Federal election 2025 LIVE updates: Dutton’s son joins him on campaign trail again amid housing deposit questions; PM sets sights on third term​on April 15, 2025 at 4:41 am

Earlier today, we followed the prime minister as he campaigned in Tasmania. Here are some pictures.

We are on the campaign trail with Dutton in Victoria. Here are some pictures.

Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright is in Tasmania today on the election campaign trail with Albanese.

He said Albanese’s suggestion of serving two more terms as prime minister was “strange”, and had been wound back to a commitment to serve another term in full. Watch more in the video below.

In a campaign increasingly dominated by housing, Anthony Albanese has argued his polices will add to property supply while the Coalition’s will only add to home prices.

Both parties used their campaign launches on Sunday to announce big housing plans. The Coalition will allow first home buyers earning less than $240,000 year to claim up to $12,000 a year in mortgage interest off their tax for five years.

The government has promised to effectively act as a guarantor for first home buyers so they will only require a 5 per cent deposit on a loan. It is also planning a $10 billion injection of grants and equity into schemes to build 100,000 homes for first time buyers over the next 8 years.

Economists have criticised both sides, arguing they will add to price house growth.

But Albanese said since coming to office the government had pursued policies aimed at lifting the number of homes built across the country, accusing the Coalition and Greens of actively blocking them.

He accused economic critics of not looking at the government’s policies.

“Some of the things that they’ve spoken about don’t match what we’re actually doing,” he said.

“The key difference between the two approaches is supply. We have a supply side answer on public housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund. On private rentals through the build-to-rent scheme. On home building and construction for first home buyers.

“If you just have demand side measures, which is what they [the Coalition] have, then you put upward pressure on prices.”

Both leaders have responded to questions around a “dance party” fundraiser to be hosted by the WA Greens on Anzac Day.

The party has advertised “The Greens Party Party” at a West Perth bar on April 25.

“Join us for a night when the dancefloor becomes the platform for radical change,” the event description states.

“Want change? Tonight, let’s dance for it. And on May 3rd, you have to vote for it.”

Asked this morning about the event, Albanese said: “Anzac Day is a day of respect for the men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice. I think it’s not a day for normal business as usual.”

Dutton labelled the party “completely inappropriate”.

“I just say to every young Australian who’s proud of their grandfather who fought in the war, proud of a cousin who’s serving in the Australian Defence Force, understand that the Greens have complete contempt for our Defence Force personnel,” he said.

Meanwhile, RSLWA state president Duncan Anderson told Radio 6PR he was “lost for words”.

Dutton was asked whether he agreed with comments made by Coalition housing spokesman Michael Sukkar this morning, when he said he would like to see wages grow faster than house prices.

“I want to make sure that we have a market which is accessible for young Australians now,” Dutton replied.

“We have to accept the modern reality, and the modern reality means we have to change the system, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

When pressed again by a reporter on whether he was “willing” to agree explicitly with Sukkar’s comments made to ABC’s Radio National this morning, during which he said “I think it’s unquestionable we all want to see wages outstripping the growth of housing, but housing to steadily increase, not dramatically,” Dutton refused to engage.

“We’re just doing one [question] each,” Dutton said.

Dutton has been asked again about helping his children buy a house, saying he will help with a deposit “at some stage”.

His son Harry, who yesterday told reporters he was “saving like mad, but it doesn’t look like we’ll get there”, joined him on the campaign trail for a second day.

“I think, like every parent, I despair at the thought of our kids not getting into housing because they want their own place,” Dutton said.

“I think our household’s no different to many households where we want our kids to work hard, to save, and we’ll help them with a deposit at some stage,” the opposition leader said a day after not answering directly whether he’d help Harry buy a house.

He said families across Australia “haven’t got that luxury”.

“The prime minister and I might be able to help our kids, but it’s not about us. It’s about how we can help millions of Australians across generations realise the dream of home ownership like we did, like our parents and grandparents did, it’s a different proposition today for young Australians.”

He said Australians from any background should be able to achieve the same dream.

Dutton started his press conference by addressing the hot topic of the day: housing policies.

He described the Liberal Party as “the party of home ownership”.

“We will restore the great dream of home ownership, and we will make sure that we help young Australians achieve their dream to buy a house and to raise a family, and to make sure that they can afford to pay the bills,” he said.

Dutton said the housing market should be accessible for young Australians, and described the Labor government as a “wrecking ball through family budgets”.

Albanese has avoided answering the question of whether he believed golf courses should be converted into homes.

“Marrickville golf course … will be there for as long as I’m the local member and as long as there’s a Labor-controlled local council,” he told reporters in Tasmania.

In a long-winded answer, he said: “It’s a real hub for the community. Well, I am responsible as a local federal member. I’m very pleased that the redistribution has put Royal Marrickville back in my ’hood because it is an important part of the local community … As for other golf courses, that’s up to local considerations.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton spoke to the media from the seat of Hawke in Victoria this morning with housing spokesman Michael Sukkar and Liberal candidate Simmone Cottom.

You can watch that press conference back below.