Polling of the marginal seat of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, shows strong opposition to two Coalition policies before the current parliamentary sitting – welfare cuts, and cutting the company tax rate.

The survey, conducted by ReachTEL for Canberra-based think tank The Australia Institute, asked respondents if the government should cut, keep the same, or increase Newstart. Over 60 percent wanted the benefit to be kept at the current rate or be increased. [Results in attachement below]

“The governments proposed cuts to Newstart are deeply unpopular,” Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Ben Oquist said.

“The cuts proposed are related to the clean energy supplement – associated with increased electricity bills due to the carbon tax. But since the carbon tax repeal, power prices have not dropped – they have actually risen sharply.”

“In a seat held by one of the most conservative politicians in parliament, almost as many people want Newstart increased as decreased. Only 30 percent agree with the governments’ policy.

Research by The Australia Institute also reveals that the cuts would push Newstart recipients to a record level below the poverty line.

“The polling shows that the revenue-crippling $50 billion tax cut to big business, in addition to being bad economics, remains politically toxic.”

“When voters were asked what should happen to the company tax rate paid by banks, only 7 percent agreed with the Coalition position of cutting it. 44 percent think the banks should pay more tax,” Oquist said.

Question: The Newstart allowance is currently $264.35 per week for a single person with no children. The Turnbull government proposes to cut Newstart unemployment benefits for new recipients by $8.80 a fortnight (by removing the clean energy supplement). Do you think the government should?

Question: Some Members of Parliament have proposed that the big banks should be excluded from the proposed company tax cut. Do you think the company tax rate for banks should?