Yes, this is Australia’s cost-of-living election – but where do the parties stand on energy, education and welfare? Here’s what’s on offer other than sugar hits to the hip pocketPolls tracker; election guide; full federal election coverageAnywhere but Canberra; interactive electorates guideListen to the first episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcast Continue reading…Yes, this is Australia’s cost-of-living election – but where do the parties stand on energy, education and welfare? Here’s what’s on offer other than sugar hits to the hip pocketPolls tracker; election guide; full federal election coverageAnywhere but Canberra; interactive electorates guideListen to the first episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcast Continue reading…
Lower taxes, cheaper fuel and home-buying help are among the sugar hits on offer at this year’s election.
Labor has promised to reduce the lowest tax rate from 16% to 14% over two years while the Coalition is offering a 25c deduction of fuel tax for a year. Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton announced competing housing policies that share the same goal – to help first home buyers to get a foot on the property ladder – even if economists agree they would increase house prices.
And while the 2025 campaign kicked off with some big announcements on Medicare – that were quickly matched – both major parties have worked hard to keep the focus on cost-of-living issues, leaving some big policy areas such as energy, education and welfare barely rating a mention.
So what are Labor, the Coalition and the Greens promising? Here’s what you need to know.
Energy, climate and environment
Labor
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Provide an additional $150 in energy bill relief by extending subsidies for all households and 1m small businesses until 2025. The Coalition matched this policy.
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Electricity grid target of 82% renewables and emissions reduction target of 43% lower than 2005 levels by 2030.
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No 2035 emissions reduction target yet.
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$2.3bn to reduce the cost of household batteries by 30% which could save households about $4,000 on a typical battery.
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Abandoned a 2022 election commitment to establish an environment protection agency in this term but say they will look at it again if re-elected but “not the same model”.
Coalition
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Introduce an east coast reservation scheme requiring LNG producers to set aside more supply for domestic use.
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Resuscitate Scott Morrison’s 2022 policy to halve the 50.8 cent fuel excise for 12 months from July, at an estimated cost of $6bn.
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Allow the Capacity Investment scheme to invest in gas projects, allocate $1bn for gas infrastructure and impose “use-it-or-lose” rules for gas drilling companies.
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Propose to build seven nuclear power plants and two small modular reactors at a cost of $331bn over 25 years. Coal and gas to remain part of the energy mix while a nuclear industry is developed and the roll-out of renewables would be slowed down.
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Net zero by 2050 target, which the Climate Change Authority says is impossible under the nuclear plan. No medium-term emissions target for 2030 or 2035 before the election.
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Opposed to an environment protection agency.
Greens
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Net zero emissions target by 2035 or sooner.
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Stop all new coal and gas projects.
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A nationwide ban on native forest logging, which is a key demand for their support of Labor’s environment protection laws.
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Remove fossil fuel subsidies and increase investment in renewable energy.
Housing
Labor
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Allocate $10bn to help build 100,000 properties reserved for first home buyers.
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Open up to all first home buyers the first home guarantee scheme allowing people to secure a home with only a 5% deposit and avoid mortgage insurance.
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Continue the $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund to help build 30,000 affordable homes within five years, with two-thirds of new developments designated for social housing.
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Construct 1.2m homes by 2030 via deal with states and $90m allocated to train more builders.
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Help to Buy scheme allows the government to loan 30% of the purchase price, or 40% on new builds, for those who earn less than $90,000, provided money is paid back upon sale.
Coalition
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Allow first-time buyers of newly built homes to claim mortgage payments as an income tax deduction for five years, up to the first $650,000 of a mortgage on a new-build.
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Opposed to Labor’s Housing Future Fund and will repeal the Help to Buy scheme.
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Let people access $50,000 of their superannuation to buy their first home, provided the money is returned when the home is sold to support retirement.
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Changes to the national construction code would be blocked for a decade and $5bn will go towards infrastructure at new housing development sites, potentially creating up to 500,000 homes.
Greens
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Wind back negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts for investors with more than one investment property.
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Impose a rent freeze and establish a national renters protection agency.
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Create a government-owned developer to build and sell or rent affordable housing stock.
Health
Labor
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$8.5bn pledge to improve bulk billing rates and train more GPs and nurses.
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$1bn for mental health including $500m for 20 youth specialist care centres, $225m for 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health centres, and $200m for expanding or starting 58 Headspace centres.
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$573m policy to improve women’s health and access to contraceptives.
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$644m to open 50 new bulk-billing urgent care clinics across Australia by 2026.
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Reduce the price of PBS-listed medicines to no more than $25 a script, costing $689m. This was immediately matched by the Coalition.
Coalition
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Will match Labor’s $8.5bn program to improve bulk billing rates as well as its $573m women’s health policy.
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Will open at least four new urgent care clinics but say they will announce more details on this policy during the election.
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$500m to double the amount of subsidised mental health sessions, extending a pandemic era policy. Provide an extra $400m for youth mental health services.
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Will pay for these promises by cutting thousands of public service jobs.
Greens
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Cover dental and mental health under Medicare.
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Ensure GP visits are free.
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Build 1,000 new public healthcare clinics where you can see a GP, dentist, nurse or psychologist at no cost.
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Pay for this expansion of Medicare by taxing big corporations more.
Tax
Labor
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$1,000 tax deduction for workplace expenses on your annual return without having to produce receipts or paperwork.
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Reduce the lowest tax rate from 16% to 15% from the middle of 2026, leaving taxpayers $268 better off, and then again to 14% from 2027, taking the benefit to $538. The policy will cost $17bn and has been passed by parliament but the Coalition has vowed to repeal it if they win.
Coalition
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Low and middle-income earners will get a one-off tax refund of up to $1,200 to help with the cost of living, at a cost of $10bn.
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Allow interest fees on mortgages to be offset against tax, for up to five years for the first $650,000 of a loan for first home buyers purchasing new builds. It would be available to single people earning up to $175,000 and joint applicants with a combined income of $250,000.
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Cut the tax on fuel by 25c a litre for one year.
Greens
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Introduce a 40% tax on excess profits for big corporations with over $100m in turnover.
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Introduce a 10% tax on the net wealth of Australia’s 150 billionaires.
Education
Labor
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Cut 20% of all student loan debt. Graduates will also be able to earn more before they start repaying.
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Create 500,000 fee-free Tafe places.
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Appoint an independent tertiary education commission to act as a steward for higher education reform.
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Provide 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to every public school by 2034.
Coalition
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Wants universities to focus on core academic instruction and research “rather than political agendas”, including an Australian Universities Performance Index.
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Implement an antisemitism taskforce led by the Australian federal police and a national higher education code to prevent and respond to antisemitism.
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Reinstate the 50% pass rule for student loan eligibility, which was scrapped by Labor.
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Implement a “tougher international student cap” than what was proposed by Labor.
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Reverse changes to the Australian Research Council’s grants processes.
Greens
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Provide 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to every public school by July 2025.
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Create a capital grants fund that will disperse $1.25bn in its first year, and $350m annually after that, for public schools to invest in infrastructure.
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$388m for schools to buy and install an air ventilation system and Hepa filter, as well as a carbon dioxide monitor, in each classroom and indoor communal space.