It’s 2025, which means a federal election looms for Australians.
Whilst a date for the election has not yet been set, the battle for the 48th Parliament of Australia has commenced.
The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, held a campaign-style rally in Melbourne’s east on 12 January, launching the Coalition’s campaign, new themes, and policy priorities.
A day later, Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP consolidated his government’s election stance during a federal cabinet meeting. He has embarked on the campaign trail in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania.
In this edition of Nexus APAC Insights, we delve into the contrasting policy platforms and backgrounds of the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader. As both leaders set their sights on securing the 48th Parliament, we analyse the key achievements and challenges that have defined their leadership thus far, as well as their respective visions for Australia’s future.
From Grassroots Activist to Prime Minister: Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Born and raised in inner Sydney, Mr Albanese grew up in public housing and was the first in his family to attend university, graduating from the University of Sydney with a degree in economics.
He joined the Australian Labor Party as a teenager. He quickly rose through the ranks, eventually earning a position as research officer to then Minister for Local Government and Administrative Services, the Hon Thomas Uren AC, who became a mentor to him.
Elected as the Member for Grayndler in 1996, Mr Albanese has represented the electorate in the House of Representatives for over two decades. During his tenure, Albanese held several key ministerial portfolios in the Rudd and Gillard governments, including infrastructure, transport, and regional development.
As Deputy Prime Minister to the Hon Kevin Rudd AC in 2013, Albanese began to cement his position as a senior Labor cabinet minister, paving the way for his rise to the prime ministership in 2022.
From Police Officer to Leader of the Opposition: Hon Peter Dutton MP
Born in Brisbane, Mr Dutton joined the Queensland Police Service at age 19, serving in various roles as a detective in the complex drug and sex offender units. After achieving the rank of detective senior constable, he left the force in 1999 and completed a Bachelor of Business at the Queensland University of Technology and built a successful family child care business.
Transitioning to politics in 2001, he was elected as the Member for Dickson, a seat he has held for more than two decades, representing the northern suburbs of Brisbane.
Mr Dutton’s ministerial career began in the Howard government, where he served as Minister for Workforce Participation. He later held a range of portfolios including Health, Immigration, and Home Affairs under successive Liberal governments. In these roles, he oversaw policy development and implementation in border protection, public health, and national security.
In August 2018, he formally contested the Liberal Party leadership twice in one week. Those Leadership Spills eventually resulted in the Hon Scott Morrison becoming Prime Minister. Mr Dutton was reappointed to his former Home Affairs portfolio and then became Minister for Defence in 2021.
Following the 2022 Federal Election, Dutton was elected unopposed as the new Leader of the Liberal Party, taking on the responsibility of leading the Coalition in Opposition. He was the first Federal Liberal leader from Queensland.
The 47th Parliament in Retrospect
The Albanese Government: Key Achievements
Since taking office in 2022, the Albanese government has introduced various policies addressing cost-of-living pressures and housing affordability. These include a $300 energy bill rebate and an increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance, which marked the first back-to-back increase in over 30 years. The Albanese government also established the Housing Australia Future Fund and introduced the National Housing Accord to streamline zoning and planning regulations to facilitate the delivery of more housing.
In industrial relations, the Labor government has implemented reforms such as introducing multi-employer bargaining, allowing unions to negotiate more effectively on behalf of workers. Wage theft was criminalised, and a labour-hire loophole closed. Other measures include offering long-term casual employees the right to transition to permanent employment and legislating the “right to disconnect” for workers. Pay secrecy clauses in employment agreements have also been banned, and a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was established.
The Government has also focused on healthcare, with the passage of a new Aged Care Act, crackdowns on vaping, a PBS co-payment freeze, and reforming eligibility for 60-day prescriptions. Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have also been introduced to provide bulk-billed, same-day services and other bulk billing reform. The final report of the long-awaited review of Australia’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Policy and Methods was released in 2024. Lastly, the Government launched Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy, setting out actions to build a net zero health system.
In the environmental sector, the Government has legislated emissions reduction targets and introduced the Safeguard Mechanism to reduce carbon pollution from large companies. Investments in renewable energy and recycling have been made, and ocean areas have been designated as Marine Parks, contributing to conservation efforts. Australia’s Environment Ministers also agreed to reform packaging regulations (a process which is currently underway) and introduced a National Circular Economy Framework.
Regarding defence and diplomacy, the Albanese government has focused on modernising Australia’s military capabilities and strengthening regional relationships. The Defence Strategic Review (DSR), released by the Government in April 2023, was described as the biggest overhaul of Australian defence since the Second World War. The DSR recommended a far more active Australian statecraft in the maintenance of a regional balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. Complementing this posture, the Government deepened its commitment to the AUKUS partnership by committing to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
In tandem with defence reforms, the Government revitalised Australia’s regional diplomacy, led by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong. A diplomatic breakthrough with China was achieved when the Prime Minister met with President Xi Jinping in 2022, the first such meeting since 2016. Moreover, ties with the Pacific Islands and the Quad (a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan and the United States) were strengthened.
In 2023, the Government announced the centrepiece of its higher education reforms – the Universities Accord. The Accord represents the most comprehensive review of Australian higher education since the Bradley Review in 2008. The Accord attempted to ‘future-proof’ the system by addressing issues such as affordability, participation rates, and the sector’s long-term funding. Moreover, the Government partnered with States and Territories to deliver 500,000 Fee-Free TAFE places across Australia over 2023 to 2026. In early childhood education, the Cheaper Child Care reforms decreased costs for over one million families, and increased pay for the early education workforce.
According to the RMIT and ABC’s ‘Fact Check’, the Albanese Government has delivered 27 of their 2022 election commitments. 29 of those promises are ‘in progress’, 6 have stalled, and 4 have been broken.
The Coalition: The Role of an Opposition
Since Peter Dutton became Leader of the Opposition in 2022, the Liberal-National Coalition has focused on addressing issues such as economic management, national security, social conservatism, and housing.
Mr Dutton has placed emphasis on cost-of-living pressures, with Australia experiencing the biggest fall in household disposable income of any developed country in the last two years. The Coalition have sought to position themselves as champions of traditional economic management, urging caution over policies that could increase inflation or strain the federal budget.
Mr Dutton’s Opposition has advocated for a two-year ban on foreign investments in Australian housing and proposed allowing Australians to access up to $50,000 of their superannuation for first-home purchases, aiming to address housing affordability concerns.
The Coalition criticised the Government’s industrial relations reforms, particularly the introduction of multi-employer bargaining, arguing that these policies could harm small businesses and reduce flexibility in the workforce. Mr Dutton has also advocated for targeted support for energy-intensive industries affected by rising costs and regulatory changes.
In the area of national security, Mr Dutton has emphasised the importance of strengthening Australia’s defence capabilities. He has consistently called for greater investment in defence infrastructure and resources to ensure Australia’s security in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. Mr Dutton has also been an advocate for a tougher stance on immigration, pushing for greater border security measures and reforms to Australia’s asylum seeker policies. In 2023, he reiterated his commitment to rebuilding Australia’s relationship with Israel, particularly in the context of global tensions in the Middle East. This position is part of his broader approach to foreign policy, where he has called for a more assertive role for Australia in international relations, particularly in relation to China.
Energy policy has been another key area of focus. Mr Dutton has expressed concerns about the Government’s renewable energy transition, particularly the potential for job losses in traditional energy sectors like coal and gas. The Opposition has advocated for the inclusion of nuclear energy in Australia’s energy mix, in partnership with renewable energy and gas, to deliver “cheaper, cleaner and consistent 24/7 electricity.”
A landmark achievement for the Opposition was its campaign against the First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023. By successfully uniting conservative and regional voters around a “No” position, the Opposition’s stance was reflected by a majority of Australians’ votes. The proposal was rejected nationally and by a majority in every state and territory, except the Australian Capital Territory. As of 2025, 45 nationwide referendums have been held, only 8 of which have been carried. Of those 8, all but 1 had bi-partisan support.
More broadly, Mr Dutton has played a pivotal role in steering the Liberal-National Coalition through a period of significant challenges, maintaining internal unity and focus in the wake of the 2022 election defeat and by-election losses in Aston and Dunkley. Cooperation between the Liberals and Nationals within the Coalition has been largely constructive and cohesive.
Looking ahead: Policy Platforms and What to Expect
With both leaders ramping up their campaigns, Australians can expect a clear distinction between the approaches of the Albanese Government and the Liberal-National Coalition in the lead-up to the election.
The Opposition’s official slogan, Let’s Get Australia Back on Track, encapsulates the Coalition’s narrative approach to campaigning in 2025.
Conversely, the ALP’s slogan, Building Australia’s Future, signals the ALP’s intention to portray their government as constructive and future focused.
Mr Dutton and the Coalition have formally released a 44-page policy document on the priorities of a Coalition government.
Those priorities are:
- Fight cost of living pressures
- Build a stronger economy
- Back small business
- Deliver affordable and reliable energy
- Fix the housing crisis
- Rebalance our migration problem
- Keep Australians safe
- Deliver quality healthcare
- Grow a stronger regional Australia
- Focus on practical action for Indigenous Australians
- Build strong and sustainable communities
- Cut government waste
The ALP has not yet released a comparable policy priorities document. During the Prime Minister’s remarks to his Cabinet in early January, he referenced his government’s achievements in the following policy areas:
- Cost of living through energy bill relief, reducing inflation, and creating jobs.
- Health, referring to opening Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
- Education, referencing cheaper childcare and fee-free TAFE.
The Prime Minister announced the Labor Party’s first major promise of the election year on 6 January, pledging $7.2 billion in funding for Queensland’s Bruce Highway. A week later, the Prime Minister made a commitment of $3 billion to upgrading Australia’s National Broadband Network by 2030.
Regardless of the outcome of the 2025 Federal Election, the role and challenges of the Prime Minister in the 48th Parliament of Australia will be markedly different.
As of 15 January 2025, 20 Parliamentarians have announced they will not run for re-election in the 2025 Federal Election. Additionally, more than half of the seats in the House of Representatives will be contested on new electoral boundaries after redistributions.
As the election draws nearer, Nexus APAC will continue to provide detailed coverage and analysis of the key policies, strategies, and developments from both sides. Stay tuned for further insights as we follow this pivotal election year and the campaigns shaping Australia’s future.
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