MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2026 - Almost 9 in 10 Victorian grandparents fear the state's debt will be passed on to their grandchildren, with both parents and grandparents warning it will shape their vote in November.
Research* commissioned by independent advocate AMPLIFY has found 88% of Victorian grandparents agree that if the debt isn't paid off it will grow and be passed on to the next generation, including 61% who strongly agree. Among parents, 82% agree compared with 77% of all Victorians.
Almost 9 in 10 (87%) grandparents expect the debt to have an impact on children and the next generation, with 56% expecting a significant impact (compared with 43% of all Victorians). This is the perspective of people with a longer-lived experience of economic and financial cycles.
The research also found that three-quarters (76%) of grandparents and two-thirds (69%) of parents say debt is likely to factor into their vote at the state election, compared with 65% of all Victorians. More than 4 in 10 grandparents(42%) say it is very likely.
Grandparents (64%) and parents (57%) want the next government to pay down the debt rather than keep borrowing or just cover the interest. And they don't want the bill handed to taxpayers: 72% of grandparents and 63% of parents back reducing government spending to get the budget back into surplus, while just 9% of grandparents and 14% of parents support higher taxes and charges.
AMPLIFY Executive Director Martin Codina said with Victoria's debt approaching $200 billion and interest costing $24 million a day, parents and grandparents were rightly worried about what they would be leaving behind.
"Victoria’s parents and grandparents spent their lives helping build Victoria and they want their kids and grandkids to inherit the opportunities they had, not a debt bill approaching $200 billion,” Mr Codina said.
"Grandparents, in particular, have lived through economic ups and downs and understand that debt always has consequences.
"No parent or grandparent wants to look at the next generation and wonder whether they'll be paying higher taxes, getting fewer services, or missing out on opportunities because today's leaders couldn't get debt under control.
“Every day we delay, the debt grows larger and the bill gets pushed further onto future generations. Every dollar spent on interest is a dollarthat won't be there for the schools, hospitals and opportunities the next generation will need.
“Victorians are telling us loud and clear: stop borrowing and pay down the debt, so the next generation inherits opportunity, not a bill.”
*WOLF+SMITH independently surveyed a representative sample of 1,500 Victorian voters in September 2026.