ACTU polls health and education views

ACTU polls health and education views

THE ACTU says, of 1,000 voters surveyed in August, 700 would support an increase in the Medicare levy and 750 would back a union policy push for increased government funding for health and education services.

Survey managers Australian Research Consultants said 69 per cent of Coalition supporters indicated they would prefer the Government spent more on such services rather than offer tax cuts.

The greatest support for the extra funding came from households earning less than $30,000 per year – 82 per cent of these housholds wanted extra funding.

But ARC also found that 72 per cent of the whole group said they would be better off if bulk billing were preserved.

This result compares with a Newspoll survey reporting 69 per cent of respondents would “support an increase in the Medicare levy if it was the only way to allow continued access to bulk billing”. The survey had implications for the Federal Government, employers and workers, the ACTU said.