Tax
Q8. Do you think Australians pay –
| Too much tax | 61% |
| Too little tax | 4% |
| About the right amount | 28% |
| Don’t know | 7% |
61% think Australians pay too much tax and 28% think Australians pay about the right amount.
72% of full-time workers think we pay too much tax but there were no significant differences by income level.
Labor and Liberal/National voters also gave similar responses. Comments »
GST
Q9. Would you be prepared to pay more GST if it was:
| Yes | No | Don’t know | |
| Directly invested in hospitals and health services | 42% | 48% | 10% |
| Invested in aged pensions | 38% | 50% | 12% |
| Directly invested in vital infrastructure like roads and railways | 28% | 59% | 12% |
| Paid off all our national debt | 20% | 66% | 13% |
| Created a fund for Australia to invest in other countries (like China does) | 11% | 74% | 15% |
Respondents were most likely to support an increase in GST if it was directly invested in hospitals and health services (42%) and invested in aged pensions (38%).
However, those opposed to increasing the GST outnumbered those in favour for all options. Increasing GST to pay off national debt was strongly rejected (66%).
Labor voters were a little more supportive of paying more GST to invest in infrastructure (36%) and hospitals and health services (45%). Liberal/National voters were more likely to support increasing GST for investing in aged pensions (44%). Comments »
Issues of importance
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| One | Two | Three | Total | |
| Management of the economy | 36% | 17% | 10% | 63% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 14% | 17% | 17% | 48% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 8% | 13% | 12% | 33% |
| Political leadership | 10% | 7% | 6% | 23% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 5% | 8% | 10% | 23% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 4% | 5% | 9% | 18% |
| Protecting the environment | 4% | 7% | 5% | 16% |
| Addressing climate change | 6% | 5% | 5% | 16% |
| Controlling interest rates | 3% | 6% | 6% | 15% |
| Housing affordability | 3% | 4% | 7% | 14% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 3% | 4% | 5% | 12% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 2% | 4% | 3% | 9% |
63% of people surveyed rate management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 48% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 33% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.
10% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues that would decide how they vote in a Federal election and 9% rate security and the war on terrorism. Comments »
Party best at
Q. Which party do you think is best at handling each of the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Labor margin | No difference | Don’t know | Labor margin Oct 09 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 42% | 23% | +19% | 19% | 16% | +27% |
| Addressing climate change | 35% | 16% | +19% | 29% | 19% | +18% |
| Protecting the environment | 32% | 15% | +17% | 34% | 19% | +21% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 35% | 22% | +13% | 26% | 17% | +17% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 32% | 20% | +12% | 32% | 17% | +17% |
| Political leadership | 36% | 25% | +11% | 23% | 16% | +20% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 24% | 17% | +7% | 38% | 20% | +13% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 27% | 21% | +6% | 34% | 19% | +10% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 30% | 24% | +6% | 28% | 18% | +8% |
| Housing affordability | 23% | 19% | +4% | 38% | 20% | +9% |
| Management of the economy | 28% | 35% | -7% | 20% | 16% | – |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 18% | 25% | -7% | 38% | 19% | +2% |
| Controlling interest rates | 20% | 28% | -8% | 34% | 18% | – |
Labor has its strongest lead over the Liberal Party when it comes to a fair industrial relations system (+19%), addressing climate change (+19%) and protecting the environment (+17%). Labor trails the Liberal Party in terms of controlling interest rates (-8%), security and the war on terrorism (-7%) and management of the economy (-7%).
Since October 2009, Labor has lost the margin it had over the Liberal Party in some areas, most significantly in the areas of political leadership (-9%), a fair industrial relations system (-8%), ensuring a quality water supply (-6%).
Results followed party lines with Labor voters tending to favour the Labor Party and Liberal voters favouring the Liberal Party. Comments »
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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