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  • Apr, 2012

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    Reason for Budget Deficit

    Q. The Federal Government is currently running a budget deficit, but intends to return to surplus with the budget for 2012-13 to be announced next month. Which of the following do you think has been most responsible for the deficit over the last few years?

     

    Total 11/4/11

    Total 10/4/12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Poor economic management by the Government

    23%

    28%

    7%

    48%

    7%

    Big companies not paying their fair share of taxes

    17%

    16%

    28%

    5%

    28%

    Lower tax revenues because of the Global Financial Crisis

    13%

    16%

    27%

    10%

    22%

    Spending on big projects like the National Broadband Network

    14%

    15%

    14%

    17%

    10%

    The cost of the Government’s GFC stimulus packages

    19%

    12%

    11%

    13%

    15%

    Don’t know

    15%

    14%

    13%

    8%

    18%

    Overall, respondents believe the main reasons for the budget deficit are poor economic management by the Government (28%), big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (16%) and lower tax revenues because of the Global Financial Crisis (16%).

    Since this question was asked 12 months ago, those blaming the Government for poor economic management has increased from 23% to 28% and those blaming the cost of the Government’s GFC stimulus packages has declined from 19% to 12%.

    Labor voters were most likely to blame big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (28%) and lower tax revenues because of the GFC (27%) while Liberal/National voters blame poor economic management by the Government (48%). Greens voters tended to blame big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (28%).

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Return to Surplus

    Q. Do you think it is more important for the Government to return the budget to surplus by 2012/13 as planned – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – OR should they delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure?

     

    Total 4/4/11

     

    Total 28/11/11

    Total 10/4/12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Return to surplus by 2012/13, cut services, raise taxes

    14%

    13%

    12%

    13%

    13%

    7%

    Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure

    69%

    71%

    73%

    73%

    76%

    81%

    Don’t know

    17%

    15%

    15%

    13%

    12%

    12%

     

    12% support the return to surplus by 2012/13 if it means cutting services and raising taxes and 73% think the Government should delay the return to surplus and maintain services and investment. Support for a return to surplus has not significantly changed since this question was asked in November last year.

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  • Apr, 2012

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    Measures to Return to Surplus

    Q. In order to meet their commitment to return to surplus in 2012-13, which measures should the Government take?

    Total

    11/4/11

    Total 10/4/12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Increase taxes for big corporations

    63%

    67%

    81%

    55%

    80%

    Reduce tax breaks for high income earners

    51%

    57%

    65%

    52%

    71%

    Postpone major infrastructure projects like the NBN

    na

    41%

    29%

    58%

    19%

    Reduce defence spending

    32%

    38%

    42%

    30%

    64%

    Cut “middle class welfare” such as the Baby Bonus, first home buyers grant and Family Tax Benefit payments

    36%

    36%

    37%

    38%

    36%

    Cut spending on unemployment and disability benefits

    21%

    23%

    18%

    32%

    12%

    It does not need to return to surplus so quickly

    38%

    63%

    67%

    66%

    58%

    Overall, the most favoured means of returning the budget to surplus were increasing taxes for big corporations (67%) and reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (57%). Both these measures were strongly favoured by Labor and Greens voters.

    Although support was less strong, these two measures were also two of the three the most preferred among Liberal/National voters – 58% think the Government should postpone major infrastructure projects like the NBN.

    The main changes since this question was asked 12 months ago are increases in support for reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (up 6%) and reducing defence spending (up 6%).

    Note, although 63% thought that the budget does not need to return to surplus so quickly, some of these respondents also agreed with some of the measures listed.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Opinion of Mining Tax

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?

     

    12 Jul 2010

    5 Sep 2011

    21 Nov

    20 Feb 2012

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total approve

    50%

    46%

    51%

    55%

    52%

    76%

    33%

    79%

    Total disapprove

    28%

    34%

    33%

    28%

    34%

    12%

    55%

    12%

    Strongly approve

    13%

    18%

    18%

    23%

    20%

    36%

    7%

    51%

    Approve

    37%

    28%

    33%

    32%

    32%

    40%

    26%

    28%

    Disapprove

    18%

    18%

    20%

    17%

    22%

    9%

    34%

    10%

    Strongly disapprove

    10%

    16%

    13%

    11%

    12%

    3%

    21%

    2%

    Don’t know

    22%

    19%

    15%

    17%

    14%

    13%

    12%

    8%

    52% approve the Government’s proposed mining tax and 34% disapprove. This represents a weakening in support over the last 3 weeks (from net +27% to net +18%) but a similar result to that of November 2011.

    Labor voters (76%) and Greens voters (79%) strongly support the tax – but Liberal/National voters disapprove 55% to 33%.

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  • Feb, 2012

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    Opinion of Mining Tax

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?

    12 Jul 2010 5 Sep 2011 21 Nov 2011 Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total approve 50% 46% 51% 55% 80% 39% 74%
    Total disapprove 28% 34% 33% 28% 7% 46% 12%
    Strongly approve 13% 18% 18% 23% 46% 7% 44%
    Approve 37% 28% 33% 32% 34% 32% 30%
    Disapprove 18% 18% 20% 17% 6% 26% 9%
    Strongly disapprove 10% 16% 13% 11% 1% 20% 3%
    Don’t know 22% 19% 15% 17% 13% 14% 14%

    Approval for the proposed mining tax has increased over the course of the last 6 months, rising 9 percentage points from 46% in September 2011 to 55% total approval in this week’s poll.

    Labor voters are the most in favour of the proposed mining tax, with 80% in favour, followed by Greens voters (74% in favour).  The majority of Coalition voters remain opposed to the proposed tax, with 46% opposed and 39% in favour.

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Tax reform

    Q.  For each of the following proposals around tax reform, please indicate whether you strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose the suggestion.

    Total Support Total Oppose Strongly support Support Oppose Strongly Oppose Don’t know
    Decreasing income tax for low income earners 81% 11% 34% 47% 8% 3% 7%
    Improving tax breaks for small-medium business 76% 10% 20% 56% 7% 3% 13%
    Increasing the mining tax 47% 37% 16% 31% 22% 15% 16%
    Abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases 33% 37% 8% 25% 20% 17% 29%
    Cutting the company tax rate 32% 41% 6% 26% 29% 12% 28%
    Repealing the fringe benefits tax 30% 28% 7% 23% 19% 9% 42%
    Increasing the carbon tax 19% 68% 5% 14% 21% 47% 13%
    Introducing an inheritance tax 10% 75% 3% 7% 24% 51% 15%
    Increasing the goods and services tax (GST) 9% 84% 1% 8% 31% 53% 7%

    Decreasing income tax for low income earners has the strongest support from respondents, with 81% either strongly supporting or supporting the suggestion.   Improving tax breaks for small-medium business also attracted a similar amount of endorsement (76% total support).

    Increasing the mining tax has a significant amount of support (47% total support).

    Whilst the proposed reforms of abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases and cutting the company tax rate attracted a significant amount of support, more respondents are opposed to these measures than in favour of them: with 37% opposed to abolishing negative gearing and 41% opposed to cutting the company tax rate.

    Strongest opposition is registered against the proposal to increase the GST, with 84% opposed to the idea and only 9% in favour of it.  Introducing an inheritance tax is similarly unpopular (75% total opposed).

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  • Oct, 2011

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    Tax reform by Voting Intention

    Q.  For each of the following proposals around tax reform, please indicate whether you strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose the suggestion.

    Total Support Total Support – Labor Total Support – Lib/Nat Total Support – Greens
    Decreasing income tax for low income earners 81% 85% 81% 81%
    Improving tax breaks for small-medium business 76% 74% 85% 71%
    Increasing the mining tax 47% 67% 35% 72%
    Abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases 33% 37% 33% 38%
    Cutting the company tax rate 32% 24% 43% 25%
    Repealing the fringe benefits tax 30% 25% 40% 22%
    Increasing the carbon tax 19% 29% 8% 60%
    Introducing an inheritance tax 10% 14% 10% 18%
    Increasing the goods and services tax (GST) 9% 7% 12% 12%

    Labor voters are far more likely to support increasing the mining tax (47% total support) and increasing the carbon tax (29% total support).

    Coalition voters are more likely to support improving tax breaks for small-medium business (85% total support), cutting the company tax rate (43% total support), repealing the fringe benefits tax (40% total support) and increasing the GST (12% total support).

    Greens voters are the most likely to support increasing the mining tax (72%) and by far the most likely to support increasing the carbon tax (60% total support).  They are also more likely to support introducing an inheritance tax (18% total support) and increasing the GST (12% total support).

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  • Aug, 2011

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    Opposition Leader’s proposal on Carbon Tax

    Q. Do you think the Opposition Leader’s proposal to ditch the carbon tax but keep the personal tax cuts will –

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Help Australia’s economy 44% 19% 73% 11%
    Hurt Australia’s economy 30% 58% 8% 67%
    Don’t know 26% 24% 19% 22%

    44% think Tony Abbott’s proposal to ditch the carbon tax but keep the tax cuts will help Australia’s economy and 30% think it will hurt the economy. Opinions were closely associated with voting intention – 73% of Liberal/National voters think it will help the economy while 58% of Labor voters and 67% of Greens voters think it will hurt the economy.

    Those on higher incomes are more likely to think it will help the economy – 50% of those on $1,600+pw compared to only 39% of those earning less than $1,000pw.

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