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19 May 2008
Federal Budget 2008 - dislikes
What do you most disapprove of in the Federal Budget?
I've tried doing this one with a pop-up image instead of an embedded one, so hopefully you will get better resolution. So, click here and you should get a usable map. I've used final preference as the variable, so Coalition voters are on the left (the software makes the decisions, not me) and Labor on the right.
There are some lessons for both sides here. For starters, "Alcopops" does not appear as a concept or a theme. There is a good reason for this. "Alcopop" only turns up 15 times out of the whole sample. All the time that the Coalition has spent on this issue has been wasted on the basis of this research. To follow-up, the strongest turn-off for Labor voters was "change". That word has been associated in all our polling in the last 12 months with "climate", and this polling is no exception. Labor was elected on a platform of fixing climate change, and some of their strongest supporters think they are not doing enough.
"Families" is another theme with risks in it for the ALP. Many of the Liberal voters are being turned off by the phrase "working families", because they feel that Labor is too narrowly focussed on a group which doesn't include them. If they're older, or divorced, or if the wife is at home, they feel as though they aren't included. "They keep saying working families as though they are the only people that are important to the economy, there are plenty of people that are working hard that don't have a dependent family and aged pensioners don't even get a mention."
"Tax" cuts all ways. Some feel they are paying too much, and others think that the tax cuts should have been directed to better services. In contrast, "Pensioners" is unambiguous. It may have surprised most commentators that pensioners demonstrated in Melbourne against the budget, but on the basis of this research it shouldn't have been unexpected, even if it couldn't have been predicted.
The "Baby Bonus" made an appearance, and again, for a number of reasons. Some thought that the rich should be encouraged to have more children, because those children were likely to be more successful than average. Others thought there shouldn't be a baby bonus, while still others thought the means test was too generous.
Posted by Graham at May 19, 2008 02:57 PM
Comments
yopta !
keely shaye smith
Posted by: butrikaso at July 1, 2008 11:42 PM
The lack of assistance to pensioners, especially single pensioners and those on Disability Support Pension, was downright disappointing. Frankly, I expected better from the Rudd Government.
Posted by: Alison at June 22, 2008 09:48 PM
The lack of assistance to pensioners, especially single pensioners and those on Disability Support Pension, was downright disappointing. Frankly, I expected better from the Rudd Government.
Posted by: Alison at June 22, 2008 09:48 PM
WATCH OUT CARER'S - the $1600 bonus HAS been scrapped.
It is now,either $1000 or $600 depending on whether you get carer pension or carer allowance. That is the thank you they get for the whole year. Is he kidding? Mr Rudd's promise that carer's would be no dollar worse off was apparently a "Crock of Culled Kangaroos". Bring back Johnny at least he was true to his word to these people, who save the government money each and every year caring for Australia's disabled. Also let me comment on Mum's rights to stay at home and care for their kids. Making single mothers go out to work 15 hours a week is a disgrace. Not only do single parents have no damn time for themselves to rest, now they are expected to be "super people". They are single - doh! and they are doing the jobs of two people as it is and making them find time to work is outrageous. What the hell are men for!! and why have women (single mothers for example) take their jobs, so they can't feed their families. We live in a bit of a backward world.
Posted by: Angela at June 10, 2008 02:08 AM
All Rudd's hinted assurances to pensioners were exactly what we suspected they would be : lies. Comforting lies,but LIES just the same.
Anyone who believes any politician is stupid.
Posted by: Vincent O'Hara at June 7, 2008 09:10 AM
I didn't like the dental component or lack of. As someone on a disability pension who has special needs at dentist (can't have local anaesthetic), last time I went I had major work done without anaesthetic. I didn't fit into Howards debunct scheme either. Am waiting for Health minister to reply to my local member as to what my options are! I wonder how many other people like me there are out there?
Posted by: Lee-Anne Hayes at June 3, 2008 06:43 AM
Stay at home mothers (remember them?) definitely do not get the recognition that they are deserving of. Why is this current Government expecially, so willing to put so much money and assistance into child care outside of the home?? Mother's should be encouraged to be home caring for & raising their own children especially those under school age and given assitance to do so....society in general would benefit greatly.
Posted by: JMW at May 30, 2008 01:44 PM
The forgotten disabled should not necessarily be 'lumped in ' with the aged. Disability can occur at any age and those like my husband who were disabled at 37 ( he is now 55) have found it the hardest to bear. While I get something in a bonus as a carer he is considered so disabled that he hasn't a personality or requirements of his own??
The disability pension should be re-jigged to reflect our 'caring society'. They should not be ignored or made to feel invisible.
I am pleased the aged pensioners are finding a voice..but self funded retirees are too powerful and over ride the needs of those on but a pension.
Posted by: Alison at May 30, 2008 10:43 AM
The forgotten disabled should not necessarily be 'lumped in ' with the aged. Disability can occur at any age and those like my husband who were disabled at 37 ( he is now 55) have found it the hardest to bear. While I get something in a bonus as a carer he is considered so disabled that he hasn't a personality or requirements of his own??
The disability pension should be re-jigged to reflect our 'caring society'. They should not be ignored or made to feel invisible.
I am pleased the aged pensioners are finding a voice..but self funded retirees are too powerful and over ride the needs of those on but a pension.
Posted by: Alison at May 30, 2008 10:42 AM
When will a government bite the bullet and set pensions at a percentage of the average weekly wage, as indeed it was years ago, before the basis was changed to save the incumbants money. It is NOT as though this will be an extremely costly exercise, because not ALL pensioners are in receipt of the full pension. I am a superannuant from a government job, (50 years), and only get $30 a week, plus benefits, from the pension. In this situation I am barely staying in the game.
Posted by: alan kennedy at May 30, 2008 09:23 AM
What about mothers who bring up their own children, rather than send them off to "Don't Care"? Obviously Labour believe that state sponsored instutions, will mold children into there own image, more effectively than parents will.
Posted by: David at May 30, 2008 08:40 AM
The budget was OK excepting that as usual us Pensioner missed out,the people who looked after this country in the past missed out and overall,we are very disappointed.........
Posted by: Peter W Herman at May 30, 2008 08:38 AM
Need to help the penisoner as every one have lots of bills to pay and the cost of food go's up every times we get a bit of a increase in the penison.
Posted by: wayne omara at May 30, 2008 08:26 AM