6% | 2% | 11% | 44% | 7% | |
| Australian business | 47% | 8% | 10% | 37% | 31% | 7% | 1% | 12% | 43% | 8% | |
| The economy overall | 35% | 19% | 6% | 29% | 34% | 15% | 4% | 12% | 21% | 24% | |
| Average working people | 24% | 29% | 4% | 20% | 36% | 24% | 5% | 10% | 12% | 35% | |
| Australian families | 23% | 31% | 5% | 18% | 33% | 24% | 7% | 11% | 14% | 36% | |
| People of lower incomes | 22% | 43% | 5% | 17% | 25% | 27% | 16% | 11% | 11% | 48% | |
| Older Australians | 20% | 24% | 5% | 15% | 27% | 28% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 45% | |
| Younger Australians | 19% | 28% | 4% | 15% | 41% | 20% | 8% | 12% | 11% | 33% | |
| You personally | 18% | 24% | 5% | 13% | 47% | 18% | 6% | 11% | 10% | 30% |
55% thought that the Federal Budget would be good for people who are well off (up 11% from last year’s budget). 47% thought it would be good for Australian business (up 4%), and 35% thought it would be good for the economy overall (up 14%). Less than 25% thought the budget would be good for any another group – although for each group, respondents were more optimistic than last year.
18% thought the Federal Budget would be good for them personally (up 8% from last year’s budget), and 24% thought it would be bad for them (down 6%).
Q. Which of the following areas do you think is most important for the Government to address?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| More funding to schools and hospitals | 28% | 32% | 26% | 35% | 21% | |
| Supporting industries that create jobs | 22% | 19% | 29% | 13% | 25% | |
| Personal tax cuts | 17% | 16% | 18% | 11% | 22% | |
| Building infrastructure | 12% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 9% | |
| Fully funding the NDIS | 8% | 11% | 4% | 11% | 14% | |
| Don’t know | 13% | 11% | 9% | 10% | 9% |
28% thought that more funding to schools and hospitals was the most important area for the Government to address, 22% nominated supporting industries that create jobs and 17% wanted personal tax cuts.
Labor (32%) and Greens (35%) voters were more likely to prefer more funding for schools and hospitals while 29% of Liberal National voters nominated supporting industries that create jobs.
Budget Surplus, Federal Budget
Q. How important is it that the Government returns the budget to surplus?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total important | 71% | 63% | 87% | 49% | 78% | |
| Total not important | 19% | 28% | 9% | 43% | 13% | |
| Very important | 31% | 21% | 47% | 8% | 38% | |
| Somewhat important | 40% | 42% | 40% | 41% | 40% | |
| Not very important | 15% | 23% | 7% | 33% | 11% | |
| Not at all important | 4% | 5% | 2% | 10% | 2% | |
| Don’t know | 10% | 9% | 4% | 8% | 9% |
71% thought that returning the budget to surplus was important. Those most likely to think this were Liberal/National voters (87% important), those earning over $104,000 (78%) and those working full time (76%).
19% thought that returning the budget to surplus was not important. Those most likely to think this were Greens voters (43% not important) and ALP voters (28%).
Budget Surplus, Federal Budget, Spending
Q. Do you think it is more important for the Government to return the budget to surplus as soon as possible – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – OR should they delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Return to surplus as soon as possible, cut services, raise taxes | 18% | 12% | 28% | 7% | 16% | |
| Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure | 65% | 75% | 59% | 81% | 67% | |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 17% |
65% thought it was more important to delay a return to surplus, maintain services and invest in infrastructure. Those most likely to think this were Greens voters (81%) and ALP voters (75%).
18% it was more important to return to surplus as soon as possible. Those most likely to sat think were Liberal/National voters (28%), those aged 65+ (22%) and those earning over $104,000 (22%).
australian business, average working people, economy overall, Federal Budget
Q. In general, do you think the Federal Budget, announced on Tuesday 13th May 2014 was good or bad for?
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Total Good |
Total Bad |
Very good |
Good |
Neither good nor bad |
Bad |
Very bad |
Don’t know |
| You personally |
13% |
52% |
3% |
10% |
31% |
29% |
23% |
4% |
| Average working people |
14% |
59% |
2% |
12% |
24% |
34% |
25% |
3% |
| Australian business |
36% |
23% |
7% |
29% |
32% |
14% |
9% |
8% |
| The economy over all |
40% |
32% |
11% |
29% |
23% |
18% |
14% |
6% |
| People who are well off |
45% |
16% |
16% |
29% |
33% |
11% |
5% |
6% |
| People on lower incomes |
11% |
66% |
3% |
8% |
18% |
27% |
39% |
4% |
| Australian families |
11% |
62% |
3% |
8% |
24% |
32% |
30% |
4% |
| Older Australians |
10% |
66% |
2% |
8% |
19% |
28% |
38% |
4% |
| Younger Australians |
16% |
55% |
5% |
11% |
25% |
22% |
33% |
5% |
More Australians thought that the budget would be bad for each of the group than thought it would be good.
The only exceptions were ‘people who are well off’ (45% good, 16% bad) and ‘Australian business’ (36% thought the budget would be good, 23% bad).
The areas with the highest ‘bad’ rating were ‘older Australians’ (66%), ‘people on lower incomes’ (66%), ‘Australian families’ (62%) and ‘average working people’ (59%).
Download the Essential Report for a voting intention breakdown of this question.