New poll reveals $1 trillion headache dogging Anthony Albanese
Updated . First published at
Labor has copped a fresh double blow in the latest poll, as the government’s economic credentials and the prime minister’s approval rating continue to crater.
The Resolve Political Monitor survey, conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age from September 6 to 12, shows 74 per cent of the 2250 voters surveyed were concerned about the national debt.
The link between money and access is most explicit when it comes to political fundraising events. Getty
Broken budget promises also cost Albanese support, with 23 per cent saying they had lost trust in the prime minister.
This compares with 34 per cent of voters saying they didn’t trust him before he reneged on pledges, and 26 per cent still trusting him.
Voter support for the political parties showed little change, with Labor leading the primary vote on 28 per cent, ahead of One Nation on 27 per cent and the Coalition continuing its upward trend on 24 per cent.
Support for the Greens fell 1 per cent to 11 per cent.
In a ray of hope for Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, voters said the Liberals were the best party to manage the economy, ahead of Labor on 23 per cent. One Nation attracted 21 per cent of support on this vital yardstick.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s head of media has been caught firing up at a Channel 10 reporter shortly after a press conference in Canberra on Thursday. 9News
The Liberals also gained top spot for the best party to manage government finances.
Australians are also growing increasingly worried about the country’s mounting debt, with 69 per cent concerned, the research shows.
In August, the Australian Office of Financial Management calculated Commonwealth gross debt had peaked at $1 trillion.
The poll found cutting expenditure was the number one way to reduce debt among voters, with 48 per cent mostly or only supporting slashing spending.
When it comes to preferred prime minister, Albanese’s rating fell 3 per cent in a month to 29 per cent, while Hanson’s dipped 1 per cent to 25 per cent. Taylor’s rating increased 2 per cent to 21 per cent.
The poll results come as Labor’s tax changes continue to attack criticism, even from figures on the left of national politics.
Last weekend, former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty unleashed on Labor’s housing, saying the government was insulting voters and empowering One Nation by welcoming lower house prices.
But on Monday, Health Minister Mark Butler said the “hard but necessary changes” were needed.
“I don’t think anyone before the budget was willing to stand up and say the housing market was operating perfectly, that we weren’t at risk of delivering a terrible situation to younger Australians, have not been able to break into the housing market and own their own home, which has been the Australian dream for so many generations,” he said.
“So I understand this is a difficult policy to settle because it’s a substantial reform, but it is going to make a real difference to the aspirations, particularly of young Australians.”
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