Inflation, health top voter concerns as Australian federal election looms

Cost of living and healthcare have emerged as the top priorities for Australian voters ahead of the May federal election, with new polling.

Cost of living and healthcare have emerged as the top priorities for Australian voters ahead of the May federal election, with new polling revealing the Morrison government cannot rely on its pandemic management record to win a fourth term.

An SEC Newgate mood-of-the-nation survey, which polled more than 1200 Australians between March 7 and 11 and will track voter sentiment through to election day, found that cost of living and healthcare were the leading “top-of-mind issues”.

Josh Frydenberg’s budget will be headlined on Tuesday by a cost-of-living package in response to rising inflation and soaring petrol prices, which is expected to include one-off cash payments and a cut to fuel excise.

Reducing cost increases for household bills and other essential expenses topped the “political heat scores” for voters across 36 national priorities.

“Investing in quality, affordable healthcare (61 per cent say this is extremely important) and reducing cost-of-living increases (58 per cent) are top order priorities for Australians,” the SEC Newgate report said.

“The importance of Covid management has slipped, suggesting incumbents no longer have the advantage as the nation’s focus shifts elsewhere. In fact, Australians were generally optimistic about the Covid outlook, with 67 per cent thinking things will be better in 12 months and only 12 per cent feeling it will deteriorate.”

After Annastacia Palaszczuk, Mark McGowan and Peter Gutwein were comfortably returned at elections during the pandemic, Steven Marshall’s Liberal government was resoundingly defeated by Labor at the South Australian election.

Following record deluges and destruction of homes in NSW and Queensland earlier this month, floods, disaster management and climate change have re-emerged as top priorities for voters. The fourth- and fifth-highest priorities for Australians were responding to violence against women and strengthening the economy.

Coalition and Labor voters were sharply divided on their top priorities, with Liberal and Nationals supporters identifying the economy as the most important issue.

“The survey showed a high proportion of undecided voters, many of whom are female or aged 18-34, are strongly focused on the economy, suggesting a traditional economic pitch to these voters could be effective for the government.

“Their top priorities were cost of living, healthcare, the economy, violence against women and protecting the natural environment.”

Australians are feeling more stressed, anxious and exhausted after two years of pandemic restrictions and border closures.

“From an equal mix of 32 positive and negative emotions, 57 per cent of surveyed participants selected emotions that were negative in nature, with only 43 per cent positive. Women and those aged 18-34 were most likely to select negative emotions.”

The Business Council of Australia will release new research on Monday outlining the need for more private sector investment to “transform our economy”.

BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott said Pottinger’s Investing in Australia’s Future report highlighted that “we are in the crosshairs of major shifts including the rise of Asia, technological and digital advances and the global adoption of green energy sources”.

Ms Westacott said Tuesday’s budget must tackle fiscal repair, “supercharge our recovery” and seize opportunities in renewable energy and the digital economy.

“That won’t be austerity or big new spending, we have to grow our way out of it by preparing the economy for the big shifts that lie ahead,” Ms Westacott said.