codid-19, coronavirus, Finance, financial situation
Q. Which of the following best describes your financial situation during the Covid-19 outbreak?
| Gender | Age Group | Location | |||||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | ||
| I do not expect the Covid-19 will impact my income | 24% | 22% | 26% | 16% | 18% | 37% | 22% | 28% | |
| I have sufficient savings to deal with a short-term loss of income | 26% | 29% | 22% | 19% | 26% | 31% | 28% | 21% | |
| I will struggle with a short-term loss of income, but will get by | 29% | 30% | 28% | 40% | 28% | 20% | 31% | 26% | |
| I will be in serious financial stress with short-term loss of income | 21% | 18% | 24% | 25% | 28% | 11% | 19% | 25% | |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 519 | 515 | 342 | 327 | 365 | 703 | 331 | |
| Household | Employment | ||||||
| Total | Have dependent children | Do not have dependent children | In paid employment | Not in paid employment | Retired | ||
| I do not expect the Covid-19 will impact my income | 24% | 18% | 28% | 12% | 31% | 41% | |
| I have sufficient savings to deal with a short-term loss of income | 26% | 23% | 27% | 27% | 14% | 36% | |
| I will struggle with a short-term loss of income, but will get by | 29% | 32% | 27% | 37% | 25% | 17% | |
| I will be in serious financial stress with short-term loss of income | 21% | 26% | 18% | 23% | 30% | 7% | |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 372 | 662 | 519 | 255 | 228 | |
Australian Government, budget, Finance
Q. The government is considering savings and taxing options to pay for the war in Iraq, lower commodity prices and its inability to pass savings from its May budget this year. Would you approve or disapprove of the following actions it might take?
|
|
Total approve |
Total dis-approve |
|
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Dis-approve |
Strongly dis-approve |
Don’t know |
| Higher corporate tax |
68% |
22% |
26% |
42% |
15% |
7% |
10% |
|
| Abandon its paid parental leave scheme |
56% |
31% |
31% |
25% |
17% |
14% |
12% |
|
| Cuts to tax concessions in areas like superannuation |
21% |
67% |
4% |
17% |
33% |
34% |
13% |
|
| Higher income taxes |
21% |
69% |
5% |
16% |
31% |
38% |
10% |
|
| Cuts to social services, health or education |
12% |
81% |
2% |
10% |
26% |
55% |
7% |
A majority approve of higher corporate tax (68%) and abandoning the paid parental leave scheme (56%) to pay for the war in Iraq, lower commodity prices and the Government’s inability to pass savings from its May budget this year.
A majority would disapprove of cuts to social services, health or education (81%), higher income taxes (69%) and cuts to tax concessions in areas like superannuation (67%).
28 May 2012, 280512, Finance, full-time work, household, income
Q. How would you describe the current financial situation of your household?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total satisfactory |
43% |
53% |
39% |
49% |
| Total unsatisfactory |
28% |
27% |
30% |
17% |
| Very satisfactory |
7% |
12% |
3% |
15% |
| Satisfactory |
36% |
41% |
36% |
34% |
| Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory |
28% |
19% |
31% |
33% |
| Unsatisfactory |
18% |
18% |
19% |
10% |
| Very unsatisfactory |
10% |
9% |
11% |
7% |
| Don’t know |
1% |
1% |
* |
1% |
43% consider their current household financial situation to be satisfactory and 28% say it is unsatisfactory. 28% said it was neither.
Those most likely to be satisfied were full-time workers (49%) and those on incomes over $1,600pw (61%).
Those most likely to be dissatisfied were aged 45-54 (38%), not working (34%) and on incomes under $1,000pw (44%).
21 May 12, 210512, agriculture, Australian industries, construction, Finance, hospitality, manufacturing, mining, Retail, telecommunications, tourism
Q. How much do average Australians benefit from having strong industries in each of the following sectors?
|
Benefit a lot |
Some benefit |
A little benefit |
No benefit |
Don’t know |
|
| Tourism |
45% |
30% |
11% |
4% |
10% |
| Agriculture |
45% |
29% |
12% |
4% |
11% |
| Construction |
44% |
32% |
11% |
3% |
10% |
| Mining |
44% |
31% |
10% |
4% |
11% |
| Manufacturing |
44% |
30% |
11% |
4% |
10% |
| Retail |
40% |
34% |
11% |
5% |
10% |
| Hospitality |
36% |
36% |
13% |
4% |
10% |
| Finance |
34% |
34% |
15% |
5% |
11% |
| Telecommunications |
31% |
36% |
17% |
5% |
11% |
Over 40% of respondents think the average Australian benefits a lot from having strong industries in tourism (45%), agriculture (45%), construction (44%), mining (44%) and manufacturing (44%).
Major demographic differences were –
60% of aged 55+ think there is a lot of benefit from manufacturing
62% of aged 55+ and 50% of Labor voters think there is a lot of benefit from construction
53% of aged 45-64 think there is a lot of benefit from retail
60% of aged 55+ and 52% of Labor voters think there is a lot of benefit from tourism
58% of aged 55+ and 48% of Coalition voters think there is a lot of benefit from mining
57% of aged 55+ think there is a lot of benefit from agriculture
07 May 2012, 070512, Bank Regulation, banking, banks, Finance, Polling, polls, regulation
Q. Thinking about banks in Australia, would you support or oppose the Government taking the following actions on banking?
|
Total support |
Total oppose |
Strongly support |
Support |
Oppose |
Strongly oppose |
Don’t know |
|
| Establishing a Government-owned bank |
55% |
23% |
21% |
34% |
15% |
8% |
22% |
| Only permitting banks to change interest rates in line with Reserve Bank rates. |
74% |
16% |
37% |
37% |
11% |
5% |
10% |
| Capping bank CEO’s salaries. |
81% |
12% |
55% |
26% |
9% |
3% |
7% |
| Ensuring bank fees are not higher than the actual cost of the service |
90% |
5% |
64% |
26% |
4% |
1% |
5% |
| Imposing a super profits tax on banks (like the mining tax) |
59% |
21% |
34% |
25% |
16% |
5% |
20% |
A majority of respondents supported all listed actions on banking. In particular, 90% supported regulating bank fees, 81% supported capping CEO salaries and 74% supported making banks pass on Reserve Bank interest rate changes.
There was majority support for all actions from both Labor and Liberal/National voters – although support tended to be stronger from Labor voters.
26 March 2012, 260312, Australian economy, economic future, economic outlook, economy, Finance, money, Polling, polls
Q. Overall, from what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?
|
17 May 10 (Post 2010 budget) |
9 May 11 (Post 2011 budget) |
4 Jul 11 |
26 Mar 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Liberal/ National |
Vote Greens |
|
| The right direction |
51% |
45% |
37% |
36% |
65% |
19% |
47% |
| The wrong direction |
25% |
29% |
43% |
41% |
15% |
64% |
23% |
| Don’t know |
24% |
25% |
20% |
22% |
21% |
17% |
30% |
36% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction – 41% think it is heading in the wrong direction. Opinions have changed little since this question was asked in July last year – “right direction” has dropped 1% and “wrong direction” dropped 2%.
65% of Labor voters, 19% of Liberal/National voters and 47% of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction.
26 March 2012, 260312, Australian economy, economy, Finance, Labor Party, Liberal Party, money, Polling, polls
Q. Which party do you think would be best at handling the Australian economy in the interests of you and people like you?
|
|
4 Jul 11 |
26 Mar 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
| The Labor Party |
26% |
29% |
76% |
1% |
39% |
| The Liberal Party |
43% |
41% |
2% |
89% |
7% |
| No difference |
23% |
20% |
14% |
7% |
45% |
| Don’t know |
8% |
10% |
7% |
4% |
9% |
41% (down 2% since July last year) think the Liberal Party would be best at handling the Australian economy in their interests and 29% (up 3%) nominated the Labor Party. 20% think there is no difference.
There were significant differences by income – those earning under $600pw split 38% Labor/30% Liberal while those earning over $1,600pw favoured the Liberal Party 49% to 23% Labor.
26 March 2012, 260312, economic conditions, economic outlook, economy, Finance, money, Polling, polls, the economy
Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?
|
1 Dec 08 |
15 Jun 09 |
5 Oct 09 |
28 Jun 10 |
18 Oct 10 |
4 April 11 |
4 Jul 11 |
3 Oct 11 |
26 Mar 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total better |
21% |
43% |
66% |
33% |
40% |
27% |
22% |
16% |
25% |
42% |
17% |
26% |
| Total worse |
61% |
37% |
15% |
31% |
30% |
37% |
49% |
58% |
46% |
29% |
60% |
37% |
| Get a lot better |
2% |
5% |
8% |
5% |
6% |
4% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
5% |
2% |
1% |
| Get a little better |
19% |
38% |
58% |
28% |
34% |
23% |
19% |
14% |
22% |
37% |
15% |
25% |
| Get a little worse |
45% |
28% |
11% |
23% |
20% |
27% |
31% |
41% |
31% |
25% |
36% |
34% |
| Get a lot worse |
16% |
9% |
4% |
8% |
10% |
10% |
18% |
17% |
15% |
4% |
24% |
3% |
| Stay much the same |
13% |
17% |
15% |
30% |
24% |
27% |
25% |
22% |
21% |
24% |
19% |
26% |
| No opinion |
5% |
3% |
4% |
7% |
6% |
8% |
4% |
4% |
7% |
4% |
4% |
12% |
Confidence in the economic outlook has strengthened with the percentage of respondents believing conditions to be getting better increasing 9 points to 25%, from 16% in October last year. Those believing that economic conditions will get worse over the next 12 months has fallen 12 points from 58% to 46%.
Labor voters are optimistic overall – 42% better/29% worse. Coalition voters are the most pessimistic, with 60% believing that thing will get worse over the next 12 months and only 17% better.
There was little difference across income groups.