Housing and crime spearhead Dutton’s pitch in key seats
Community safety is a key tenet of Peter Dutton's pitch to voters as he positions himself as a strong leader in contrast to a prime minister he brands as weak.
national elections
Dutton’s airport link plan branded ‘April Fools’ joke’
A federal coalition plan to "redirect" funding for a controversial Melbourne rail loop project to an airport link has been slammed by state Labor.
Greens warn major parties as minority government looms
Minority government is coming and the major parties ought to prepare, Greens leader Adam Bandt says as more voters turn to crossbenchers.
Leaders eyeball each other as campaign kicks off
The election campaign is finally official - and Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are wasting no time telling voters why they should vote for their parties.
Australians to cast federal election vote on May 3
Australians will cast their ballot on May 3, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ending months of speculation about the timing of the next federal election.
Government kicks can down the road on climate target
Labor has refused to reveal Australia's 2035 emissions reduction target before the election, despite it being the subject of cabinet debate for over a year.
Prime minister keen to pop coalition ‘thought bubbles’
Unofficial campaigning has sparked backed up with the PM cradling babies on one side of the country and opposition leader talking gardens on the other.
Climate protesters crash Dutton keystone policy speech
A Donald Trump meeting would top the agenda if the coalition wins government, says Peter Dutton as anti-nuclear protesters crash his foreign policy speech.
Pauline Hanson eyes cuts on grog tax, climate spending
Pauline Hanson is taking aim at climate change spending, public servants and First Nations agencies in a bid to address the cost of living.
Safety over politics: motoring groups call for change
Australia's peak motoring body will encourage its 9.5 million members to challenge federal election candidates on road safety, amid calls for more transparency.
Public service jobs on line as poll battlelines form
The coalition has doubled down on plans to axe public service jobs if elected as the prime minister goes into bat for Australians working from home.
Independent makes minority government ‘safeguard’ pitch
A senator vying for re-election has positioned himself as a safeguard in a minority government as his campaign kicks off.
Deepfakes harder to detect spurring election concerns
Hyper-realistic digitally altered or created images are becoming harder to detect and platforms designed to detect them are failing to do so, research shows.
Palmer pledges big biscuits for Patriots election blitz
Billionaire Clive Palmer has munched on a favourite Australian snack while expounding on his new party's Trump-style policies and promising to spend big on ads.
Voters despair as economic hurdles cloud future
Australians' confidence in the government is at its lowest point since the Black Summer bushfires as their hope for the future wanes.
Federal Labor scores first poll win in eight months
Labor's popularity has finally rebounded, albeit narrowly, as the government pulled ahead of the coalition weeks ahead of the election, YouGov polling shows.
Political truth laws get tick, AI threat to poll pruned
Labor is being criticised for being hypocritical over truth in political advertising laws, after supporting the action despite icing progress on the reform.
PM pushes for fixed terms amid election date talk
Questions about the timing of the federal election, as cyclone Alfred looms, have prompted the prime minister to reignite his push for fixed poll dates.
Industry bailout steels Labor but poll pain persists
Labor still trails the coalition in exclusive latest YouGov polling as a federal election draws closer, despite voters backing a huge industry rescue package.
One rate dip won’t cut it with voters who want action
Most Australians blame big corporations and not government for the rising cost of living so a lone interest rate cut won't sway their vote, polling indicates.
Controversial electoral reforms cap donations, spending
Crossbenchers and independents are up in arms over reforms they argue stack the playing field towards the major parties by limiting their campaign resources.
Anger in halls of power over ‘unfair’ electoral reforms
Federal MPs have clashed in a Parliament House corridor over political donation laws which loom as a sticking point in minority government negotiations.
Draft electoral donations cap to be raised after talks
Draft caps and thresholds for federal election spending will increase as Labor negotiates with the Liberals to pass electoral reform before parliament rises.
Dump fuel fees and tax all cars, motoring groups urge
The government should overhaul vehicle taxes in its upcoming budget, according to early submissions that say electric, hybrid and petrol drivers should pay.
Poll still a blind date as no love lost between leaders
MPs are sharpening their pitches to the public in the lead-up to a federal election as politicians gather for the first sitting week of the year.
‘A Labor win is precious’: PM dismisses worsening poll
Anthony Albanese remains confident of a second Labor term, despite a Newspoll showing more voters expect the coalition to win the next election.
Freeway cash splash as poll pitch enters the fast lane
A battleground state is being showered with hundreds of millions of dollars in poll pledges as Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton rev up unofficial campaigns.
Tax changes ruled out as treasurer launches food fight
Cost of living remains a major focus of the upcoming federal election, with each party spruiking policies to address pressure on household budgets.
‘Not enough’: PM concedes more needed to win election
Selling a vision for the future, rather than dwelling on past achievements, is the prime minister's blueprint for winning over voters to secure a second term.
Experts warn of AI onslaught ahead of federal election
AI-generated imagery and footage will be used to try to sway voters at the ballot box at this year's federal election, experts say.
More women in cabinet but representation worries build
The political representation of women has received a boost after a pre-election cabinet shuffle but concerns remain over the opposition's gender imbalance.