A ReachTEL poll of 1217 Queenslanders and 1077 South Australians shows respondents resoundingly rejected conventional political wisdom – that income tax cuts are even more popular than government investment in health, education and infrastructure. (See full results below)

Just over half (53.0%) of voters in South Australia and half (49.2%) of Queenslanders would prefer to see government revenue spent on health and education services and infrastructure spending.  

Only 18.8% of Queenslanders and 17.1% of South Australians wanted government revenue spent on income tax cuts.

“For too long political orthodoxy has centred on the need to take income tax cuts to every election,” Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Ben Oquist said.

“Australia's revenue problem is the key economic challenge going into this Budget, and with the new focus on inequality, income tax cuts should be a low priority for either side of politics.

“Both Treasurers of this Coalition Government have made unsubstantiated claims about the benefits of income tax cuts – in particular a so called ‘growth dividend’.

“The collapse of the case for a GST increase was actually a collapse in the economic case for tax cuts. And it appears the public is wise to this fact.

“Australia remains one of the lowest tax-to-GDP nations in the OECD. A strong tax base in necessary to maintain infrastructure and services.

The choice is not necessarily easy, but it seems that the Australian people understand that an income tax cut is a secondary priority to building a well-educated, healthy and productive country,“The choice is not necessarily easy, but it seems that the Australian people understand that an income tax cut is a secondary priority to building a well-educated, healthy and productive country,” Oquist said.

 

 

18 Mar 2016