Cost of living is the main concern for Australians casting their vote at the federal election, new analysis shows.
Labor continues to spruik its measures to help ease living pressures while the Liberal-National coalition will announce extra defence spending.
Almost two-thirds of Australians want reducing the cost of living to be a top priority for the next federal government, the survey conducted by the Australian National University found.
Of 3500 voters surveyed, 64.7 per cent thought the high cost of living needed to be urgently addressed and outranked all other major policy considerations.
“Interestingly, we also found that this was a view held by people who said they would vote for Labor, for people who said they would vote for the coalition and for those who weren’t planning on voting for either party,” study co-author Professor Nicholas Biddle said.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese pitched his “no one left behind, no one held back” motto while touring a community volunteer centre in his own electorate of Grayndler.
“What we need isn’t just cost of living relief during an election campaign that disappears once people have cast their vote, what we actually need is strategies and plans,” he told reporters on Friday.
“(Labor) have a plan to make sure that all of our expenditures or big commitments that we’re making are ones that will grow the economy.”
Mr Albanese said if elected, Labor would review all current government expenses by the end of the year to find where spending could be improved.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to make an election promise to train an additional 1500 workers for the nation’s defence industry under a $108.5 million plan.
Mr Morrison, visiting Perth on Friday, will announce the expansion of the Defence Industry Pathways Program to upskill additional teenagers graduating or leaving school in 14 regions across the country.
The students will receive national accreditation and will be trained with practical experience in trades, as well as skills in engineering, project management and logistics, and cyber security.
Mr Morrison said his government’s $270 billion investment in Australia’s defence capabilities this decade included a “strong pipeline of workers” in local industry.
“Our investment in building the capabilities of Australia’s defence force is about keeping our country strong and secure and backing local skills and jobs,” he said.
“The skills and knowledge this program will give to graduates will set them up for a career in defence equipment manufacturing technology, and set them up for life.”
