worst-ever voter – Voters have delivered the worst reception in Resolve Political Monitor history to Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ fifth federal budget, with only 24% saying it would be good for them while 35% called it poor. Resolve polling also shows major support for some individua
When Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his fifth federal budget last week, it didn’t just land in Parliament—it fell flat with voters.
In the Resolve Political Monitor, the budget drew the lowest voter reception since the tracking began in May 2021.. Just 24 per cent of people polled after last Tuesday’s budget agreed with the proposition that this year’s policies would be “good” or “very good” for them and their household.. Another 35 per cent said it would be “poor” or “very poor”, while 41 per cent of voters were unsure or neutral.
Chalmers’ standing in the poll also sat against comparatively better marks for earlier budgets tracked by Resolve. Josh Frydenberg’s March 2022 budget, and Chalmers’ May 2024 budget, both registered overall ratings of 40 per cent in favour.
Other recent budgets were also mixed. About 35 per cent of voters said the May 2021 budget was “good” or “very good”, while the October 2022 and March 2025 budgets both recorded scores of 28 per cent.
Labor had flagged before the budget that it would involve difficult choices and changes to the tax system that could spark controversy and leave some people worse off.. Resolve’s results suggest the warning wasn’t overstated—but the political consequences appear sharper given how the government has moved in.
Despite Labor holding 94 seats in the House of Representatives, the prime minister chose to spend political capital and take risks the government had previously been reluctant to touch.
It shows up across categories.. For the 2026 budget. Resolve recorded the lowest overall good score in the last five years for how it would affect the country as a whole (30 per cent). the health of the economy (31 per cent). job creation and wages (31 per cent). women (24 per cent) and older Australians (25 per cent).
The Resolve poll conducted for this masthead after the budget—running from May 13 to 16—surveyed 1,800 voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.3 per cent.
The measures in question included paring back capital gains tax breaks and scrapping negative gearing on existing properties. Labor argues the changes will reduce incentives for property investors and make it easier for first home buyers to enter the market.
The government also framed the package as an attempt to tackle intergenerational inequality. Resolve found it was most popular with people aged 18 to 34, with two out of five voters in that mostly Generation Z group ranking the budget as good overall.
But the support dropped steeply outside that bracket.. Only a quarter of voters aged 35 to 54—described as a mix of Millennials and Generation X in their peak mortgage-paying and child-raising years—rated the budget as good.. Among people over 55, just 11 per cent gave the budget a “good” rating for them and their households.
Across tax brackets, high-income earners were the most likely to rate the budget as good for their household, with 31 per cent giving it a tick. Middle-income earners recorded 22 per cent, while low-income earners recorded 18 per cent.
Even with a low overall reception, there was clear support for some parts of the budget.. More than two-thirds of voters said they would like the federal government to extend the 50 per cent cut to the fuel excise. which was introduced after fuel prices surged due to war in the Middle East and is due to expire on June 30.
Resolve also found strong backing for individual measures. including 58 per cent support for $2 billion more being spent on infrastructure for new housing. 60 per cent of people backing the $1. 000 standard tax deduction. and 58 per cent of people backing the $10 billion package designed to boost Australia’s fuel surpluses.
The voting intentions shifted sharply as well. The Resolve poll found the federal government’s primary vote had slumped 3 percentage points to 29 per cent. The Coalition was on 23 per cent, with One Nation at 24 per cent.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, who stepped up claims on Monday that the budget introduced a death tax by stealth, moved ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister. The poll had Taylor leading 33–30, with 37 per cent of people undecided.
Albanese played down the hit he and Labor had taken in the polls after the budget, arguing that “what we’re doing here is getting it right [the tax system] for 75,000 young people to get in their own home”.
The pattern that stands out in the numbers is that overall “good” ratings fell to 24 per cent after the 2026 budget. yet several individual measures still attracted majority support—fuel excise extension. housing infrastructure. the $1. 000 standard tax deduction and the $10 billion fuel-surpluses package.
Australia budget Jim Chalmers Resolve Political Monitor voter reception tax changes negative gearing capital gains tax breaks fuel excise cut housing infrastructure standard tax deduction primary vote