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  • Jun, 2013

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    Government decisions

    Q. Thinking about the decisions the Labor Government has made over the last few years, do you think the following decisions were good or bad for Australia?

     

    Total good

    Total bad

    Very good

    Good

    Neither good nor bad

    Bad

    Very bad

    Don’t know

    Sep 12 good

    Sep 12 bad

    Expanding dental health services for people on low incomes

    73%

    8%

    28%

    45%

    15%

    4%

    4%

    5%

    77%

    5%

    Increasing the tax free threshold from $6,000 to $18,200

    72%

    8%

    34%

    38%

    15%

    5%

    3%

    5%

    75%

    4%

    Increasing the age pension

    67%

    14%

    27%

    40%

    16%

    10%

    4%

    4%

    70%

    11%

    Protecting large areas of Australia’s marine environment in a network of marine reserves

    66%

    10%

    27%

    39%

    19%

    6%

    4%

    5%

    67%

    8%

    Introducing the National Disability Insurance Scheme

    63%

    9%

    26%

    37%

    20%

    5%

    4%

    8%

    58%

    5%

    Increasing superannuation from 9% to 12%

    62%

    14%

    24%

    38%

    19%

    10%

    4%

    5%

    68%

    9%

    Stimulus spending to tackle the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)

    50%

    26%

    21%

    29%

    19%

    17%

    9%

    5%

    54%

    22%

    Introducing a tax on large profits of mining companies

    49%

    27%

    21%

    28%

    20%

    15%

    12%

    5%

    49%

    25%

    Building the NBN (National Broadband Network)

    48%

    28%

    22%

    26%

    18%

    15%

    13%

    6%

    43%

    28%

    Paid parental leave

    48%

    22%

    14%

    34%

    24%

    13%

    9%

    5%

    52%

    20%

    Spending on new school buildings during the GFC

    47%

    26%

    12%

    35%

    20%

    15%

    11%

    6%

    53%

    22%

    Implementing the recommendations of the Gonski report to increase education funding

    46%

    22%

    17%

    29%

    23%

    12%

    10%

    9%

    54%

    8%

    Abolished WorkChoices

    42%

    27%

    23%

    19%

    22%

    17%

    10%

    10%

    42%

    27%

    Introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change

    32%

    48%

    14%

    18%

    16%

    18%

    30%

    4%

    28%

    51%

    The two most popular decisions of the Labor Government are ‘expanding dental health services for people on low incomes’ (73% total good) and ‘increasing the tax free threshold from $6,000 to $18,000 (72% total good).  The least popular decisions were ‘Implementing the recommendations of the Gonski report (46% total good), ‘Abolished WorkChoices’ (42% total good) and ‘introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change’ (32% total good).

    The only issue which received a net negative response was ‘introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change’, where 48% of respondents believed it to be bad for Australia.

    Since this question was previously asked last September, perceptions of most decisions have become a little more negative – with the exceptions of the “carbon tax” which shifted from 28% to 32% ‘good’, the ‘NDIS’ which shifted from 58% to 63% ‘good’ and building the NBN which shifted from 43% to 48% ‘good’.

    The largest negative shifts were for the ‘Gonski recommendations’ (down 8% to 46%), increasing super (down 6% to 62%) and spending on schools during the GFC (down 6% to 47%).

  • Oct, 2012

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    Major spending initiatives of the federal government

    Q. The federal government has recently announced a number of major spending initiatives on health, education and defence reforms that will involve substantial investment over the next few years.  For each of the reforms as they are described below, please indicate whether you believe it should be implemented or not

     

    Implement the reform if it means higher taxes (including corporate and mining taxes) and cuts in other areas

    Do not implement the reform if it means higher taxes (including corporate and mining taxes) or cuts in other areas

    No opinion

    National Disability Insurance Scheme to improve care and support for all people in Australia with a significant and permanent disability

    58%

    22%

    20%

    New dental health scheme to provide free dental care for low-income patients and children

    53%

    29%

    18%

    Gonski reforms to education to increase funding for each primary and secondary school student across the country

    48%

    30%

    21%

    Purchase of new advanced submarines for the Australian Defence Force

    24%

    50%

    26%

    The majority of respondents support implementing the NDIS (58%) and the new dental health scheme (53%) if it means higher taxes (including corporate and mining taxes) and cuts in other areas.

    A large portion of respondents (48%) also agree with implementing the Gonski reforms if it means higher taxes and cuts in other areas, whereas 30% would prefer to see these reforms not implemented.

    On the purchase of new submarines for the ADF, most respondents felt that this reform should not be implemented if it means higher taxes and cuts in other areas (50%), whilst 24% are in favour of implementing the reform.

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