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  • Feb, 2020

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    Returning to budget surplus

    Q. Before the 2019 Federal election, the Government promised the 2019-2020 budget would return to surplus. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about achieving a budget surplus?

      NET: Agree NET: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    It’s more important to spend money on bushfire recovery than fund the surplus 79% 11% 50% 30% 7% 5% 9%
    It’s understandable with the coronavirus impacting trade with China that the surplus won’t be achieved 65% 18% 25% 40% 12% 6% 17%
    The government was wrong to announce the budget ‘was back in the black’ before the last election 57% 24% 25% 32% 17% 7% 19%
    • Four in five (79%) agree that it’s more important to spend money on bushfire recovery than fund the surplus; 65% agree that it’s understandable with the coronavirus impacting trade on China that the surplus won’t be achieved; and over half (57%) agree that the government was wrong to announce the budget ‘was back in the black’ before the last election.
    • Coalition voters are least likely to agree that the government was wrong to announce the budget ‘was back in the black’ before the last election (44%); while Labor (70%) and Greens (68%) voters are most likely to agree.
  • May, 2017

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    Budget Surplus

    Q. How important is it that the Government returns the budget to surplus? 

      Total   Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote other
    Total important 71%   63% 87% 49% 78%
    Total not important 19%   28% 9% 43% 13%
    Very important 31%   21% 47% 8% 38%
    Somewhat important 40%   42% 40% 41% 40%
    Not very important 15%   23% 7% 33% 11%
    Not at all important 4%   5% 2% 10% 2%
    Don’t know 10%   9% 4% 8% 9%

    71% thought that returning the budget to surplus was important. Those most likely to think this were Liberal/National voters (87% important), those earning over $104,000 (78%) and those working full time (76%).

    19% thought that returning the budget to surplus was not important. Those most likely to think this were Greens voters (43% not important) and ALP voters (28%).

  • May, 2017

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    Budget Surplus or Spending

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

      Total   Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote other
    Return to surplus as soon as possible, cut services, raise taxes 18%   12% 28% 7% 16%
    Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure 65%   75% 59% 81% 67%
    Don’t know 18%   13% 12% 12% 17%

    65% thought it was more important to delay a return to surplus, maintain services and invest in infrastructure. Those most likely to think this were Greens voters (81%) and ALP voters (75%).

    18% it was more important to return to surplus as soon as possible. Those most likely to sat think were Liberal/National voters (28%), those aged 65+ (22%) and those earning over $104,000 (22%).

  • Feb, 2014

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    Economic issue of most concern

    Q. Which of the following economic issues are you personally most concerned about?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other/

    indep-endent

     

    2 Sep 13

    19 Nov

    Unemployment

    25%

    28%

    23%

    22%

    18%

    23%

    24%

    Wealth disparity

    21%

    29%

    11%

    42%

    27%

    19%

    16%

    Inflation

    15%

    17%

    15%

    4%

    17%

    13%

    16%

    Tax levels

    13%

    11%

    16%

    19%

    15%

    13%

    Interest rates

    12%

    10%

    17%

    8%

    13%

    9%

    16%

    Budget surplus

    5%

    1%

    10%

    8%

    3%

    11%

    4%

    None of them

    4%

    3%

    4%

    14%

    3%

    7%

    6%

    Don’t know

    4%

    2%

    3%

    2%

    1%

    3%

    4%

    25% were most concerned about unemployment, 21% about wealth disparity and 15% about inflation. Only 5% were most concerned about a budget surplus.

    Since this question was asked in November, concern about wealth disparity has increased from 16% to 21% and concern about interest rates has dropped from 16% to 12%.

    Labor voters were most concerned about wealth disparity (29%) and unemployment (28%), while Liberal/National voters were most concerned about unemployment (23%).

  • Nov, 2013

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    Return to budget surplus

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

     

     Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

    Return to surplus as soon as possible, cut services, raise taxes

    15%

    5%

    26%

    10%

    8%

    Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure

    69%

    82%

    61%

    79%

    71%

    Don’t know

    16%

    13%

    13%

    11%

    21%

    Only 15% think that the Government should return the budget to surplus as soon as possible – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – and 69% think they should delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure.

    Liberal/National voters were a little more likely to think it is more important to return to surplus as soon as possible (26%).

  • Sep, 2013

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    Economic issue of most concern

    Q. Which of the following economic issues are you personally most concerned about?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Unemployment

    23%

    28%

    22%

    20%

    Wealth disparity

    19%

    29%

    7%

    43%

    Tax levels

    15%

    8%

    21%

    12%

    Inflation

    13%

    13%

    14%

    5%

    Budget surplus

    11%

    3%

    20%

    3%

    Interest rates

    9%

    10%

    10%

    8%

    None of them

    7%

    6%

    6%

    9%

    Don’t know

    3%

    4%

    1%

    23% were most concerned about unemployment, 19% about wealth disparity and 15% about tax levels. Only 11% were most concerned about a budget surplus.

    Labor voters were most concerned about wealth disparity (29%) and unemployment (28%), while Liberal/National voters were most concerned about unemployment (22%), tax levels (21%) and a budget surplus (20%).

  • Feb, 2013

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    Approval of budget surplus

    Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the Government’s decision not to return the budget to surplus this financial year?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total approve

    42%

    64%

    29%

    55%

    Total disapprove

    37%

    12%

    57%

    25%

    Strongly approve

    9%

    18%

    5%

    8%

    Approve

    33%

    46%

    24%

    47%

    Disapprove

    27%

    11%

    39%

    22%

    Strongly disapprove

    10%

    1%

    18%

    3%

    Don’t know

    21%

    23%

    14%

    20%

    42% approve of the Government’s decision not to return the budget to surplus this financial year and 37% disapprove.

    Those most likely to approve were Labor voters (64%), Greens voters (55%), men (51%), aged 55+ (50%) and people on incomes under $600pw (50%).

    57% of Liberal/National voters disapprove.

  • May, 2012

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    Interest in Federal Budget

    Q. Thinking about the Federal Budget – how much attention did you pay to this week’s Federal Budget?

     

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    Total a lot/some

    66%

    53%

    52%

    54%

    Total a little/none

    31%

    44%

    45%

    43%

    A lot

    29%

    18%

    19%

    20%

    Some

    37%

    35%

    33%

    34%

    A little

    25%

    29%

    31%

    31%

    None

    6%

    15%

    14%

    12%

    Can’t say

    3%

    3%

    2%

    3%

    Just over half (54%) of respondents said they paid a lot or some attention to the Federal Budget. This is much the same as the corresponding figure of 52% for last year’s budget.

    Those most interested were Liberal/National voters (61%), Labor voters (59%) and people aged 55+ (64%). Only 42% of respondents aged 18-34 paid a lot or some attention to the budget.

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