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  • Mar, 2015

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    Income and cost of living

    Q. In the last two years, do you think your and your household’s income has gone up more than the cost of living, fallen behind or stayed even with the cost of living?

      Total   Work full time Work part time Income less than $600 pw Income $600-$1,000pw Income $1,000-$1,600 pw Income $1,600+ pw   Oct 2014
    Gone up more 15% 18% 17% 12% 13% 18% 19% 13%
    Fallen behind 50% 48% 51% 62% 53% 46% 46% 48%
    Stayed even 27% 28% 25% 21% 30% 29% 30% 31%
    Don’t know 7% 6% 7% 6% 4% 7% 5% 8%

    50% believe that, in the last two years, their income has fallen behind the cost of living. 27% think it has stayed even with the cost of living and 15% think it has gone up more.

    62% of those earning under $600 pw and 53% of those earning $600-$1,000 pw think their income has fallen behind while 49% of those earning over $1,600 pw think it has stayed the same or gone up.

    These results are much the same as when this question was asked in October.

  • Oct, 2014

    Income and cost of living

    Q. In the last two years, do you think your and your household’s income has gone up more than the cost of living, fallen behind or stayed even with the cost of living?

     

    Total

     

    Work full time

    Work part time

    Income less than $600 pw

    Income $600-$1,000pw

    Income $1,000-$1,600 pw

    Income $1,600+ pw

    Gone up more

    13%

    19%

    11%

    13%

    12%

    8%

    18%

    Fallen behind

    48%

    44%

    52%

    58%

    57%

    49%

    43%

    Stayed even

    31%

    32%

    29%

    26%

    25%

    35%

    35%

    Don’t know

    8%

    5%

    9%

    3%

    6%

    7%

    4%

    48% believe that, in the last two years, their income has fallen behind the cost of living. 31% think it has stayed even with the cost of living and 13% think it has gone up more.

    58% of those earning under $600 pw and 57% of those earning $600-$1,000 pw think their income has fallen behind while 53% of those earning over $1,600 pw think it has stayed the same or gone up.

  • May, 2014

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    Most concerning economic issues

    Q. Which Australian economic issue worries you most?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Unemployment

    11%

    15%

    9%

    16%

    6%

    The cost of living

    56%

    63%

    49%

    46%

    70%

    The current budget deficit

    6%

    1%

    14%

    5%

    2%

    National debt

    5%

    2%

    12%

    2%

    5%

    House prices

    7%

    6%

    7%

    9%

    6%

    The high Australian dollar

    2%

    2%

    2%

    4%

    2%

    Insecure employment

    7%

    9%

    4%

    15%

    7%

    Don’t know

    2%

    1%

    2%

    2%

    None of these

    2%

    1%

    1%

    2%

    2%

    The majority of Australians (56%) selected ‘the cost of living’ as the Australian economic issue that worries them most.

    At 11% ‘unemployment’ was the second most frequently selected.

    Labor (63%) and Other (70%) voters were even more likely to select ‘the cost of living’. Lib/Nat (49%) and Green (46%) voters were less likely.

    Females (63%) were more likely than males (50%) to select the cost of living. Those aged 65+ were less likely to select ‘the cost of living’ (50%), and were more likely to select ‘the current budget deficit’ (17%) and ‘national debt’ (12%).

  • Mar, 2014

    Cost of living

    Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following – (Feb 2013)

     

    Paying a lot more

    Paying a little more

    Paying about the same

    Paying a little less

    Paying a lot less

    Don’t know

    Feb 2013

    Paying a lot more

    Petrol

    56%

    27%

    9%

    2%

    1%

    4%

    50%

    Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat

    36%

    39%

    20%

    2%

    1%

    3%

    36%

    Packaged food

    26%

    37%

    28%

    4%

    1%

    4%

    28%

    Electricity and gas

    62%

    23%

    9%

    2%

    2%

    3%

    70%

    Housing – mortgage or rent

    24%

    20%

    32%

    8%

    4%

    13%

    24%

    Insurance

    36%

    36%

    18%

    3%

    1%

    6%

    43%

    Water

    40%

    32%

    20%

    1%

    1%

    7%

    47%

    Clothing

    17%

    28%

    42%

    9%

    2%

    2%

    21%

    Education

    21%

    15%

    28%

    3%

    6%

    27%

    24%

    Medical, dental

    32%

    32%

    28%

    3%

    2%

    5%

    33%

    Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (62%), petrol (56%) and water (40%).

    Since this question was asked 12 months ago, the main changes have been for electricity and gas (down 8%), insurance (down 7%), water (down 7%) and petrol (up 6%),

  • Apr, 2013

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    Reasons economy is poor

    Q. What is the main reason you don’t think the state of the economy is good? *

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Poor economic management by Government

    27%

    40%

    17%

    52%

    Increasing cost of living

    34%

    27%

    41%

    22%

    Businesses are struggling

    13%

    11%

    7%

    13%

    Increasing gap between rich and poor

    9%

    7%

    15%

    3%

    Incomes aren’t increasing fast enough to keep up

    7%

    6%

    7%

    5%

    Global financial problems

    7%

    5%

    7%

    4%

    Other reason

    2%

    3%

    6%

    2%

    Don’t know

    1%

    1%

    * Based on those who disagree that economy is good.

    Those who disagreed that the economy was good said the main reasons were poor economic management by Government (40%) and the increasing cost of living (27%). Those who blame poor economic management by the Government has increased 13% and cost of living has decreased 7% since May last year.

    62% of respondents aged 55+ blamed poor economic management by Government while the increasing cost of living was the major factor for 41% of respondents aged 25-44.

  • Feb, 2013

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    Expectations of a Liberal/National Government

    Q. If the Labor Party lost the next election, do you think the following would be better or worse under a Liberal/National Government led by Tony Abbott?

     

    A lot better

    A little better

    Stay much the same

    A little worse

    A lot worse

    Don’t use

    NET (Better-Worse)

    Political leadership

    16%

    19%

    27%

    10%

    24%

    4%

    +1

    Trust in Government

    13%

    19%

    29%

    12%

    22%

    4%

    -2

    Unemployment

    7%

    18%

    39%

    13%

    19%

    5%

    -7

    The economy overall

    16%

    22%

    31%

    12%

    16%

    4%

    +10

    The cost of living

    6%

    19%

    36%

    14%

    21%

    4%

    -10

    Interest rates

    5%

    13%

    48%

    14%

    16%

    5%

    -12

    Health services

    6%

    19%

    36%

    16%

    20%

    4%

    -11

    Job security

    7%

    17%

    36%

    14%

    22%

    4%

    -12

    Workers rights and conditions

    5%

    13%

    37%

    15%

    25%

    5%

    -22

    Company profits

    13%

    28%

    37%

    6%

    10%

    6%

    +25

    The environment

    5%

    13%

    47%

    11%

    21%

    4%

    -14

    Job creation

    8%

    20%

    39%

    13%

    16%

    4%

    -1

    Public services

    6%

    15%

    42%

    13%

    20%

    4%

    -12

    Benefits for people on Government support – such as pensioners and the unemployed

    5%

    13%

    39%

    16%

    23%

    5%

    -21

    Your personal financial situation

    6%

    16%

    42%

    15%

    16%

    4%

    -9

    Under a Liberal Government, respondents though that the economy overall (+10) and company profits (+25) would be better.

    However they were more likely to think that workers rights and conditions (-22), benefits for people on Government support  (-21), the environment (-14), interest rates (-12), job security (-12), public services, health services (-11) and the cost of living (-10) would all be worse. 22% think their own financial situation will be better, 31% think it will be worse and 42% much the same.

  • Feb, 2013

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    Changes in cost of living

    Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following –

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Paying a lot more

     

    Paying a lot more

    Paying a little more

    Paying about the same

    Paying a little less

    Paying a lot less

    Don’t know

    Own home outright

    Own home with mortgage

    Renting

    Petrol

    50%

    33%

    11%

    2%

    1%

    4%

    44%

    49%

    55%

    Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat

    36%

    43%

    16%

    4%

    *

    2%

    33%

    35%

    41%

    Packaged food

    28%

    39%

    24%

    4%

    *

    4%

    26%

    27%

    33%

    Electricity and gas

    70%

    22%

    4%

    1%

    1%

    2%

    69%

    73%

    71%

    Housing – mortgage or rent

    24%

    22%

    29%

    10%

    3%

    12%

    10%

    21%

    40%

    Insurance

    43%

    36%

    14%

    1%

    1%

    5%

    48%

    47%

    35%

    Water

    47%

    32%

    14%

    1%

    1%

    6%

    48%

    54%

    38%

    Clothing

    21%

    30%

    37%

    9%

    1%

    2%

    17%

    21%

    25%

    Education

    24%

    20%

    27%

    3%

    3%

    23%

    15%

    28%

    26%

    Medical, dental

    33%

    33%

    27%

    2%

    *

    3%

    33%

    35%

    34%

    Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (70%), petrol (50%), water (47%) and insurance (43%).

    Homeowners had similar responses to the total sample, but the main things renters were paying a lot more for were electricity and gas (71%), petrol (55%), fresh food (41%) and housing (40%).

  • Oct, 2012

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    Impact of carbon tax on cost of living

    Q. Since the carbon tax was introduced on 1st July, have you noticed any increase in the costs of goods or services?

     

    9 July   2012

    20 Aug 2012

    This week

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Yes, have noticed an increase in costs

    31%

    52%

    69%

    57%

    83%

    50%

    No, have not noticed any increase in costs

    54%

    36%

    24%

    38%

    9%

    43%

    Yes, have noticed a large increase in costs

    22%

    13%

    33%

    12%

    Yes, have noticed a moderate increase in costs

    27%

    23%

    33%

    17%

    Yes, have noticed a small increase in costs

    20%

    21%

    20%

    21%

    No, have not noticed any increase in costs

    24%

    38%

    9%

    43%

    Don’t know

    15%

    12%

    7%

    5%

    5%

    7%

    Responses to this question were changed for this week’s poll from previous results, by separating out the ‘Yes, have noticed an increase in costs’ into three sub-categories: those who claim to have noticed a large increase, a moderate increase and a small increase.

    Combining those respondents who believe they have noticed either a large, moderate or small price increases since the carbon tax was introduced, the total yes figure has shifted 17 points up to 69%, from 52% in August 2012.

    Looking at the results by voting intention, Coalition voters are by far the most likely to claim to have noticed an increase in the cost of goods and services (83%), compared to 57% of Labor voters and 50% of Greens voters.

    Greens voters are the most likely to have not noticed any increase in costs (43%).

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