Australia Votes 2025: Week One
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (2022—) has become the first Prime Minister since John Howard (1996—2007) to seek a second term after completing a full first term.
Australians head to the polls on May 3rd to decide who will get form the next government of Australia. Stay tuned by following our weekly update to understand the big events dominating the campaign.
Following a cyclone, global economic uncertainty, and an unexpected fourth federal budget, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally made the long anticipated dash to Government Housing — meeting Governor-General Sam Mostyn to prorogue Parliament — officially opening the 2025 campaign.
However an unofficial election campaign had long been under way since early March. It was originally expected Albanese would announce the election as far back as March 8th to coincide with Labor’s third consecutive landslide win in Western Australia. But these plans were quickly trashed after former Tropical Cyclone Alfred hit South-East Queensland at the same time.
Leaving the government little else, it used this remaining time to announce its fourth federal budget on March 25th, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers dropping surprise tax cuts on all Australian households.
At the same time, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton used this time to continue shadow campaigning across Queensland and other states, including a promise to cut fuel excise tax if elected, in his budget reply speech.
With an election expected to come down to the wire, both leaders believe they stand a strong chance of forming the next government of Australia — or will the Independents have the final say?
Week 1 (March 31 — April 4)
Monday, March 31st
Labor’s Salmon Farming Laws Challenged
Before the prorogation of Parliament, the Government passed amendments to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to exempt salmon farms in a Tasmanian Harbour from environmental review.
This amendment was created to protect local industries within this region of Tasmania and protect local jobs within the community. It was passed on support of both the Labor and Liberal parties.
The Bob Brown Foundation applied to the Federal Court to contest the proposed laws - arguing they do not achieve its aims. Concern has also been raised for the local ‘Maugean Skate’ species which is threatened to become extinct.
The coalition reputed the legal challenge, arguing it was an attempt by the Bob Brown Foundation to boost fundraising initiatives in the lead up to an election.
Salmon Tasmania, which represents the $1.46 billion industry argued the lawsuit was “unsurprising” and expects the legal challenge to fail.
Labor Abandons 2030 Energy Bill Cut
The government’s energy and climate change transition was left stranded after Anthony Albanese distanced himself from Labor’s original modelling forecasting power bills to drop by $275 by 2025.
The Reputex modelling which had been commissioned back in 2022 by Labor, forecasted power bills to drop $378 from 2030, through its the parties promised investments in a green energy transition - this plan also underpins the government’s 43 per cent emissions reduction target.
However despite investment into the green energy transition, energy prices have skyrocketed, with the energy regulator recently announcing the price of energy could increase by 5 to 9 per cent across parts of the country.
Mr Albanese defended the government’s handling of energy — arguing the world was dealing with the biggest ‘energy crisis since the 1970s’ since coming to office - whilst spruiking another one off $150 energy rebate if re-elected.
Labor remained adamant that its energy policy would eventually lower energy prices. The Coalition however seized on the matter, decrying Labor’s inability to meet its own energy and environmental targets.
Tuesday, April 1st
Dutton to Ease Home Lending Rules for Home Buyers
Peter Dutton announced he would seek to direct the financial regulator to ease home lending rules that may be locking people out of the market and creating a class of “mortgage prisoners,” he said.
In an attempt to gain the votes of first home buyers, Dutton declared the housing market has become biased in favour of inherited wealth and that the market needed a housing shake up.
According to the policy, the Coalition will direct The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to lower the current serviceability buffer that requires lenders to assess a home loan applicant’s ability to repay a loan.
On the same day, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil argued Labor’s Build to Rent program would build up to 80,000 homes over the decade, reducing supply issues.
Reserve Bank of Australia Pauses Interest Rates
The Reserve Bank of Australia says it’s gaining confidence that inflation is returning under control despite risks from high labour costs and the threat of a global trade war - raising hops of another 25-basis-point rate cut after the election.
RBA Governor Michele Bullock and the newly formed monetary board held the cash rate at 4.10 per cent despite lowering inflation — citing apprehension regarding the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — as reason to not deliver relief to households.
Despite tensions between the bank and Treasurer Jim Chalmers over monetary policy, Chalmers welcomed the news arguing it made the odds of a May rate cut likely and demonstrated the Albanese government’s ‘good’ financial management.
“There is an overwhelming expectation of a rate in May and in subsequent months,” he said.
Opposition Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor argued the cash rate pause only showed how ‘bad’ the fall in living standards had gotten since the government’s election in 2022.
Labor Promises $300 Million State of the Art Health Service for South Adelaide
Labor has promised if re-elected to partner with the Malinauskas State Labor government to construct a ‘State of the Art’ health service dubbed ‘Flinders HealthCARE' Centre’.
Alongside the pledge, Labor declared it would invest $150 million to support the construction of a new 10-storey facility in the Flinders Health Precinct in Bedford Park to provide up to 10,000 health appointments and 1,300 health professional graduates each year.
Design and development would be expected to begin later this year, with Flinders University targeting construction to start in 2027.
Wednesday, April 2nd
Labor Backs Above-Inflation Wage Rise for Low Paid Workers
Anthony Albanese will back an above-inflation pay rise for over 2.9 million low-paid workers, dubbing it a “economically sustainable real wage increase” for award workers.
In a submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review - which shapes national minimum wage but also the pay and conditions for 2.9 million award workers, Labor will argue the raise will lift living standards in Austalia.
The current national minimum wage stands at $24.10 an hour, or $915.90 a week. A 3 per cent increase would deliver a $27-a-week increase to low paid workers, while a 3.5 per cent increase would lead to a $32-a-week increase.
Labor argues the proposal won’t negatively impact the economy, arguing with inflation coming down and interest rates expected to fall further this year, an increase to the minimum wage would only benefit the economy.
The Coalition however maintained more investment was needed in the private sector to generate larger natural wage increases in the economy without causing inflation.
Anthony Albanese vows an ‘Australia First’ Retaliation to ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs
Anthony Albanese vowed to deliver an ‘Australia First’ response if Australia is hit by ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs by President Donald Trump - coinciding with Labor campaigning to paint Peter Dutton as a Trump lite figure who would Americanise Australia’s health and education system.
Proclaiming “not on my watch,” Mr Albanese pledged to resist the United States push for Australia to axe biosecurity protections, the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme (‘PBS’), and the nation’s News Media Bargaining Code — all grievances of the Trump Administration.
The anti-American stance as become the latest tool by Labor against Dutton after he accused the government of promoting ‘woke’ policies in schools and refused to rule out staff cuts to the Federal Department of Education.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers accused Dutton of taking polices “straight from the DOGE playbook,” a reference to Elon Musk’s own Department of Government Efficiency, which has caused immense political controversy in the United States.
Mr Dutton refuted this portrayal by Labor, arguing Albanese had failed to secure a phone call with the President to lobby for tariff exemptions in the wake of the 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium in March.
Coalition Pledges to Wipe Out ‘Woke’ Teaching
The coalition has pledged to wipe out ‘woke’ activism and ‘idealogical agendas’ in universities through an unprecedented ministerial intervention in course content that puts the party on a collision course with the education sector if elected.
Opposition Education spokesperson Sarah Henderson said he would direct the Tertiary Quality Education Quality and Standards Agency to take action against “indoctrination” by ‘woke’ idealogy.
Henderson took aim in particular on things such as ‘privilege walks’ and ‘welcome to country’s’ which would fall victim to this ministerial direction.
The ‘war on woke’ was also extended to schools, after Peter Dutton said he would use federal funding to prevent students from being ‘indoctrinated’ in classrooms. Saying he wanted classrooms to “reflect community standards”.
Education Minister Jason Clare hit back saying Mr Dutton had “opened the door to abolishing The Australian Department of Education and cutting funding to schools again.”
Thursday, April 3rd
‘Liberation Day’ as Donald Trump Imposes 10 per cent Tariff on Australia
United States President Donald Trump announced ‘Liberation Day’, invoking tariffs starting from 10 per cent to as high as 49 per cent across the globe — claiming falsely that countries had been engaging in tariff practices on America for decades.
Australia was mostly spared, receiving only a 10 per cent tariff — however bizarrely Norfolk Island (an external territory of Australia) received a 27 per cent tariff despite not trading with the United States — and the Heard and McDonald Islands receiving a 10 per cent tariff, despite the islands population consisting only of penguins.
Anthony Albanese declared the tariffs “not an act of a friend,” and highlighted Australia was well prepared to push through the global economic uncertainty. Mr Albanese revealed the government has been stockpiling key critical minerals to use as strategic leverage with Donald Trump, amid expectations Trump may remove these tariffs on Australia within months.
The Coalition hit back against Donald Trump’s tariffs, with Peter Dutton arguing, if elected, he would be able to foster a strong relationship with Mr Trump — potentially leaving space for all tariffs on Australia to be removed — similar to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s deal back in 2017.
The tariffs caused global stock markets to crash, with The Australian Securities Exchange (‘ASX’) wiping out $21.4 billion and The Australian Dollar falling to $US62.23.
Anthony Albanese Suffers a Fall on Campaign Trail
In a campaign slip-up, Anthony Albanese fell of the back of the stage as he greeted union workers during a campaign visit in New South Wales Hunter Valley region. He was quickly helped up by union members and shrugged off the fall as a simple accident.
Mr Albanese during a speech to union workers suggested residents in the region would be in danger under the Coalition’s nuclear policy, arguing a major earthquake 30 years ago showed it was the “last place” a nuclear reactor should be built.
The Coalition announced early last year it plans to build seven nuclear power stations across Australia if elected, a plan it argues would reduce power prices and carbon emissions.
The plan has become a point of contention between Labor’s renewable energy approach, who claim according to the CSIRO’s report on nuclear energy — would not start operating until the mid to late 2030s, and cost over $400 billion to implement.
The Coalition has rebutted this assessment, claiming its modelling by Frontier Economics shows nuclear energy could actually cost $263 billion less than Labor’s renewables plan.
Friday, April 4th
Albanese Beats Dutton at Own Policy Game
Both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have pledged to place Port Darwin back under Australian ownership, citing the ports’s current Chinese ownership as a risk to national security.
In a deliberate attempt to beat the Coalition at their own policy, Mr Albanese called into a local Darwin radio station — announcing The Australian government would seek an Australian company to purchase the lease for the Port — just before Mr Dutton announced same plans to reverse the 99 year lease.
While the Coalition dubbed Mr Albanese’s radio intervention a cheap shot, it has raised questions regarding the security of information within the Coalition — with media commentators suggesting leaks are coming internally from the party.
In 2015, the Port was sold to the Chinese owned Landbridge Group by the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, causing immense political controversy, but ultimately no federal response.