The Australian Federal election is coming up. This is about voting for the Prime Minister and other federal politicians. It will be held on 3 May 2025.
At the time of writing these are some of the policy commitments of the major parties, in their own words, around healthcare, justice, cost-of-living pressures and housing.
Australian Labor Party
- $8.5 billion with the aim of making 90% of GP visits be bulk-billed by 2030
- $573.3 million for women’s healthcare, including the listing of new oral contraceptive pills on the PBS and support for women experiencing menopause
- A $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund aiming to build 30,000 affordable homes within five years
- A ban on foreign investors
buying established homes for at least two years - The wiping of 20% off all student loan debts
- Three days a week of subsidised early education for children from January 2026
The Liberal-National Party
- $8.5 billion with the aim of making 90% of GP visits be bulk-billed by 2030
- $5 billion to fund essential infrastructure, such as water, power and sewerage, at housing development sites to unlock up to 500,000 new homes
- The freezing of further changes to the National Construction Code for 10 years
- A two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes, and a reduction in permanent migration
- Allowing Australians to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation to buy their first home
- The building of seven nuclear power stations at sites of former or current coal plants, with an aim of nuclear energy making up 38% of Australia’s energy mix by 2050
The Greens
- Putting dental and mental health services in Medicare, and making ADHD and autism diagnoses free under Medicare
- A limit of 2% in rent increases every two years, a phase out in tax concessions for property investors and the creation of a government-owned developer to build public and affordable homes
- An annual payment of $800 to families at the start of the schooling year for each child attending a public school to meet out-of-pocket costs
- The wiping of student debt, at a cost of $74 billion over the decade
- The establishment of a National Truth and Justice Commission, review of the Native Titles Act and $14 million over fours to organisations working with schools and First Nations teachers to deliver sessions in a mix of First Nations languages and English
- $750 million for Aboriginal-Controlled Community Health Organisations for advancing policies and programs with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
One Nation
- Increase the Medicare rebate to better remunerate GPs and promote bulk-billing
- A five-year ban on charging GST on building materials and the removal of mandatory disability compliance requirements for all new homes
- Changes to the National Electricity Market rules to enable and incentivise cheaper coal and gas-fired baseload power while supporting nuclear energy in the medium-term
Australia’s Voice
- Limit negative gearing and reduce the Capital Gains Tax discount from 50% to 25% by lowering it by 5% each year over five years
- Using the money from this for social housing, reducing rents and making home ownership more affordable
- Raise the student debt repayment threshold to the median wage and cap debts to 1.5 times the origins debt
- Increase the JobSeeker payment
- Ensure that superannuation is automatically split in cases of family and domestic violence
Trumpet of Patriots (Clive Palmer Party)
- Banning transgender athletes from women’s sports
- Legally recognising only two genders
- A promise to “drain the swamp” in Canberra
The Greens
- Putting dental and mental health services in Medicare, and making ADHD and autism diagnoses free under Medicare
- A limit of 2% in rent increases every two years, a phase out in tax concessions for property investors and the creation of a government-owned developer to build public and affordable homes
- An annual payment of $800 to families at the start of the schooling year for each child attending a public school to meet out-of-pocket costs
- The wiping of student debt, at a cost of $74 billion over the decade
- The establishment of a National Truth and Justice Commission, review of the Native Titles Act and $14 million over fours to organisations working with schools and First Nations teachers to deliver sessions in a mix of First Nations languages and English
- $750 million for Aboriginal-Controlled Community Health Organisations for advancing policies and programs with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
One Nation
- Increase the Medicare rebate to better remunerate GPs and promote bulk-billing
- A five-year ban on charging GST on building materials and the removal of mandatory disability compliance requirements for all new homes
- Changes to the National Electricity Market rules to enable and incentivise cheaper coal and gas-fired baseload power while supporting nuclear energy in the medium-term
Australia’s Voice
- Limit negative gearing and reduce the Capital Gains Tax discount from 50% to 25% by lowering it by 5% each year over five years
- Using the money from this for social housing, reducing rents and making home ownership more affordable
- Raise the student debt repayment threshold to the median wage and cap debts to 1.5 times the origins debt
- Increase the JobSeeker payment
- Ensure that superannuation is automatically split in cases of family and domestic violence
Trumpet of Patriots (Clive Palmer Party)
- Banning transgender athletes from women’s sports
- Legally recognising only two genders
- A promise to “drain the swamp” in Canberra
