If either leader landed a punch on housing, it was Albanese
If the election is a battle between cost-of-living policies, then the major parties’ competing housing policies are at the centre of the fight.
It took Anthony Albanese just over one minute, and Peter Dutton 45 seconds, to refer to housing in their opening statements at the debate. The issue then dominated the opening exchanges.
Labor’s policy has more supply measures built into it – the single biggest requirement to address unaffordable housing – than the Coalition’s, which helped Albanese respond more confidently to the crucial question over whether his policies would push up prices.
“We have a plan, not just for demand, but for supply as well,” he said.
Dutton sidestepped the same question.
The missed opportunity for Dutton is that his policy to allow mortgage payment deductions from income taxes for some buyers is more populist and eye-catching than Labor’s, so he may as well have spruiked it at a televised debate and ignored criticism from economists.
But he let it pass with only the briefest mention.
If either leader landed a punch on this issue, it was Albanese’s quick response to Dutton blaming Labor for unaffordable housing.
The prime minister pointed out that it was “nonsense” to suggest the problem had just developed during his term of government. Instead, he said the issue had been growing over a long period of time, including when the Coalition was in power.
Business editor
Dutton said he did not know whether climate change was making things worse because ‘I’m not a scientist’
Climate science had a rare election campaign outing, and only one of the leaders came close to passing the test.
Albanese said the science was “very clear” – that we had been told extreme weather events would become more extreme and frequent and “that is what we are seeing playing out”. He acknowledged that brings a cost that we all carry.
Dutton initially agreed “there’s an impact”, but then said he did not know whether climate change was making things worse because “I’m not a scientist”.
It was a strange answer for two reasons – the overwhelming consensus among scientists, and Dutton’s claimed commitment to net zero emissions to address a problem he seems uncertain is happening.
The opposition leader nominated a gas policy as his most important potential reform. But no new light was shed on how the gas policy would work, or how the Coalition would keep the electricity system running or costs down until its nuclear proposal might become a possibility.
Neither leader explained how they would get to net zero emissions beyond familiar lines about electricity. And they did not address the crisis in Australia’s wildlife – as documented in the Guardian’s Last Chance series.
Climate and environment editor
Neither leader engaged with the structural reform peak bodies have called for
Despite being a “health election”, the topic wasn’t really debated beyond Albanese spruiking the government’s Medicare bulk billing boost, which the Coalition has largely matched.
In his closing remarks, Albanese accused the Coalition of undermining universal healthcare while in power, including Dutton’s own time as health minister attempting to introduce a co-payment.
However, neither leader engaged with the structural reform peak bodies have called for, including tackling issues such as increasing rates of chronic disease, pressure on primary care to handle increasingly complex health needs, and national medical workforce challenges.
Towards the end of the debate, moderator David Speers asked the leaders about the outcomes for Indigenous Australians that continue to go backwards, including suicides. Albanese acknowledged neither side of politics had done enough for First Nations people and “it’s something that breaks my heart”. Albanese went on to highlight additional funds into health in areas such as dialysis. Dutton said the solutions for First Nations communities lay in looking to communities with better outcomes, including health.
Health reporter
Both plan to spend more and cut taxes – not the textbook approach to budget repair
Peter Dutton began by asking Australians if we are better off today than three years ago. Dutton laid out many households’ dire financial situation, but could only offer a 25 cent petrol discount for a year and a $1,200 tax return in 2026.
The PM spruiked his “plan to make sure that we make things here in Australia”, alongside a commitment to more bulk billing, cheaper medicines, free Tafe and cutting Hecs debts. But there was no convincing plan to lift our living standards, and no blueprint for a more prosperous future – from either leader.
Neither was great on the budget either. Both plan to spend more and cut taxes – not the textbook approach to budget repair.
The PM could only enthuse about how great Medicare was when asked how he would put the country’s finances on a firmer footing.
Dutton said his public service cuts wouldn’t be enough to pay for all the planned extra defence spending, but couldn’t say where he would find the extra savings.
Economics editor
A point of difference between Labor and the Coalition has emerged: support for fee-free Tafe
The education sector has been subject to major reform this year but warranted little mention in Wednesday night’s debate.
Cutting student debt by 20% if Labor were to win the election and the funding of 100,000 fee-free Tafe places a year was referenced by the prime minister in his opening remarks, but beyond that, it took until the end of the debate for the topic to return.
Albanese mentioned Labor’s historic investment to reach full public school funding by 2034 in his closing remarks, as well as childcare subsidies and reforms to higher education via the federal government commissioned Universities Accord.
He also placed a point of difference between Labor and the Coalition that has emerged: support for fee-free Tafe, which has been in place since 2023, compared with the Liberal party’s intention to reverse it.
The Coalition has floated placing a “condition” on school funding if the curriculum was guided by an “agenda”, flagging more education announcements to come. But we’ll have to wait until later in the campaign for those details to come to light.
Education was briefly raised by both leaders when responding to the fact neither had visited an Indigenous community in the election campaign. Albanese acknowledged neither side of politics had “done well enough for First Nations people”.
Education reporter
