Property Tax Plan Draws Strong Opposition From Voters

The latest budget from Australia’s centre‑left government has sparked a sharp backlash among the public, according to two influential polls. The government announced changes that would reduce tax breaks for property investors, aiming to level the playing field across generations. Critics argue that the new rules favour older and wealthier homeowners, while many voters feel the measures could hurt the economy. A survey taken right after the budget release found that almost half of respondents thought it would damage economic growth. More than six in ten said the housing reforms were either a mistake or would not matter at all. The budget received a net approval rating of minus 25, the lowest in many years. Despite this negative reaction, the ruling party’s core support stayed flat at 31 per cent of primary votes. The prime minister remained the most popular leader, holding a steady minus 17 percent approval. Opposition figures saw small shifts: the conservative leader’s favourability edged up by one point, while support for the coalition fell slightly.A smaller party on the right gained three points in overall votes, indicating a shift toward more extreme options. Another poll of 1, 800 voters echoed these trends, showing the budget pulling back primary support for the ruling party by three points. Support moved toward the right‑wing party, which gained two points, while the traditional coalition slipped below it. The opposition leader now tops polls as the preferred prime minister, ahead of the ruling party’s leader by a narrow margin. Older voters, property owners and investors were most upset, with roughly 40 per cent in each group saying the tax changes hurt their view of the government. Younger Australians and renters were less critical, showing that the issue divides the population along age lines. The government had promised no changes to housing taxes during its 2025 election campaign, a pledge that may now be questioned after the budget’s reception.