True Issues 35 – August 2024
Cost of living remains by far the dominant issue Australians want the Federal Government to focus on. Unprompted, half of Australian adults (49%, down a significant 6 percentage points since May) name cost of living in their top three most important issues or concerns, and 71% (down 9 points) place cost of living in their top five from a prompted list. To reflect the evolving public policy debate, aged care, interest rates and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are now discreet issues for survey participants to select, instead of being subsumed in broader portfolio categories. This change may be the cause of nominal importance drops in some other prompted issues, including cost of living concerns. However, it is notable that cost of living has decreased by 6 points on the unprompted list of most important issues, suggesting cost of living pressures have eased somewhat since the May 2024 True Issues survey.Most important issues the Australian Government should focus on (Up to 3 issues – unprompted)
Highest ranked issues the Australian Government should focus on (Top 5 most important – prompted)
Pessimism that the national economy is headed in the wrong direction has deteriorated 2 points in August to now sit at net negative -22 points, its equal lowest point in over a decade. Worry that the economy is on the wrong track sits negative at a ratio of 2:1, with 40% of the population believing it is on the wrong track, compared to 18% thinking it is on the right path. 34% feel the national economy is static and neither heading the right or wrong way.
A clear divide exists on the economy based on education, with 46% of those without a university education feeling more pessimistic about it, significantly above average.
When asked about their own personal financial situation, one in three (34%) see it heading the right way, with a large 42% saying neither the right or wrong way and 19% feeling their personal situation is now deteriorating. A perception that their situation is getting worse is significantly higher than average among families (27%) and those aged 35-54 years (25%).
Tax and economic reform
A series of potential tax and economic reforms receive significantly stronger levels of support than opposition from Australians.
Due to the contested nature of all political debate, even the more populist reforms require further prosecution to win majority support.
But a number of policy options do reach a comfortable majority when neutral opinions are combined with those already persuaded by the merits of the reform.
48% of Australians overall support further income tax cuts, with a further 21% neutral about the idea. An equal 21% sit opposed to further income tax cuts. Changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax to slow house price growth is backed by 43% of the population, with another 18% neutral, and 24% sitting opposed. A rent freeze and putting a two-year cap on future rent increases is supported by 43% of Australians, with 16% neutral. 30% are opposed to this housing policy proposal. Laws forcing supermarket chains to divest in an effort to improve grocery prices has the backing of 39%, with 22% neutral and 24% opposed. Tariffs on imports from countries failing to implement ambitious emissions reduction targets is supported by 38% of the community. 26% are open to the idea as neutral while 22% are opposed.
Attitudes to potential reforms to Australia’s tax system and economic management
For the full report looking at public reaction to potential tax and economic reforms and perceptions about the inflation debate, click here.
Attitudes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Sentiment towards the NDIS across the general population is very mixed, with significant concern about cost growth. The scheme is seen as a top five issue by 7% of Australians and rated as a middling area of performance by the Federal Government, with an index score of 41, making it comparable to aged care and the economy and finances as portfolio areas of government performance.
Almost six in ten Australians (57%) say they at least know a little about the NDIS but only one in ten say they know a lot about the scheme. Sentiment towards the NDIS is mixed with 36% favourable, 32% unfavourable and 26% of the population neutral.
Favourability does improve significantly among those who have someone in their family or care that are currently accessing the scheme, where favourability rises to 60%. Sentiment is also higher among those who at least know a little about the scheme (42% compared to 36% overall).
Australians are a ratio of 2:1 more negative than positive about the projected budget cost growth of the NDIS when presented with the forecast cost growth of the scheme between now and the end of the decade.
Opinion on whether the NDIS should be scaled down and restricted only for Australians with severe and permanent mental or physical disabilities
There is very high support in the community for addressing any fraudulent activity and overcharging by service providers working under the NDIS, with 78% regarding these efforts at very or extremely important. A significant two thirds (64%) say it’s extremely important.
There is also very strong support for a mandatory register of service providers as a key change to the scheme with 81% support for this reform and 54% saying it should definitely happen.
Perceptions about government spending and managing inflation
There is a 2 to 1 comparative concern in the community that government spending and policies are increasing the inflation rate rather than reducing it. Survey participants were presented with two contrasting viewpoints in the debate, one from the Reserve Bank Governor and the other from the Federal Treasurer. Having considered both perspectives, 34% of the population think government spending and policies are increasing inflation, 36% think it is not making any difference and 15% think government spending and policies are reducing inflation. Even among Labor leaning voters, slightly more believe government decisions are increasing inflation (26%) compared to those who think government is helping reduce the rate (24%). Belief that government is increasing inflation is significantly higher among men (40% compared to 34% overall).
Is government spending and policies in Australia today increasing or reducing inflation, or not making a difference
Majority support a complete ban on both television and online gambling advertising
We also tested public attitudes towards gambling advertising reform.
Asked about their views on the debate about gambling advertising, a majority of Australians indicated their support for a complete ban of gambling ads, both on television and online. 56% of the community back a total ban of gambling ads on television and 53% back a ban of them appearing online.
26% prefer to support restrictions that would not allow gambling advertising to appear immediately on TV before or during live sport and races. A similar 27% support such ad restrictions online. 12% prefer no further restrictions on TV and 14% prefer no further restrictions to online gambling advertising. The final 5% say they don’t know or prefer not to say in relation to gambling ads on TV and 6% don’t know or prefer not to say when it comes to the online ads.
Importantly the question balanced both sides of the policy argument, asking people to consider both the desire to reduce harmful gambling and what the revenue from the advertising supports such as free to air television and professional sport.
Views on gambling ad regulation
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 9-12 August 2024 among a representative national sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18+ years.
Here are the links again for our special edition NDIS and Tax and Economic Reform reports. For further enquiries or to include your issue in the next wave, please get in touch.
