votes cast for Australian federal elections from 2010 to 2025
January: Albanese and Dutton make public appearances which are interpreted by the media as unofficial campaign launches. Albanese visits electorates in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Prominent campaign issues are housing, cost of living, healthcare, nuclear and renewable energies, immigration, the public sector, the
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and defence. Dutton gives a speech in Melbourne where he launches the Liberal Party slogan for the campaign, "Let's get Australia back on track", and focuses on the topics of nuclear power, housing, and immigration.
February: Albanese announces that Labor would invest an additional $8.5billion into
Medicare to improve
bulk billing rates.
1 March: Through a pledge of almost $650million, Labor committed to setting up 50 new Medicare
urgent care clinics. They have pledged that the clinics would be open by the middle of 2026.
25 March: Treasurer
Jim Chalmers delivers the
budget speech. A range of measures are announced, including an
income tax cut that will apply to all Australian taxpayers. The Coalition opposes the tax cuts, instead offering a policy to cut the
fuel excise by 25 cents per litre. Following the budget speech, the Greens announce a policy that aims to include environmental measures in the budget using 1% of total funds. The Coalition also promises to defund the
Environmental Defenders Office, stating it had become a 'political football'.
28 March: An election to be held on 3 May is announced, following Albanese's visit to Mostyn to advise her to prorogue Parliament and dissolve the House of Representatives. The Parliament was then prorogued and the House of Representatives was dissolved, signalling the start of the official campaign.
29 March: Albanese and Dutton both campaign in Brisbane. Albanese begins his campaign in Dutton's electorate of
Dickson, and Dutton begins in the
division of Brisbane. Two of Dutton's events are disrupted by climate protesters, and a protester heckles Albanese at one of his events. Labor pledges to outlaw forms of
price gouging by supermarkets, while announcing that it would also adopt all of the recommendations of the
ACCC's supermarkets inquiry. Dutton remarks that "nobody" expects that Labor will form majority government.
30 March: Along with Western Australian premier
Roger Cook, Albanese announces that a re-elected Labor government would seek to upgrade the
St John of God Midland Hospital in Perth via an investment of $200million. Dutton back-tracks on a proposal to hold three referendums on removing citizenship from dual nationals who commit certain crimes, to recognise
Indigenous Australians in the
Constitution, and to create four-year terms for parliament. Also at this press conference, Dutton promises to fund a security camera system for an
Assyrian mosque in western Sydney with $25,000.
31 March: A Chinese research vessel enters southern Australian maritime space. The Chinese navy had conducted live fire military exercises in waters east of Australia in February, including an incident where flares were released at an Australian air force plane, prompting the opposition to accuse the Albanese government of weakness. The appearance of the research vessel renews these criticisms from the opposition. Dutton comments during an interview that if he became prime minister, he would live at the office's secondary residence of
Kirribilli House in Sydney, rather than its primary residence of
The Lodge in Canberra. His comments are criticised as "
hubris" and "
measuring the curtains" by Labor figures.
1 April: The
Reserve Bank of Australia announces it is keeping interest rates at 4.1%.
Teal independent candidate for the
seat of Bradfield Nicolette Boele is reportedly banned from a hairdressing salon for making a sexualised joke to a 19-year-old hair washer.
2 April: Shadow treasurer
Angus Taylor gives his budget reply speech at the
National Press Club, promoting Coalition policies on reducing
natural gas prices and announcing a new investment body called "Investment Australia". Dutton pledges $6.2million for
Headspace in Melbourne at an event with psychiatrist
Patrick McGorry. Albanese stumbles after making a speech at a campaign event; weeks of discussion ensue about whether he technically "fell" or not, including comments from Dutton, posts on Coalition social media, and questions from journalists.
4 April: Both major parties pledge to return the
Port Darwin to Australian ownership if elected.
5 April: During a visit to a community
Australian rules football (AFL) ground in Darwin, Dutton accidentally strikes a
Network 10 cameraman with a
football, knocking the camera into his head and cutting him.
6 April: The Liberal Party disendorses its candidate for the
Division of Whitlam, Benjamin Britton, due to previous disparaging comments he made towards service by women in the military. Dutton also announces a Coalition policy to cap international university student numbers to 240,000 and raise visa prices for students. The Greens call this policy proposal a "cynical attempt to scapegoat migrants and international students".
7 April: The Coalition
backflips on a proposed policy to end
work from home arrangements for the public sector workforce and drops their demands for mass job cuts in the public sector. Also on this day, the stock market falls sharply due to the risk of the
tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with Chalmers stating that Australia is "uniquely placed" to deal with the impacts of these tariffs.
8 April: Albanese is heckled by a climate protester while announcing a $1billion investment for Medicare. The announcement included a boost in the number of mental health centres funded through Medicare and increased services for young people. Also on this day,
Sky News and
The Daily Telegraph hold the first leaders election debate between Albanese and Dutton in a People's Forum. Albanese is declared the winner of the Forum with 44 votes compared to 35 for Dutton, and 21 undecided votes out of a possible 100. Liberal and National Party social media however incorrectly congratulate Dutton for winning the debate. It is later revealed that Dutton's father had been taken to hospital following a heart attack shortly before the debate began, and Dutton had considered pulling out of the debate.
9 April: On a visit to
Leichhardt in
Far North Queensland, Albanese announces that Labor would commit $490million worth of funds to upgrade the
Barron River Bridge.
Sky News and
The Daily Telegraph co-host the first treasurers election debate between Chalmers and shadow treasurer
Angus Taylor in their second people's forum of the campaign. Chalmers opens the debate by highlighting the challenging economic circumstances faced by Labor upon taking office, and the steps they had taken to improve the situation since. Taylor opens with the Coalition's established line of attack, claiming that Australians were worse off than three years prior. Chalmers defends the government's fiscal record, pointing to a $207 billion improvement in the budget bottom line. Energy policy, particularly gas, emerges as a major point of contention during the debate. The Coalition claims its plan would reduce household gas bills by 7%, based on modelling conducted by Frontier Economics; however, the analysis is brief—comprising just 135 words on power prices—and is criticised by climate change and energy minister
Chris Bowen as a "scamphlet". Coalition energy spokesperson
Ted O'Brien later acknowledges that any savings were "likely to be a lagging indicator," suggesting consumers might not experience immediate benefits.
10 April: The Coalition announces a policy to establish a regional Australia future fund to invest $20billion in regional infrastructure and services, the fund would be topped-up using
commodity royalties, and another fund to pay down debt and finance infrastructure projects. They also propose abolishing a scheme that Labor set up in government to build renewable energy infrastructure, and propose ending the housing Australia future fund and the national reconstruction fund. Also on this day, a debate between the minister for climate change and energy
Chris Bowen and his shadow counterpart Ted O'Brien takes place at the
National Press Club. The event is hosted by Tom Connell of
Sky News. During O'Brien's opening remarks, he is interrupted by a climate change activist. The Coalition also announce a policy to repeal penalties for the sale of fuel-inefficient vehicles, instead proposing to re-work the law.
12 April: Coalition senator
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price vows to "make Australia great again" and accuses the media of being "obsessed with
Donald Trump" in a speech to Liberal Party supporters.
13 April: Labor and the Coalition hold their official campaign launches. Labor's is in
Perth, and the Coalition's is in
Liverpool in
western Sydney. The Labor Party announces several new policies such as a $1,000 tax deduction for work-related expenses and that the government would fund 100,000 new homes exclusively for first-home buyers with a $10billion investment, and an expansion of the help to buy scheme. The Coalition announces that they would allow first-home buyers who purchase new builds to deduct interest from their mortgage payments on the first $650,000 for five years, with the proposed scheme being
means-tested. Dutton recommits the party to a previously announced policy for homebuyers to access up to $50,000 of their
superannuation to purchase a first-home. Dutton announces a tax break to counter cost-of-living pressures which would apply to those earning up to $144,000, with Dutton claiming that the policy would mean these earners are $1,200 better off at the end of the year.
14 April: Labor announces a $10million investment to improve medical services for
LGBTQIA+ people. A
Family First candidate contesting the election for
Longman in
Queensland, Malachi Brogden Hearne, is disendorsed by the party's leadership due to his derogatory posts on social media. Also on this day, the Greens began a campaign to retain the
seat of Brisbane by promising free school lunches at a cost of $11.6billion.
15 April: Labor announces a $3.8million package to keep a Canberra health centre from falling into administration. The military information website
Janes claims that
Russia is interested in setting up an aircraft base in
Indonesia. However, the Indonesian foreign minister stridently denied this claim. Dutton states it would be a "catastrophic failure" of diplomacy if Albanese and foreign minister
Penny Wong did not combat this issue. Also on this day, Greens leader
Adam Bandt announces policies that would be a priority for the party if the election results in a
hung parliament. These policies would include aiming to get dental into Medicare, lowering the price of child care, ending native forest logging, and Bandt reiterates a policy to wind back some tax concessions.
16 April: A Greens candidate for the
division of Franklin in
Tasmania ceases campaigning due to revelations that he holds dual citizenship. As nominations had already closed he would still appear on the ballot paper as a Greens member. The
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) holds a leaders debate between Albanese and Dutton moderated by
Insiders host
David Speers.
17 April: Dutton announces a long-term aspiration to
index tax brackets. Albanese criticises this policy. Later on this day, a debate takes place on the ABC's
7.30 program between housing minister
Clare O'Neil and shadow housing minister
Michael Sukkar.
19 April:
Trumpet of Patriots holds their official campaign launch in Queensland, with the slogan
Make Australia Great Again. The party proposes the creation of a
department of government efficiency and cutting immigration. Chairman of the party
Clive Palmer proposes abolishing
net-zero targets set as per the
Paris Climate Agreement. The party also proposes building
high-speed rail and capping
interest rates at 3%. Also on this day, Albanese announces that Labor would enshrine
penalty rates via legislation.
20 April: The Greens announces their requests during negotiation in a
hung parliament, which include seeking changes to
negative gearing and the
capital gains tax. Also on this day, the former secretary of the
department of home affairs Mike Pezzullo is floated for reappointment into a public service role by Dutton.
21 April: The Coalition announces a policy to trial a
sex offender registry; while Dutton announces a further investment to fight crime. Jason Smart, a Trumpet of Patriots candidate for the
division of Flinders in
Victoria resigns from the party due to disagreements with its leadership but would still appear on the ballot paper due to nominations having previously closed.
21 April: Following the
death of Pope Francis, both Albanese and Dutton briefly suspend their campaigns, as a mark of respect. Labor announce that they would fund a Canberra-based aged care facility with $10million following the ACT government's announcement that it would close. Labor announce a strategy to prevent domestic violence through a range of responses to stop perpetrators from hijacking a victim's finances. 47,000 anonymous pamphlets are distributed in the
Division of Wentworth critical of the incumbent MP
Allegra Spender. The AEC would launch legal proceedings against the distributor in the
Federal Court in October 2025. Later that evening, the
Nine Network hold a leaders debate between Albanese and Dutton moderated by
A Current Affair presenter
Allison Langdon and with the leaders questioned by
Charles Croucher, Deb Knight and
Phil Coorey. The panel declare that Dutton narrowly won the debate.
23 April: The Coalition announce a policy to increase defence spending to 2.5% of
GDP within five years, and then to 3% within the next decade. The Coalition later announce a policy to repeal tax breaks for electric vehicles, in addition to student debt relief and production tax credits. Also on this day, the Labor Party announces that they would fund a scheme designed to fast-track qualifications in order to help people get into
trades work sooner. The Coalition announce a pledge to create a database of
domestic violence offenders in a package worth $90million; part of this package also includes a
royal commission investigating sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. Details of a Coalition policy to create a special envoy position for jailed Australians abroad are revealed by
The Sydney Morning Herald.
24 April: Albanese announces that Labor would create a strategic minerals reserve to be fully operational by late 2026 through an investment of $1.2billion. The Coalition confirm their plan to cut over 41,000 public service workers would be limited to Canberra. The
Australian Electoral Commission announces that more than 1.7million Australians have already voted at pre-polling centres. William Bay, a candidate for the Great Australian Party running for the Senate in Queensland, resigns from the party due to his disapproval of the party leadership's actions regarding the use of money and undermining of his campaign. As nominations had already closed, he would still appear on the ballot paper as a Great Australian Party candidate.
25 April: The leaders pause campaigning in order to make time for
Anzac Day commemorations.
26 April: Albanese commits the Labor Party to further funding schools with $25million to maintain knowledge of under-represented languages in Australian society. Dutton states he would seek to unite people "under one flag [exclusively the
Australian flag, without the
Australian Aboriginal flag and
Torres Strait Islander flag]", while stating that he thinks respect should be shown for
Welcome to Country ceremonies following an incident at an Anzac Day event. Albanese states that he would convene a meeting with representatives from the media after the election to discuss issues relating to the spread of extremist material.
Fatima Payman holds the campaign launch for her party,
Australia's Voice, in
Bankstown, New South Wales.
27 April: Albanese announces a policy to expand Medicare after-hours care with an investment of $204million. The Coalition announce that they consider charging electric vehicle users a road charge to compensate for the loss of fuel levies. At a Liberal Party event in Victoria, Dutton brands
The Guardian and
ABC News as "hate media". The
Seven Network holds a leaders debate between Albanese and Dutton moderated by
Seven News reporter
Mark Riley and hosted by
Sunrise presenter
Natalie Barr. A panel of 60 undecided voters assembled by pollster
Roy Morgan declare Albanese the overall winner of the debate with 50% of the votes, with Dutton winning 25% of the votes and 25% remaining undecided; several other topics are also polled. Dutton states that he believes Welcome to Country ceremonies are overdone but that they are "the respectful thing to do" for some events. This leads to calls from
credit ratings agency S&P warning that Australia's credit rating could be downgraded unless spending was restrained. Dutton states that he does not believe Anzac Day services should involve a Welcome to Country ceremony.
29 April: Labor announce a $2billion fund to enable state governments to partially fund the construction of new homes. A press conference held by Dutton is interrupted by anti-nuclear protestors in
Sanctuary Point. Another Trumpet of Patriots candidate,
Mark Aldridge, who was contesting the
division of Makin in
South Australia, resigns in protest over the party's use of text message communications to voters. Because nominations have already closed, Aldridge's name would still appear as a ToP candidate on ballot papers.
30 April: Dutton accuses Labor of trying to resurrect the failed
Voice to Parliament proposal following Wong's statement that people in ten years would say "Did we even have an argument about that?". Wong later tells SBS News that "the voice is gone", and Albanese puts out a similar statement. New statistics reveal that the headline rate of
inflation is stagnant at 2.4% and trimmed mean inflation has fallen to 2.9%. Chalmers welcomes this news. The Liberal Party announces that they would take
Boroondara City Council to court due to the council's intention to remove their candidate Amelia Hamer's signage. The Greens officially launch their campaign later in the day. Albanese delivers a speech and takes questions at the
National Press Club. Dutton announces a policy to fund infrastructure projects further in the
Indo-Pacific region.
1 May: The Coalition release their policy costings, revealing they would institute a tax on
vapes and assist the creation of a Jewish Arts Quarter in
Melbourne to be funded by the cutting of funding to
Creative Australia. Budget deficits would be higher under the Coalition's costings for the first two years of office, but be lower after four years. The AEC announces that more than 4.8million votes have already been cast at pre-poll centres across the country.
3 May: About 8.5million early votes across all types (postal, in person, and mobile teams) were cast prior to election day.
Preferences with material for Labor's
Peter Khalil and the Greens'
Samantha Ratnam As is tradition in Australian elections, several parties recommended voters'
preferences be directed to certain candidates. The Coalition recommended voters direct their second preference votes to the One Nation candidate or the Libertarian candidate. One Nation also chose to preference Coalition candidates second in some seats. In electorates where the Liberal and National parties were running against each other, the National candidate in these areas recommended preferences be directed to the Liberal candidate second, then preferences recommended to One Nation, with Labor and the Greens candidates usually last.
Teal independent candidates supported by
Climate 200 generally did not recommend preferences. The Labor Party chose to preference the Greens second in most seats; in the Melbourne seat of
Macnamara, Labor ran an "open ticket" and did not recommend preferences due to the Greens' pro-Palestinian leanings and the seat having a large
Jewish population. The Greens directed voters to preference
Australia's Voice, pro-Palestinian candidates, and teal independents higher than Labor. The Greens also chose to preference Labor higher than the Coalition in every seat that they contested.
Endorsements Parties and individual candidates received endorsements from media organisations and prominent individuals. A majority of the
News Corp mastheads endorsed the Coalition as well as
The Nightly. Labor was endorsed by
The Sydney Morning Herald and
The Age.
Guardian Australia and
The Saturday Paper endorsed Labor only as a minority government. ==Opinion polling==