Election 2025

Housing affordability and cost of living pressures dominant issues of the 2025 federal election

With just one week to go to the Federal Election, I thought it might be worthwhile to summarise the major issues of the campaign and provide some information on where readers can find the policies of the two major parties and, also, fact-check their various claims.

Trumpeting distraction an elephant in the room

To say the least, it has been an odd election campaign with the spectre of US President Donald Trump hanging over it. In a sense, Trump, who has created considerable international trade and geopolitical instability and security anxiety amongst America’s allies, including Australia, since taking office in January has been largely an elephant in the room; he’s been there but not really addressed, except for the leaders of both major parties suggesting they are best equipped to address the elephant. In truth, it seems unlikely that either leader will fair better in dealing with Trump given no other world leader has fared particularly well in negotiations with Trump.

While Australian voters are largely split on whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would be better prime minister to handle Trump’s protectionist trade policies and geopolitical erraticism, the Trump issue is not registering as a pivotal issue in the election. In fact local politicians attempting to channel Trumpism into Australian politics to drive a divide in the electorate have been left looking out of touch with Australia’s generally moderate voters. Calls to “Make Australia Great Again” and proposals to establish a Department of Government Efficiency (or “DOGE”) have fallen rather flat in the wake of Trump 2.0.

What really matters to Australian voters

Australians in 2025 are more concerned with “bread and butter” issues more generally discussed at the nation’s kitchen tables at night, such as:

1. Housing Affordability: The housing crisis is a major concern as housing prices and rents spiral upward. 

2. Cost of Living: Continuing rising prices for everyday goods and services, in particular energy, are closely linked to housing affordability given the economic uncertainty inflation entails.

3. Health Services: Improving health services and access to care remains a top priority for voters who are concerned about funding and resources for hospitals and healthcare facilities, and access to GP’s under Medicare. 

4. Immigration and Population Growth: Managing immigration and population growth has become a major issue with both major parties suggesting it is linked to housing affordability, and both committed to reducing immigration and reducing the number of foreign students attending tertiary education institutions.

5. Crime and Law and Order: There has been a notable rise in concerns about crime and maintaining law and order. Although these are fundamentally state issues voters are looking to the Federal Government to increase resourcing and achieve better coordination with states, particularly in relation to drug smuggling and violent – in particular gun – crimes across the country.

6. Economic Management: A key issue is which of the two major parties is better equipped to manage the economy, particularly when it comes to reducing inflation and by extension interest rates. 

What are the policies of the two major parties?

It should be pointed out that the purpose of this article is not to discuss the policies and other solutions proposed by the two major parties. There are many media articles that do that. Suffice it to say, interested readers can also find out for themselves what the two major parties propose by visiting their respective websites. Labor’s election policies can be found here. And the Liberal Party’s policies can be read here. The ABC website also presents a very good comparison of the two major parties’ policies on major issues in the election, including many not mentioned above.

And remember to check the facts

As claims and counter-claims are made, and denials, half-truths and flat-out lies are often spoken by candidates during elections, it’s a good idea to find a way to see through the “fog of war”. Before choosing what to believe, who to trust and, more importantly, who to vote for, it is a good idea to fact-check what the contenders are saying. Here are three fact checking websites, not specific to this election, but that can assist in sorting fact from fiction in some of the claims and counter-claims made during the campaign:

1. ABC Fact Check;

2. RMIT ABC Fact Check;

3. AAP FactCheck.

Next week we’ll discuss which seats to watch on election night if, like this political tragic, you’ll be glued to your television sets as the results roll in.