A new poll has found that more Australian voters would prefer to keep the country’s current carbon price laws and mining tax than support an increase to petrol excise or raising the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
However, while a clear majority opposes increasing the GST, support for the move has increased to 30 per cent, from 12 per cent, over the past two years.
The Fairfax/Nielsen post-budget poll found that the most-supported tax increase in the budget of Australia’s conservative Liberal-National government was the deficit levy, a two percentage point increase income tax on incomes over $180,000.
The poll also showed there was more support for the mining tax and carbon price, both of which the government wants the Senate to abolish as a priority after July 1.
The poll found 46 per cent oppose the abolition of the carbon price while 49 per cent want it gone.
With the Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT), 56 per cent oppose its abolition and 37 per cent support getting rid of it.
The poll of 1400 voters was taken from Thursday night to Saturday night.
However, another budget tax increase, the decision to reintroduce the twice-yearly indexation of petrol excise to inflation, is the most unpopular of all.
Despite Prime Minister Tony Abbott arguing it would only cost families 40¢ a week, the fuel excise increase is supported by just 25 per cent of voters and opposed by 72 per cent.
It encompassed both reactions to last Tuesday’s federal budget and Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten’s budget-in-reply address on Thursday night, in which he vowed to oppose $18.5 billion in cuts and tax increases.
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airfax Media reports the findings, along with the plunge in support for the Liberal-National government and the Prime Minister Tony Abbott, is likely to only further embolden Labor to oppose the abolition of the carbon and mining taxes while fighting the petrol tax increase.
Mr Abbott, who is under fire for breaking pre-election promises of no new or increased taxes, admitted for the first time on Sunday the undetakings had been breached.
The voter sentiment was echoed by the News Corporation run Newspoll which showed 69 per cent of respondents thought they would be worse off under the measures announced by Treasurer Joe Hockey last week, the highest level since a controversial budget by a previous Liberal-National government in 1993.
