Our two new True Issues reports for September 2025 see notable moves in our regular tracking and illuminate how people see the economic policy task ahead after the August Reform Roundtable
The latest edition of our True Issues survey report is now available online, as published in the Australian Financial Review by political editor Phil Coorey.
As Australia settles into the second half of a busy 2025 in the wake of a decisive election win for Labor and a gradually more benign lending environment for homeowners, public perceptions about the direction of the national economy have improved since early in the year. Often called ‘right track/wrong track’, net perception that the economy is now headed in the right direction has notably improved several points since February’s True Issues, from negative 23 back at the start of the year to negative 15 in September. Australians’ view of their own personal situation has also improved a couple of points over this period. So while there is still plenty of concern out there about where the country’s economics are headed, the level of pessimism is clearly less severe than prior to the Federal election campaign.
Nevertheless, as has been the case for a very extended period, cost of living remains by far and away the number one issue people want policy makers to focus on. It has moderated slightly since February but affordability is still the predominant issue for most Aussie households in every state and territory. What has moved to a significant degree are perceptions about the housing crisis. As True Issues has previously demonstrated, most people do regard housing supply and affordability as in a state of crisis and as of September 2025 housing is now the number two issue for most people, with health and hospitals now shifted back a spot into outright third position in our prompted issues ladder.
Related insights from True Issues and other data and commentary by JWS Research has also been covered by different media in recent times, including the ABC, AFR and The Australian. You can find those research informed media articles and interviews here:
- ABC Insiders – Interview with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley
- The Australian – Tom Dusevic’s article on the immigration debate
- The Australian – Coverage of our Reform Roundtable research for McKinnon
- The Australian – Further coverage of our Reform Roundtable research
True Issues 38 – September 2025
With the third RBA rate cut of the year on 12 August, and following a week in which the Federal Government held its Economic Reform Roundtable and thousands of Australians attended anti-immigration rallies across the country, this latest True Issues® sees fewer Australians concerned about cost of living and interest rates than in early 2025 but more who want a focus on housing and immigration.
Unprompted, a slight majority (52%) of adults name cost of living in their top three most important issues or concerns and three-quarters (76%) select it in their top five from a prompted list – both down from the previous poll in February (58% and 80%, respectively).
Housing supply and affordability has edged ahead of hospitals and healthcare as the next most important issue (51% and 48% prompted mentions, respectively). With continued growth forecast for property prices and rents, housing is more top of mind than earlier this year (37%, up from 30%), and well ahead of hospitals and healthcare (22%). A majority (60%) of 18 to 34 year olds and half (50%) of 35 to 54 year olds are looking to the Federal Government to act on housing.
Apart from living costs, government performance has improved most markedly since February on interest rates (index score of 42, up six points), provision of public services (index score of 53, up three points) and employment and wages (index score of 47, up three points).
Confidence in the national economy is improved though still skewed more towards the negative. Fewer Australians now see the economy heading in the wrong direction (38%, down from 42%) and more now see it heading in the right direction (23%, up from 19%). This net difference (-15) is substantially improved from February (-23).
Australians continue to be more positive about business and industry (index score of 54), rating its performance ahead of all levels of government. However, a similar proportion of adults continue to see business heading in the wrong direction (23%) as in the right direction (22%).
At state level, rated performance of the SA Government remains most positive (index score of 62), followed by the NSW, WA and Queensland Governments (index scores of 52, 51 and 51, respectively). More residents see these state economies as heading in the right direction than in the wrong direction, except in NSW where more continue to see their economy as heading in the wrong direction.
In contrast, the Victorian Government continues to rate well below ‘average’ (index score of 36) and more residents continue to see this state economy as heading in the wrong direction than in the right direction.
Policy deliberations in the wake of the Economic Reform Roundtable
In the aftermath of the Federal Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable held in Canberra from 19-21 August, public awareness of the summit and knowledge of its deliberations are muted. A majority of Australians (54%) have heard about the Roundtable but those that have definitely heard about it constitute just 1 in 4 adults (26%) and only 6% of people who heard about it say they know a lot about it.
Support for the mission of economic reform however is quite strong at 61%, no doubt arising from the levels of concern about the health of the Australian economy in September 2025. Only 20% of people regard the nation’s economic health as strong today, while 42% rate our economic health as average and 34% regard it as weak. Notably ALP voters (78%) and men (67%) are significantly more likely to back the economic reform proposition than people overall.
Starting opposition is relatively low with only 8% of Australians negative about the idea of economic reform, though there is significantly higher opposition from certain cohorts of the community including those who regard our economic health as weak (17%), LNP voters (15%), Other (ie non major party) voters (15%) and men (12%).
Of Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ three key stated principles for economic reform expressed at the conclusion of the Roundtable, the one regarded as most important in the public’s mind is delivering ‘a simpler more sustainable tax system to fund the services people need’, which 62% of Australians regard as a high priority. This is marginally ahead of ‘a fair go for working people, including fairness between generations (60%) and then ‘an affordable, responsible way to incentivise business investment’ (47%).
Examining the more specific priorities for reform progress by the Government, the top policy area is ‘building a skilled and adaptable workforce’ which 75% of the country regard as a high priority.
‘Reforming the tax system to make it fairer and more sustainable for the future’ (66%) and ‘improving the way government services are delivered’ (65%) are also comparatively high priorities for reform progress.
‘Changing superannuation rules so more investment goes into housing and clean energy’ (39%) and ‘introducing a fairer way for drivers to pay for roads as more people use electric vehicles’ (41%) are by comparison much less of a priority in the eyes of the general public.
Furthermore, when asked what people would most like see achieved through economic reform, only 4% back ‘more investment in artificial intelligence in our workplaces’. Policy experts may be excited by the productivity potential of AI, but research shows there is still a long way to go in building the confidence of the Australian community.
Whether the Federal Government can deliver is far from settled in the public’s mind. A majority (54%) are not confident they can deliver reform to improve the economy, while 38% feel confident the Government can. Ordinary Australians (83%) are easily the most important part of the debate to listen to as things progress, whilst unions are regarded as the least important in the community’s assessment (47%).
Furthermore, when asked what people would most like see achieved through economic reform, only 4% back ‘more investment in artificial intelligence in our workplaces’. Policy experts may be excited by the productivity potential of AI, but research shows there is still a long way to go in building the confidence of the Australian community.
Whether the Federal Government can deliver is far from settled in the public’s mind. A majority (54%) are not confident they can deliver reform to improve the economy, while 38% feel confident the Government can. Ordinary Australians (83%) are easily the most important part of the debate to listen to as things progress, whilst unions are regarded as the least important in the community’s assessment (47%).
For the full report looking at a range of policy options canvassed at the Reform Roundtable, what people want to see achieved and given priority effort and who they want the government to listen most to on the reform journey go here.
True Issues is a research tool to assist Australian businesses to understand where their issues truly sit within the contemporary issues landscape. This poll was conducted as an online survey between 29 August and 1 September 2025 among a representative national sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18+ years.
Here are the links again for our special edition Economic Reform Roundtable and True Issues 38 reports. For further enquiries or to include your issue in the next wave, please get in touch.
