Lowy Institute Poll 2023 Report

Australian government performance

Budget priorities

This year, Australians were asked whether they think the government should increase, decrease, or keep spending the same for a range of budget priorities. As in previous years, most Australians support an increase in spending on health (85%) and education (73%). Across all other areas, the 2023 survey shows a drop, to varying degrees, in the number of Australians who believe spending should be increased.

The largest shift in opinion relates to defence spending. In 2022, 51% of Australians supported an increase in defence spending, a 20-point rise on the last time the question about budget priorities was asked in 2019. This year, however, support for increasing defence spending has fallen ten points to 41%. An almost equal number of Australians (39%) think defence spending should remain about the same, while 20% think it should be decreased.

In 2023, most Australians would keep foreign aid spending the same (43%). However, in a seven-point drop from last year, only 17% now support an increase in foreign aid spending. And more than double this number would reduce the aid budget (40%), a rise of six points on last year.

Support for increasing social welfare declined five points to 51% in 2023. Support for increasing spending on border protection dropped six points to 33%.

Labor government report card

Almost one year into the Labor government’s term, Australians were asked to give it a score out of ten for its handling of a number of issues. Australians give the government its highest mark for ‘maintaining a strong alliance with the United States’ (7.1 out of 10). This comes at a time when an overwhelming majority of Australians see the alliance as important to Australia’s security. The government is also rated highly for ‘presenting a good image of Australia internationally’ (6.8).

The Labor government receives its lowest mark for ‘managing Australia’s approach to climate change’ (5.3). On this issue, the majority of Australians have seen global warming as a ‘serious and pressing problem’ since 2015. The government receives its next lowest mark for ‘managing Australia’s economy’ (5.7).

In 2021, when the Lowy Institute Poll last asked this question, Australians awarded the then Coalition government its highest marks for ‘managing Australia’s response to Covid-19’ (7.7), followed by ‘maintaining Australia’s national security’ and ‘maintaining a strong alliance with the United States’ (both at 6.8).

In 2021, Australians also gave the then Coalition government its lowest mark for ‘managing Australia’s approach to climate change’ (4.6), and its next lowest mark for ‘managing Australia’s relationship with China’ (5.1).

Australian prime ministers and foreign policy

Over the past 15 years, Australia has had three Labor and three Coalition prime ministers. In this Poll, we asked Australians how they rated the foreign policy performance of each of these leaders, a question we last asked in 2016.¹

One year into the role, Anthony Albanese is ranked the highest of all prime ministers on this measure, with 83% of Australians saying he is doing a ‘very good’ or ‘reasonable’ job handling foreign policy. He is followed by Kevin Rudd (78%), Julia Gillard (77%) and Malcolm Turnbull (69%). Australians regard Tony Abbott (50%) and Scott Morrison (46%) the least favourably on their handling of foreign policy.