More than three-quarters of voters support capping electricity and gas prices and reducing the tax on petrol as Australians call for more cost-of-living relief in the lead-up to the budget.
The Guardian Essential poll of 1,133 people found 77% of voters approve those measures, with a majority also in favour of increasing the minimum wage, cheaper childcare and cutting income tax.
Voters were also overwhelmingly of the view that the prime minister should be required to get parliamentary approval before going to war, with 90% in favour and just 10% saying they should not need approval.
Last week a parliamentary inquiry recommended that parliament have input after the decision to go to war, with ministers forced to explain the “legal basis” for going to war.
The poll found respondents under cost-of-living pressure on a range of expenses, including 70% finding it “a bit difficult” or “struggling” to afford housing expenses including rent and mortgage payments, and 64% who said the same of utility bills.
Most voters said that governments could make a difference to the cost of living: 31% said “a lot” of difference, 40% “a fair amount”, 18% “not that much”, 5% “hardly anything” and 6% “unsure”.
Support was highest for capping prices for electricity and gas, and reducing fuel excise, with 77% describing these as “something that would make a difference and the government should do”.
However, 18% said cutting petrol tax was “something that would make a difference but the government should not do” and a further 5% said it wouldn’t work.
A majority were also in favour of increasing the minimum wage (73%), making childcare cheaper (66%), cutting income tax (60%) and changing industrial laws so it’s easier for workers to negotiate pay rises (57%).
On Friday the Albanese government made a submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual minimum wage review calling for the wages of the low-paid to keep up with inflation.
In the lead-up to the May budget the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, has said the government’s job is to look at “how we can provide cost-of-living relief” without making the job of the Reserve Bank to reduce inflation harder.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said cost-of-living relief was a “priority” but needed to be provided in “the most responsible and affordable way consistent with the budget constraints that we’ve got, as well”.
In addition to capping coal and gas prices, the energy price relief plan passed in December promised $1.5bn in consumer rebates to flow after the budget. In September, Labor made the unpopular decision to allow the temporary six-month halving of petrol tax to lapse.
The poll was conducted last week after Labor and the Greens announced a deal with an absolute cap on emissions that helped the government pass its safeguard mechanism requiring industries to reduce emissions intensity in the Senate.
The poll found the proportion of Australians who say not enough is being done to combat climate change fell four points to 39%, while those who said it is doing too much increased by four points to 16%. Thirty-three per cent said it was doing enough – up one point – while 12% said they did not know.
About half (51%) backed the establishment of a national authority to manage the transition to renewable energy, a proposal supported by Australian unions and the Greens.
Half were in support of “governments assessing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions when considering the approval of new projects, including coal and gas”, another measure backed by the Greens but rejected by Labor in negotiations.
Despite the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, citing earlier Guardian Essential polling that 62% of Australians want to stop new coal, the new poll found support drops to just 34% when respondents were asked about “ending all future coal mining and gas extraction projects”.
The safeguard deal imposed a requirement of net zero emissions on the Beetaloo basin and liquefied natural gas export projects, but not gas for domestic consumption, reflecting Labor’s view new projects might be needed to support its use as a transition fuel.
There was a small movement within the margin of error in relation to Anthony Albanese’s approval, down one point to 52%, with disapproval up one to 35%.
A bigger increase was recorded among those who said they “strongly disapproved” of the job he was doing, up three points to 17%.
