“The competing tax and housing packages receive similar levels of support, but when pressed, voters opt for Labor’s pitch more often,” he said.
“This may simply be the power of incumbency and ascendancy, but whatever the cause, it makes Labor’s mission easier.”
The Resolve Political Monitor asked the 801 respondents about the tax and housing plans in the days after a separate survey of 1642 eligible voters on their views of the election and US president Donald Trump, which was reported in this masthead on Monday.
The survey asked respondents about Labor policies, including the $1000 personal tax deduction revealed on Sunday and the personal income tax cut in the March 25 budget, which is worth $268 next financial year and $536 the next year. The survey also asked about Coalition policies, including a cut to fuel excise for one year and a one-off tax offset worth up to $1200 for millions of workers.
The survey found that 56 per cent of voters supported the Coalition tax package, while 18 per cent were opposed and the rest undecided.
In a separate question, put to respondents in a random order, it found that 54 per cent liked the Labor tax package, while 27 per cent were undecided – suggesting stronger support for the Coalition proposal.
Asked to voice their preference between the two, however, voters sided with the government plan – with 40 per cent in favour of the Labor package and 34 per cent in favour of the Coalition pitch.
On housing, the survey asked voters about Labor proposals, including $10 billion for new homes and a broader deposit guarantee for first home buyers, as well as earlier plans such as the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund. It asked about Coalition plans, including $5 billion for new homes and tax deductions for mortgage interest for first home buyers, as well as moves to let younger Australians use their superannuation savings to buy their first homes.
The survey found that 42 per cent of voters supported the Coalition housing package, while 23 per cent were opposed and the rest were undecided.
It found that 49 per cent backed the Labor housing package and 21 were opposed to it.
Voters favoured Labor when asked to choose between the two policy options – with 40 per cent saying they preferred the Labor plan and 27 per cent in favour of the Coalition plan.
Reed said the special survey on tax and housing showed the Coalition had lost ground in part due to the volatile global news since Trump took office in January.
“The challenge for the Coalition is to break the cycle of international uncertainty and the power of local incumbency that’s taken over in recent weeks,” he said.
“They can only do this by showing their strengths in economic management are better suited to the task.
“But this is going to be a very hard task. The lead and momentum are with Labor, voters are locking in, and the ability to frame their choice and persuade them back is made all the harder by a series of public holidays and early voting.”
The earlier survey found the Labor primary vote had risen and the Coalition support had fallen over the past two weeks, giving the government a lead of 53.5 per cent in two-party terms.
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But the survey also found that 36 per cent of voters thought Dutton and the Coalition were best to manage the economy, compared to 31 per cent who favoured Albanese and Labor.
The latest survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday and generated results with a margin of error of 3.5 per cent.
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