According to a new survey by thinktank Per Capita, a majority of Australians want to see more government spending on social security.

The survey of 1,557 Australians also reveals that most believe wealthy businesses are not paying a fair share, and public support for the government’s company tax cuts is low.

Other key findings include:

  • More Australians in the middle-income bracket believe they are paying too much tax.
  • More than three-quarters of respondents support higher government spending on both health and education.
  • Respondents strongly support the removal tax concessions which allow people and companies to reduce their tax.
  • More than 60% believe we should crack down on corporate tax avoidance to pay for more services.
  • 57% of respondents say negative gearing should either be restricted or abolished.
  • 62% oppose a tax cut for big business.
  • Only just over a quarter of respondents supported the Government’s now-abandoned measure to increase the Medicare Levy on all Australians to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The survey has been conducted almost annually since 2010. The paper states that “the results provide a snapshot of the Australian public’s attitudes towards taxation and public expenditure, and a long-term view of trends in public sensibility towards our tax and transfer system.”

Deloitte Access has also called for an increase in Newstart payments, following a higher than expected government revenue. “Newstart hasn’t kept up with national living standards for more than a quarter of a century, shrinking sharply as a share of average and minimum wages, and relative to the age pension,” states the Budget Monitor. “And it’s set to shrink even further, as it is indexed to prices rather than wages. That’s why the Henry Review specifically called out the collapsing ratio between Newstart and the age pension.”

(Source: Per Capita | Read the Paper | Deloitte Budget Monitor)

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