Under the proposed changes, Australians with super balances over $3 million would pay 30% tax – rather than 15% – on earnings above $3 million.
According to Australian Tax Office data, the current average super balance in Australia is around $182,000 for men and $146,000 for women. Among those aged 60 to 65, it's around $402,000 for men and $318,000 for women.
The poll, conducted by YouGov, shows 52% of Australians support the proposed changes, compared to 26% who oppose them, while a similar figure (22%) don't know or are unsure.
Key findings:
25% of Australians say they "strongly support" reducing tax concessions for people with super balances over $3 million, while 27% support the changes.
14% of Australians say they "strongly oppose" reducing tax concessions for people with super balances over $3 million, while 12% oppose the changes.
One in five of Australians think the changes will have an impact on their retirement plans, but the reality is that only one in 200 people have super balances that would be affected by the changes.
"Twice as many Australians support the proposal to reduce tax concessions on superannuation balances over $3 million as oppose the idea," said Richard Denniss, Executive Director of The Australia Institute.
"Given that most Australians have less than $200,000 in super, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of ordinary Australians don't share the hysteria about this small change expressed by some very vocal critics.
"This polling shows that the wailing of the worried wealthy, which has dominated much of the media coverage of the government's proposed changes to superannuation, has not translated into any widespread concern among the 99 percent of Australians who have less than $3 million in super.
"Young people who can't afford rent, young families who can't afford childcare and older women retiring with little or no super are all facing much bigger and more pressing problems than a small reduction in tax concessions on the superannuation balances of the richest one percent.
"While it is up to the Liberal Party to decide which people and which problems they want to prioritise, it's surprising that so soon after losing a record number of young voters and women voters that Sussan Ley would choose to make such a big fuss over an issue that overwhelmingly affects wealthy older men.
"One of the most interesting results is that independent voters, the voters who have cost the Liberal party so many of their once safest seats, are the most supportive of Labor's proposed changes."
