New polling from Anglicare Australia shows Australians want revenue from tax reform used to tackle the housing crisis and rising living costs—not just returned through tax cuts.
The polling, released alongside Anglicare Australia’s new report Making Tax Reform Count, comes as the Federal Government considers changes to the Capital Gains Tax discount ahead of the May Budget.
The polling shows:
- 69% support raising the tax-free threshold, a more structural change to the tax system
- Investment in public and community housing is a top priority for 23% of Australians
- Energy bill relief (21%) and increasing Centrelink payments (19%) also rank ahead of tax cuts
- While tax cuts have 69% support in principle, they fall sharply when people are asked to choose priorities.
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said Australians are looking for real solutions, not small tax cuts.
“Australians know a few extra dollars in their pay packet won’t fix what’s really going on.
“They want action on housing, on energy costs, and on incomes, not more of the same.”
The report outlines four options for using revenue from tax reform: building public and community housing, raising the tax-free threshold, increasing working-age payments, and wiping unpayable energy debt.
Ms Chambers said the findings challenge the assumption that tax cuts are the default response.
“Tax cuts might sound good in theory. But when people are asked what actually matters, they choose the things that will make a real difference to their lives.
“That means fixing the housing crisis, lifting incomes for people doing it tough, and bringing down essential costs.
“This is a rare opportunity to turn tax reform into real reform.
“The question for the Government is simple: will it spread money thinly, or use it to fix the problems driving inequality and financial stress?”