Fairfax and News Corp have released their post-Budget opinion polls showing overwhelming support for the Coalition’s Medicare and banking levies.
While the latest Fairfax-Ipsos and Newspoll results show strong support for Budget measures, the Turnbull Government is slipping further behind Labor in two-party terms.
In Sydney selling last Tuesday’s Budget, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the polls show the public have endorsed it as “fair”.
“What you have seen in those polls, that you are more interested in than me, what you’ve seen is strong support for the Budget measures,” he said.
“The Budget is a fair Budget, it is a responsible Budget and it is… focused and directed.”
The three key measures, including a levy on the five biggest banks, a 0.5 percentage point lift in the Medicare levy to fund the national disability insurance scheme, and a $18.6 billion rise in schools funding over the decade, are to be debated in the Senate.
Budget hoping to reduce 'Mediscare' impact
Mr Turnbull has urged influential crossbench senators to listen to the public support before they make a decision on how to vote.
"That's the important thing because we want the senators to listen to that, the sentiment that's being reflected from the public, and support all those measures when they come to the senate," he said.
Prime Minister Turnbull has promised to negotiate with key senators “one at a time”.
“Over the last year, we have got many more things through the Senate than the distinguished members of the media predicted,” he said.
While the polls were strongly supportive of the Budget, they also suggested Labor would win in a landslide win for Labor, with both giving the opposition a 53-47 two-party preferred lead.
While favourable of one aspect of the polls Mr Turnbull dismissed the negative result and said the federal election was still two years away.
"If we continue to work hard and deliver on good outcomes for the Australian people, we will be returned in two years' time," he said.
Bill Shorten delivers fiery budget reply
On Monday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said his party would not be "bullied" by the Prime Minister into accepting his Budget when there were other ways to find the money for the NDIS, including scrapping company tax cuts and restricting the deficit levy to high income earners.
"You can't and you won't bully Labor away from doing what we think is in the national interest," Mr Shorten said, visiting a Melbourne TAFE campus.
"I have a great free tip for Malcolm Turnbull: Don't give $65 billion away to the largest companies in Australia. Use some of that money which you are robbing from the Budget to pay for the NDIS.”
