New figures suggest Australians’ confidence in the federal government has increased. 

Research from the Australian National University (ANU) reveals Australians believe the government's most critical role is to provide healthcare for the sick, the national borders, and ensure a decent standard of living for the elderly. 

The study surveyed over 3,300 adults in January 2023 as part of the COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Survey, which has been monitoring the pandemic's impact in Australia since April 2020.

According to the study's findings, the government's lowest levels of support include providing a decent standard of living for the unemployed, offering industry assistance, and creating jobs for everyone who wants one. 

Study co-author Professor Nicholas Biddle noted that it was “particularly surprising” to find that support for a substantial role for government was lower during the COVID-19 period than it was pre-COVID.

Prof Biddle also observed that despite these findings, confidence in government remained strong. 

The proportion of Australians who expressed confidence in the federal government rose from 35.6 per cent in April 2022, just before the federal election, to 52.9 per cent in August 2022. In January 2023, confidence remained steady at 51.2 per cent.

He also noted that Australians' high level of satisfaction with and trust in government was influencing attitudes towards the government's role. 

He suggested that “perhaps because of this satisfaction, Australians do not appear to be demanding a much greater role for government. Indeed, apart from support for the unemployed, in many areas, fewer Australians believe governments should have a role to play”.

The study found that 73.9 per cent of Australians were satisfied or very satisfied with the country's direction, with Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic playing a crucial role in shaping Australians' attitudes toward the government. 

However, the survey also revealed that Australians are more financially stressed than at any other time during or just before the pandemic, with nearly one in three people (27.9 per cent) finding it difficult to make ends meet on their current income.

According to Prof Biddle, financial stress is one of the most significant issues that most Australians are struggling with, with rising prices being a significant concern for almost half of the respondents. 

The survey also revealed that attention has shifted to the economy, with 44.5 per cent of Australians identifying economic issues as the most important, followed by housing shortages/affordability and interest rates at 9.3 per cent, while only 1.3 per cent listed COVID-19 in the same category.

The full report is accessible here.