Baby boomers and retirees have spoken, telling politicians what they deem the most important issues for older Australians in the upcoming election battle.
Our Friday Flash Poll: Which election issues matter most to you? attracted 1458 respondents, 58 per cent of whom were male and 42 per cent female, mostly aged between 65 and 74 years old. Three in 10 were typically Labor voters (30 per cent) and a little fewer were Liberal voters (29 per cent). The next largest voting cohorts were Greens, Independent and One Nation, in that order.
However, 21 per cent call themselves swinging voters, which could be a telling factor come the next federal election – especially if the demands of Australians aged over 55 aren’t satisfied.
When asked which issues mattered most, unsurprisingly, increasing the Age Pension came out on top with 12 per cent. Addressing Health/Medicare followed very close behind – also on 12 per cent but with 16 fewer votes.
The issues that matter most are:
- Increasing Age Pension payments – 12 per cent
- Health/Medicare – 12 per cent
- Energy and climate change – 10 per cent
- Border security – eight per cent
- Aged care – eight per cent
- Federal ICAC (cleaning up political corruption) – eight per cent
- Energy prices – seven per cent
- Economy remaining in surplus –five per cent
- Migration policy – five per cent
- Addressing poverty – four per cent
- Investment in infrastructure – three per cent
- Treatment of asylum seekers/refugees – three per cent
- Education – two per cent
- Stability – two per cent
- Housing affordability – two per cent
- Defence/security – two per cent
- Wage growth – one per cent
- Inequality/women’s rights – one per cent
- Tax cuts – one per cent
- Foreign policy – one per cent
Other issues that were mentioned as very important were:
exerpt from Your Life Choices survey.
- Franking credits
- Foreign ownership of Australian assets
- Banning live exports
- Revising the home/assets test
- Methods of assessment (specifically disability pensions)
- Recognising unpaid carers.
Dave R.
