Group of Aussies who keep being left behind

A leading pollster has warned Anthony Albanese that one million Aussies are set to turn their back on him unless “something drastic” happens.

The government has been warned it needs to do more for young Australians if it wants their support in next year’s Federal Election.

During ABC’s pre-budget Q&A panel on Monday night, Kos Samaras, director of research firm RedBridge Australia, said Australians were “dying for hope”.

He told the panel that unless “something drastic” comes from the federal budget, an additional one million Aussies will likely turn their backs on the major parties.

“I think that what happened in 2022 will repeat itself again in 2025,” he said.

“The minor party vote, or people who didn’t vote for the majors, exceeded five million at the last election.

“I expect it to be closer to six million this time around unless something changes.”

Kos Samaras, director of research firm RedBridge Australia, predicted an additional one million Aussies will likely turn their backs on the major parties next year. Picture: ABC

Speaking to news.com.au, Mr Samaras said every Australian has endured a lot over the past five years, with bushfires, the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

However, the “overwhelming burden has fallen on the shoulders of young people”.

“They looking towards a future that guarantees them a lower quality of life and standard of living compared to previous generations. There is not much hope,” he said.

The government recently revamped tax cuts to reduce the benefit to wealthy Australians in order to deliver more to workers aged between 25 and 40 - but Mr Samaras believes they don’t go far enough.

He said that young Aussies have taken such a hit to their savings over the past few years that it will take “years to repair”.

“People are managing to pay their rent and mortgage but they are having to do that by eating into their savings and accruing credit card debt,” he said.

“It will take years, if not decades, for their saving to recover when interest rates finally drop enough.

“The situation is pretty grim.”

Mr Samaras said the “overwhelming burden has fallen on the shoulders of young people”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Rental stress is another major factor affecting young Aussies, with Mr Samaras claiming “very few people rent because they enjoy it”, adding that those who are renting in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne are doing so because they cannot afford a home.

He said they are handing over “significant sums of money” and it is forcing them to make “drastic decisions” about what they do and don’t buy.

“Discretionary spending is almost dead among this group,” he said.

Originally published as Group of Aussies who keep being left behind