Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launches five-week election campaign amid cost-of-living concerns.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a national election on May 3, seeking re-election for his Labor Party government. The campaign, expected to focus heavily on cost-of-living issues, will run for five weeks.
Albanese stated that the election presents a choice between his government’s plan to continue “building” and the opposition Liberal Party-led coalition’s proposed cuts to government spending.
“I believe in running a campaign centered on policy, hope, and optimism for our nation,” Albanese commented at a news conference.
“My optimism for Australia represents a major difference in this campaign,” he added.
Recent opinion polls show Labor neck-and-neck with the Liberal-National Coalition, led by Peter Dutton, risking a possible one-term government for Labor, the first since 1931.
Despite Labor’s strong victory in the 2022 election, their popularity has waned amidst rising discontent over cost-of-living pressures, including the severe shortage of affordable housing. Australia has one of the world’s least affordable housing markets, with the median price-to-income ratio almost doubling from 2002 to 2024.
A Gallup poll indicated that over three-quarters of Australians are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable, quality housing in their area, showing a 31% increase in dissatisfaction since 2020.
Following his election, Albanese committed to overseeing the construction of 1.2 million new homes by the end of the decade but has faced criticism over a slow start to this initiative.
Dutton has proposed spending AUD 5 billion ($3.15bn) to build 500,000 new homes, alongside measures to curb housing demand and limit foreign investment in property.
Dutton accused Albanese of focusing on a failed referendum concerning Indigenous issues rather than addressing economic concerns, claiming that Australia is “heading backwards” and cannot afford another three years of Labor governance.
Other critical issues expected to feature prominently in the campaign include healthcare, immigration, energy, and climate change. While Albanese advocates for significant investments in green manufacturing and renewable energy, Dutton seeks to increase nuclear power by constructing new plants and reactors.
Despite Labor or the Coalition being likely to secure the most votes, polls suggest unprecedented low support for the major parties, indicating the possibility of a hung parliament. In such a scenario, negotiations with the Australian Greens or independent candidates would be necessary to form a minority government.
Albanese stated that the election presents a choice between his government’s plan to continue “building” and the opposition Liberal Party-led coalition’s proposed cuts to government spending.
“I believe in running a campaign centered on policy, hope, and optimism for our nation,” Albanese commented at a news conference.
“My optimism for Australia represents a major difference in this campaign,” he added.
Recent opinion polls show Labor neck-and-neck with the Liberal-National Coalition, led by Peter Dutton, risking a possible one-term government for Labor, the first since 1931.
Despite Labor’s strong victory in the 2022 election, their popularity has waned amidst rising discontent over cost-of-living pressures, including the severe shortage of affordable housing. Australia has one of the world’s least affordable housing markets, with the median price-to-income ratio almost doubling from 2002 to 2024.
A Gallup poll indicated that over three-quarters of Australians are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable, quality housing in their area, showing a 31% increase in dissatisfaction since 2020.
Following his election, Albanese committed to overseeing the construction of 1.2 million new homes by the end of the decade but has faced criticism over a slow start to this initiative.
Dutton has proposed spending AUD 5 billion ($3.15bn) to build 500,000 new homes, alongside measures to curb housing demand and limit foreign investment in property.
Dutton accused Albanese of focusing on a failed referendum concerning Indigenous issues rather than addressing economic concerns, claiming that Australia is “heading backwards” and cannot afford another three years of Labor governance.
Other critical issues expected to feature prominently in the campaign include healthcare, immigration, energy, and climate change. While Albanese advocates for significant investments in green manufacturing and renewable energy, Dutton seeks to increase nuclear power by constructing new plants and reactors.
Despite Labor or the Coalition being likely to secure the most votes, polls suggest unprecedented low support for the major parties, indicating the possibility of a hung parliament. In such a scenario, negotiations with the Australian Greens or independent candidates would be necessary to form a minority government.
