The findings are contained in the latest quarterly True Issues survey conducted by JWS Research and canvassing the views of 1100 voters. They are presented with a list of 11 issues, asked to rate them in order of importance, and the government's performance on each.

The survey was conducted from November 5 to November 10 when political debate about a GST increase was prominent. It found that since the last survey in June the government's performance rating across every issue fell, the first time this has happened.

The issues tested were hospitals and healthcare, the economy, education, immigration and border security, community and social issues, infrastructure, quality of government, environment, defence and security, regional and rural Australia, and business and mining.

Hospitals (81 per cent), the economy and finances (64 per cent) and education (60 per cent) remained the top three issues of importance but had the greatest gap between importance and government performance. The performance rating on hospitals fell from 18 to 15 per cent, the economy from 22 to 17 per cent and education from 25 to 22 per cent.

JWS Research director John Scales, who informs his analysis with focus group research, believes talk of a GST increase is like a "sea-anchor" in terms of acting as a drag across government. This is partially assisted by growing global insecurity.

Cost of living

When those who nominate the economy as a concern are presented with a list of economic issues, the cost of living is cited by 50 per cent of voters. This is more than double the next-highest area of economic concern – the 24 per cent who cite housing affordability.

The poll finds those who think the national economy is headed in the right direction has fallen from 24 to 18 per cent. Mr Scales said this pessimism is driven by a decline in manufacturing and mining, and uncertainty about what will replace them.


"They don't know where the new jobs are coming from," he said.

Concerns about housing availability and foreign ownership are also on the rise, fuelling uncertainty about the future.

All of this, he said, is driving the expectation burden on the new government which is keen to consolidate its poll lead by rolling out measures. The first significant move will be the innovation statement in the second week of December.

Immigration

When Mr Abbott became prime minister in 2013, one of the biggest shifts in True Issues was the decline of border security and immigration as a priority issue of concern. This was because the government stopped the boat arrivals.

But the latest survey finds it has returned as the fourth-highest area of concern, moving from 40 to 46 per cent since June, while the government's performance rating has dropped from 34 to 29 per cent. Fears of Australians fighting abroad have dropped 15 per cent since June, to be replaced by rising fears about people coming into the country as refugees (up 7 points) and immigrants (up 10 points).

"It's not about people going away any more, it's about them coming back," Mr Scales said.

"This is pre-Paris – imagine what has happened since?"

The research attributes the change to the shootings on October of a police employee outside the Parramatta police station and images of vast refugee flows into Europe.