50% of swing seat voters willing to change their vote based on aged care policy

Half of voters surveyed by independent polling group RedBridge Group are open to changing their vote based on the aged care policies presented by the Coalition and Labor during the Federal election campaign, indicating that aged care could prove a powerful decider for voters – if either party chooses to single it out as a key election issue. The research – which was conducted as part of RedBridge’s social awareness program and polled 1,500 voters in three key swing seats (Corangamite in southwest Victoria, Lindsay in Western Sydney and Banks in south-west Sydney) between 21-23 February 2022 – found four out of five voters believed the Federal Government hasn’t adequately funded the aged care sector.

Voters want strong focus on aged care in election campaign

Less than one-third (28.6%) agreed the sector was safe, while only 18.8% thought that the Morrison Government’s Royal Commission response was adequate. Overall, 68.5% of respondents said that both parties should have a strong focus on aged care in the upcoming Federal election campaign.

With the election expected to take place in early May – but yet to be called – both parties have skirted around the issue of aged care in recent weeks. Labor has been quick to criticise Aged Care Services Minister Senator Richard Colbeck and the Coalition over its handling of the Omicron wave in residential care, but has yet to detail a concerted aged care policy. On the other side, the Morrison Government has spruiked its Royal Commission reforms, but kept the issue of funding the sector in the long-term off the table. The poll’s findings, however, suggest it could benefit both sides to outline their aged care ambitions.

Labor doesn’t see aged care as an election issue: RedBridge

Kosmos Samaras, RedBridge’s Director Strategy and Campaigns and a former Labor campaign strategist, tells us that the idea to poll voters on aged care came from their focus groups, where aged care was viewed as a significant issue, particularly among Generation X participants aged 40 to 55 with ageing parents.

“There is this nervousness as a result of the pandemic from people putting their parents into these aged care environments because they are concerned about the risk,” he said.

Kosmos added that despite the poll’s findings, the feedback from Labor has been that the party doesn’t see aged care as an election issue.

“I know they are wrong,” he said. “It’s more potent than national security. The media and the political class obsess about traditional political platforms, but what we do is work out what motivates people’s voting behaviour. I think the wellbeing of people that you love and their health and your ability to provide care for them is paramount for so many people now – and if you give people a choice on that issue versus national security, they will choose that issue.”

Is this a sign that both parties need to re-think their election strategies? You can download the findings of the poll here.