The latest edition of our True Issues® survey report is now available online, as published in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) by political editor Phil Coorey.
Cost of living remains clearly the number one issue as Australia prepares for a national election campaign and the economy continues to be weighed by pessimism despite the big focus this week on the RBA’s interest rates decision. In the first True Issues public opinion survey for 2025 we have tested a range of policies announced by the parties soon putting themselves forward to the electorate. We also look at some additional policy approaches that further illuminates the debate around how to respond to cost of living pressures and national perceptions around an ongoing crisis of affordability.
Some of the announced policies are quite popular, but interestingly some of them do not receive strong levels of public support, despite us now nearing an election contest. Given the extended significance of cost of living in our issues track, we have looked to highlight where certain policies are more effective than others at securing higher support from those voters who prioritise cost of living as an issue.
We have also taken a look at another important areas of national focus in recent times: the concerning rise of antisemitism and government performance on responding to the issue.
Related insights from True Issues research has also been summarised in a range of pieces published in the AFR this year, including early February, last week on Sky News and on ABC Insiders over the past weekend. You can find those data driven media articles and interviews here:
- ABC Insiders (16 February)
- AFR opinion piece (1 January)
- Sky News interview (12 February) – public attitudes to many announced policies
- Phillip Coorey AFR article (5 February) – discussing public reaction to some key policies
- Clare Armstrong Daily Telegraph article (3 January) – looking at the growing gender divide across a range of policy debates
- John Kehoe and Michael Reid AFR article (3 January) – on True Issues tracking relating to the national economy and cost of living
True Issues 37 – February 2025
In February 2025, heading into the March Budget and federal election campaign, cost of living remains the dominant issue Australians want the Federal Government to focus on. Unprompted, almost six in ten adults (58%) name cost of living in their top three most important issues or concerns and eight in ten (80%) select it in their top five from a prompted list – both in line with November results.
Hospitals and healthcare and housing supply and affordability remain the next most important issues (51% and 48% prompted mentions, respectively). Amid continued limited supply of homes to buy and rent and worsening affordability, housing remains the second highest unprompted issue (30%), ahead of hospitals and healthcare (24%).
These two priorities continue to divide along generational lines with a majority of 18 to 34 year olds still looking for government action on housing, while a majority of those aged 35 years and over prioritise healthcare. The related area of aged care is a top five concern for almost four in ten older adults (55 years and older).
Confidence in the national economy remains low. More than twice as many Australians continue to see this heading in the wrong direction (42%) as see it heading in the right direction (19%). This net difference (-23) is only slightly improved since November (-25, the worst result recorded on this measure since True Issues began in June 2013).
At state level, rated performance of the SA and WA Governments remains most positive (index scores of 56 and 55, respectively) and more residents continue see these state economies as heading in the right direction than in the wrong direction. While NSW Government performance also rates above ‘average’ (index score of 53), more NSW residents see their state economy as heading in the wrong direction, than in the right direction.
Both the Queensland and Victorian Governments continue to rate below ‘average’ (index scores of 48 and 40, respectively) and more residents continue to see these state economies as heading in the wrong direction than in the right direction.
Policy announcements already out there prior to the election campaign
A number of policies have been announced quite recently by the Federal Labor Government or the LNP Opposition or have been promoted by the cross bench in an effort to strengthen our economy and society before the election campaign proper has even formally commenced. We tested a range of these policies in early February and found the public’s reaction distinctly different depending on the policy idea in question.
No doubt influenced by some of the alarming news over the summer period, the proposition of stronger legal protections against hate crimes secured very good community backing with 71% supporting this move and even once those opposed are accounted for it still secures net support of +63. Foreign investment restrictions on home purchases (net +59) and greater bulk billing rates by GPs (net +55) also registered solid public support. More modest but still decent backing was evident for the Government’s recent childcare investments (net +42) and workplace relations changes important to the small business sector (net +46) that has been adopted by the Federal Opposition. Recently announced policies by the Opposition that would see tax deductions for business lunches (net zero) and an efficiency drive for the public service (net +3) were far less popular among the community overall.
The Government’s childcare spending policies sees significant variance in support between Labor voters (68% support) and LNP voters (18 points lower at 50% support). Increasing bulk billing rates is especially popular among over 55 year olds (83% support) and in regional areas (83% support) constituting 14 points higher support than average for both these demographics. While a reduction in the migration intake is a popular move across the board and secures support from 61% of Australians, it is significantly more popular than average among LNP voters (73% support) and among those without a university education (69%), as well as over 55s (75%) and LNP voters (74%).
Potential policy responses to cost of living pressures
As the regular issues track has demonstrated, cost of living remains a top 5 concern for 80% of Australians, constituting a 29 point gap to the next greatest worry health and hospitals. With this in mind we used the latest True Issues to explore some additional policy ‘territories’ that could also conceivable deal with cost of living pressures and may or may not be in contemplation by some parties approaching the election contest. Some policies were very popular, others not so much.
Interestingly three policy areas proved even more popular than personal income tax cuts which itself secured strong net support of +70 as a policy proposal. More Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listings (net +73), more powers for the ACCC to deal with price gouging (net +73) and water and environmental reforms to lower food prices (net +68) all proved more popular in both raw support and net support terms than income tax relief. Notably however income tax relief and more taxpayer funded energy bill subsides were significantly more popular among those voters who had registered cost of living as a top issue compared with the results overall.
Reducing taxes on alcoholic drinks (net support of minus 5) and reducing taxes on cigarettes (net support of minus 46) were decidedly unpopular policy options to deal with cost of living, notwithstanding that men (44% support) and those people in low income households (45% support) are comparatively more open to reducing the excise burden on alcohol than the 35% support reflected in the overall result. The prospect of higher fortnightly social security payments gained the support of a modest majority of the electorate (55% support overall) but the backing for this option to address cost of living is much higher among lower income households (71% support), Labor voters (67%), Greens voters (67%), renters (67%) and in the regions (62%).
Attitudes to antisemitism
Given the level of recent focus on antisemitism and the broader discussion about social cohesion (and area of research where we have extensive experience) our latest survey also explored views about the extent of the problem in Australia and how our governments have been responding to it. A majority (57%) of the population do regard antisemitism as a problem in Australia.
Those who think antisemitism is a problem in our metropolitan cities (50%) is significantly more than in the regions (27%) and views that it is a problem are highest in Sydney and Melbourne.
A solid majority of two thirds think antisemitism has increased since the Israel-Hamas conflict dramatically changed in October of 2023.
Only 21% of the country believe the federal government’s response has been good, with a third rating it as average and 30% rating it as poor. This is broadly similar to perceptions of how state and territory governments have responded though the total proportion rating their responses as poor is lower at 22%.
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 31 January and 4 February 2025 among a representative national sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18+ years.
Here are the links again for our special edition pre-election policy options and Australian views about antisemitism reports. For further enquiries or to include your issue in the next wave, please get in touch.
