The recent federal budget has received strong support from voters on key measures such as energy bill subsidies and new Medicare spending, according to an exclusive survey conducted by Resolve Strategic for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Despite this, only 31% of voters believe the overall package is good for them and their households. The plan to invest billions of dollars into Medicare is backed by 81% of voters, while the energy assistance package has 74% support and higher spending on aged care to give workers a pay rise has 75% endorsement. However, only 44% of voters said the budget was good for the country, down from 50% last year. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has criticised the budget for failing the “working poor” who will not receive assistance. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted that “middle Australia” will gain from measures including more spending on childcare, Medicare, subsidies for medicines, and funding for technical and further education.
Budget Measures with Voter Support
The survey found that 72% of voters agree with plans to double the number of medicines customers can collect with each prescription, from one to two months’ supply. Additionally, 68% support higher tobacco excise, and 62% favour increasing the tax paid by gas and oil producers. However, support was lower for the move to increase JobSeeker and other income support for the unemployed (55%), and to extend support for single parents until their children reach the age of 14 (57%). Only 27% of voters supported the budget plans to invest heavily in a stadium for the Brisbane Olympics and a football stadium for Tasmania.
Economic Management
The survey shows that Labor has slightly increased its lead over the Coalition on economic policy but has not gained broader support from the budget. Only 31% of voters said it was good for their households compared to 40% who said the same of the Coalition budget one year ago. Asked which side of politics was best at managing the nation’s finances, 37% named Albanese and Labor while 29% named Dutton and the Coalition. When asked which side was best at economic management, 38% favoured Albanese and Labor compared to 29% who named Dutton and the Coalition.
Conclusion
While the federal budget has received support from voters on key measures, only a minority believe it is good for them and their households. The survey shows that Labor has slightly increased its lead over the Coalition on economic policy but has not gained broader support from the budget. The government’s plan to invest billions of dollars into Medicare has received strong support, but opposition leader Peter Dutton has criticised the budget for failing the “working poor”. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted that “middle Australia” will benefit from measures including more spending on childcare, Medicare, subsidies for medicines, and funding for technical and further education.
Source: smh.com.au
