Gap between rich and poor
Q. In the past 10 years, do you think the gap between rich people and everyone else in Australia has increased, decreased or stayed about the same?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000 pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income over $1,600 pw |
|
| Total increased |
72% |
86% |
58% |
81% |
79% |
81% |
73% |
76% |
67% |
||
| Total decreased |
2% |
1% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
2% |
1% |
||
| Increased a lot |
38% |
50% |
26% |
34% |
54% |
50% |
39% |
36% |
33% |
||
| Increased a little |
34% |
36% |
32% |
47% |
25% |
31% |
34% |
40% |
34% |
||
| Stayed much the same |
20% |
11% |
33% |
10% |
12% |
10% |
17% |
16% |
28% |
||
| Decreased a little |
2% |
1% |
3% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
||
| Decreased a lot |
* |
– |
* |
1% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
– |
* |
||
| Don’t know |
7% |
2% |
5% |
6% |
8% |
7% |
6% |
7% |
4% |
72% think that the gap between rich people and everyone else in Australia has increased over the past ten years. Only 22% think it has decreased or stayed the same.
Those most likely to think it had increased were Labor voters (86%) Greens voters (81%), aged 55+ (77%) and those earning less than $600 pw (81%).
Government action to reduce gap between rich and poor
Q. How much, if anything, should the Government do to reduce the gap between the rich and everyone else?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000 pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income over $1,600 pw |
|
| Total a lot/some |
64% |
78% |
51% |
69% |
80% |
67% |
70% |
65% |
61% |
||
| A lot |
30% |
47% |
13% |
31% |
40% |
39% |
37% |
29% |
24% |
||
| Some |
34% |
31% |
38% |
38% |
40% |
28% |
33% |
36% |
37% |
||
| Not much |
16% |
10% |
25% |
18% |
7% |
13% |
12% |
17% |
19% |
||
| Nothing at all |
7% |
6% |
12% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
9% |
8% |
10% |
||
| Don’t know |
12% |
7% |
12% |
10% |
10% |
17% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
64% think that the Government should do a lot or some to reduce the gap between the rich and everyone else.
Those most likely to think the Government should act were Labor voters (78%), other voters (80%), aged under 35 (68%) and those earning $600-$1,000 pw (70%).
Reducing the gap between rich and poor
Q. Which of the following would do more to reduce the gap between the rich and poor in Australia?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000 pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income over $1,600 pw |
|
| Raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to increase support for those on low incomes |
57% |
71% |
41% |
74% |
67% |
71% |
60% |
62% |
52% |
||
| Lowering taxes on the wealthy and corporations to encourage investment and economic growth |
18% |
12% |
30% |
12% |
13% |
12% |
14% |
19% |
25% |
||
| Don’t know |
25% |
17% |
29% |
13% |
20% |
17% |
27% |
19% |
22% |
57% support raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to increase support for those on low incomes and 18% support lowering taxes on the wealthy and corporations to encourage investment and economic growth.
Those most likely to support increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations were Greens voters (74%), Labor voters 71%) and those earning less than $600 pw (71%).
Gap between rich and poor
Q. In the past 10 years, do you believe the gap between the rich and everyone else has increased, decreased or stayed the same?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total increased |
77% |
84% |
68% |
87% |
80% |
|
| Total decreased |
3% |
1% |
4% |
1% |
6% |
|
| Increased a lot |
47% |
58% |
32% |
56% |
58% |
|
| Increased a little |
30% |
26% |
36% |
31% |
22% |
|
| Stayed the same |
15% |
11% |
23% |
8% |
12% |
|
| Decreased a little |
2% |
1% |
4% |
1% |
3% |
|
| Decreased a lot |
1% |
– |
– |
– |
3% |
|
| Don’t know |
5% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
3% |
Over three-quarters (77%) of Australians believe that the gap between the rich and everyone else has increased. Just 3% believe it has decreased.
Labor (84%) and Greens (87%) voters were more likely to think that it had increased, while Lib/Nat voters were less likely (68%).
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