The latest edition of our True Issues survey report is now available online, as published in the Australian Financial Review by political editor Phil Coorey.
As the national policy and political debate heats up as the year draws towards its end and talk about the timing of next year’s Federal Election increases, we have examined some important influences on the broader debate. In a series of questions that extend beyond our regular and well-known issues tracking, we reach beyond cost of living and have taken a closer look at the more complex and nuanced economic and social theme of living standards as well as attitudes to housing and population as well as student debt relief. A special report also unpacks public attitudes and reactions to the recent Presidential election results in the United States and how that election has been received here in Australia.
Related insights from these special focus questions within our True Issues quantitative research work have been recently covered by the ABC and in both the AFR and The Australian newspapers. You can go directly to these thought provoking articles here:
- Tom Dusevic article in The Australian on living standards
- Tom Dusevic article on direction of the national economy
- Tom Dusevic article on political practice
- David Speers ABC article refencing living standards
- Phil Coorey AFR article on the regular True Issues tracking
True Issues 36 – November 2024
In November 2024, heading into the summer break and a federal election year, cost of living remains the dominant issue Australians want the Federal Government to focus on. Unprompted, six in ten adults (61%) name cost of living in their top three most important issues or concerns – its highest level yet. Eight in ten (80%) select it in their top five from a prompted list, also significantly increased since August.
Despite a deceleration in cost of living increases for the September quarter, this remains the leading concern across all age and income groups as Australians continue to adapt their spending and savings habits to meet living expenses.
Housing supply and affordability and hospitals and healthcare remain the next most important issues (52% and 51% prompted mentions, respectively), with housing also now a greater priority than three months ago (up from 46%). Amid ongoing concerns about limited supply and worsening affordability for both buyers and renters, housing remains the second highest unprompted issue (32%), ahead of hospitals and healthcare (25%).
Confidence in the national economy continues to decline. More than twice as many Australians see this heading in the wrong direction (43%, up slightly from 40%) as see it heading in the right direction (18%). This net difference (-25) has declined five points since the May budget (-20) and is the largest recorded for this measure since True Issues® began in June 2013.
However, Australians continue to be more positive about business and industry, rating its performance (index score of 55) ahead of all levels of government, and slightly more adults see business heading in the right direction (24%, up from 20%) than in the wrong direction (22%).
Living standards
When Australians consider their current overall standard of living including things like living costs, where they live, congestion and getting around, waiting periods for services, and access to leisure activities, just four in ten adults (41%) rate their living standard as good. Almost as many rate this as just average (37%) and around one in five Australians rate their living standard as poor (22%). More than twice as many Australians rate their current standard of living as worse (43%) compared to two years ago, than rate it as better (19%), with around one in three (36%) rating it as about the same.
Across key demographic groups, more see their living standard as having declined over the last two years than see it as improved – except among households earning above $200K p.a., where it is a fairly even split (34% better vs 31% worse). Notably, a majority of minor party and independent voters (excluding Greens voters) and around half of women rate their living standards as worse than two years ago.
Most Australian adults agree housing access and affordability has now reached the point of being a national crisis (78%), including almost half (45%) who ‘strongly agree’ with this.
As to how pressure on supply could be reduced, a majority of Australians agree that governments should provide more incentives for people to settle in regional areas (70%, including 28% ‘strongly agree’) and Australia should reduce its migration intake (67%, including 38% ‘strongly agree’). A majority (56%) of adults agree Australia’s population is increasing too quickly (56%, including 27% ‘strongly agree’).
Attitudes to reducing students’ debt burden
While most HECS-HELP debt holders support Federal Government recently announced plans to spend $16 billion on wiping 20% off student debt owed through the scheme (80%, including 48% who ‘strongly support’ this), just 43% of adults who do not have a HECS-HELP debt are supportive – and almost as many (37%) oppose this use of taxpayer funds.
Attitudes to how contemporary politics is being practiced
In assessing the health of our democracy, it is noteworthy that two-thirds of Australians agree politicians treat politics as a game and not as something that directly affects ‘people like me’ (67%, including 30% who ‘strongly agree’). Also, that a third (33%) of adults don’t pay attention to politicians and political debate because they don’t speak ‘my language’. Heading into a federal election year, this is a sizeable proportion of the electorate switching off because of their experience of the language of political debate.
Twice as many Australians disagree (45%) that leaders of major political parties have a well thought-out vision for the nation than agree (21%) that they do, with minor party and independent voters and older adults (55 years and over) most critical of this. More adults also disagree (38%) that their local Federal MP can relate to ‘my hopes and needs’ than agree (22%), indicating some disconnect between elected representatives and the priorities of their constituents.
Local perceptions about the recent US election results
Australians’ attitudes towards the US Presidential Election finds that more Australians paid attention to the presidential race (61%) than didn’t (39%), with a quarter (25%) saying they followed it ‘very closely’. When asked how they feel about Donald Trump’s re-election as US President, a majority (51%) of Australians have negative feelings, including 30% who feel ‘extremely negative’. By contrast, only 28% feel positive, with just 10% feeling ‘extremely positive’. Rounding out the balance of views are 16% who are neutral towards the result and 5% who can’t say.
Donald Trump’s re-ascendancy is seen as potentially having a more negative than positive impact across a range of national and global considerations. The most negative impact of the new Trump presidency is viewed as being on ‘the USA’s international reputation’, with 53% expecting the impact to be negative (27% ‘very negative’) and 24% positive.
There are five major reasons for people to feel ‘extremely’, ‘very’, or ‘somewhat’ negative about the re-election of Donald Trump: criminal behaviour, incompetence, fear for rights & wellbeing, misogyny & sexism and unpredictability.
True Issues is a research tool to assist Australian businesses to understand where their issues truly sit within the contemporary issues landscape. This poll was conducted as an online survey between 8-11 November 2024 among a representative national sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18+ years.
Here are the links again for our special edition US Election and standards of living reports. For further enquiries or to include your issue in the next wave, please get in touch.
