Voters back key budget measures but ‘most don’t feel touched’ by it

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Voters have strongly backed key measures in last week’s federal budget including energy bill subsidies and new Medicare spending, even though only 31 per cent believe the overall package is good for them and their households.

The federal plan to pour billions of dollars into Medicare is backed by 81 per cent of voters and the energy assistance package has 74 per cent support, while 75 per cent endorse higher spending on aged care to give its workers a pay rise.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ forecast for a surplus this year does not appear to have generated a big swing to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor on economic management.Credit: Fairfax Media

An exclusive survey also finds that 72 per cent of voters agree with plans to double the number of medicines customers can collect with each prescription, from one to two months’ supply, despite complaints from pharmacists about the change.

But voters have not given the Labor economic plan majority support on broader questions, with only 31 per cent of voters saying it was good for their households compared to 40 per cent who said the same of the Coalition budget one year ago.

Only 44 per cent said the budget was good for the country, down from 50 per cent one year ago when then-prime minister Scott Morrison pledged billions of dollars on household help before going to the May election.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton stepped up his attack on the budget on Monday by saying Labor had failed the “working poor” who would not receive the budget assistance.

“It’s obvious that this is a welfare budget, that’s fine, but for millions of Australians, they are missing out,” he said.

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insisted “middle Australia” would gain from measures including more spending on childcare, the $5.7 billion for Medicare and bulk-billing incentives, new subsidies for medicines and more funding for technical and further education.

The survey, conducted for this masthead by Resolve Strategic, shows that Labor has slightly increased its lead over the Coalition on economic policy but has not gained a broader bounce in support from the budget.

“The budget has had no discernible impact on the government’s standing, but that’s not surprising,” Resolve director Jim Reed said.

“Budget bounces are like hens’ teeth, even in years when there have been broad benefits for all.

“Most people don’t feel touched by this budget. It is seen to help those on welfare or in the lowest paying jobs, but neither hurts nor benefits many.”

The survey of 1610 eligible voters was conducted online from Wednesday to Saturday and had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, with a base of respondents chosen to reflect the voting population.

The forecast for a surplus this year, ending more than a decade of deficits, does not appear to have generated a big swing to Albanese and Labor on economic management. But Reed noted that Dutton and the Coalition were already lagging on these policies.

“The surplus is an indicator of good financial management and can act as a shortcut in judging that spending hasn’t got out of control,” he said.

“We find a rise in Labor’s lead on financial management to their highest score to date. Though this is not statistically significant, I think it’s telling that it’s the biggest gain this month.”

Asked which side of politics was best at managing the nation’s finances, 37 per cent named Albanese and Labor while 29 per cent named Dutton and the Coalition. This compared to a Labor lead of 34 to 32 per cent one month ago.

Asked which side was best at economic management, 38 per cent favoured Albanese and Labor compared to 29 per cent who named Dutton and the Coalition, compared to a Labor lead of 36 to 30 per cent one month ago.

Dutton has responded to the budget by warning against the Treasury forecast for 1.5 million new migrants over the next five years, proposing that unemployed people be encouraged to work, calling for a debate on nuclear power and backing new controls on gambling advertising.

Asked a regular monthly question on which side was best on immigration and refugee policy, 34 per cent backed Albanese and Labor compared to 25 per cent who favoured Dutton and the Coalition.

This showed no significant shift from the result one month earlier, when Labor led by 33 to 26 per cent.

“Most people don’t watch the budget, relying instead on the fourth estate to interpret it for them more than any other political event, so most will be oblivious to Dutton’s stances on immigration, JobSeeker and nuclear power,” Reed said.

“However, the opposition has likely hit a nerve on immigration numbers. An estimated 1.5 million arrivals will be of concern to those who are already struggling with wages, commuting and housing without that added competition.

“People don’t expect the government to close the borders pandemic-style, but they do expect there to be plans in place to create jobs and jobs for those new arrivals.”

Voters backed most of the headline budget initiatives including higher tobacco excise, with 68 per cent support, and increasing the tax paid by gas and oil producers, favoured by 62 per cent.

Support was lower, however, for the move to increase JobSeeker and other income support for the unemployed, at 55 per cent, and to extend support for single parents until their children reached the age of 14 (57 per cent).

Only 27 per cent supported the budget plans to invest heavily in a stadium for the Brisbane Olympics and a football stadium for Tasmania, with 37 per cent opposed and the rest neutral. Of the 12 budget measures asked about in the latest Resolve Political Monitor, this was the only one with more voters opposed than in favour.

While only 37 per cent expressed support for the budget decision to rein in spending growth in National Disability Insurance Scheme to a new target of 8 per cent a year from 2026, this reflected a high degree of uncertainty among voters. Only 17 per cent opposed the policy, while 46 per cent were undecided or neutral.

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