Federal election 2025 as it happened: Albanese, Dutton launch campaigns; Jacinta Price wants to ‘make Australia great again’

Thanks so much for following our blog today as the Labor and Liberal Parties launched their campaigns.

Here is a quick recap of the highlights from the two launches, which followed very similar formats and included a major policy announcement from both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton:

• Taxpayers have been promised they will no longer have to collect tax receipts under a $1000 instant tax deduction unveiled by Albanese at Labor’s federal election campaign launch.
• Dutton’s policy reveal was to allow some first home buyers to deduct interest payments from their taxable income, in an incentive worth as much as $12,000 a year.

• Those announcements add to the policies that were announced on Sunday morning: The Coalition promising one-off tax cuts of up to $1200, while Labor vowed to allow most first home buyers to enter the housing market with a 5 per cent deposit.
• The Liberal Party had former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison in attendance to watch Peter Dutton while Julia Gillard made a rare political appearance for Labor’s launch in Perth.

The leaders now have less than three weeks left to woo voters, and both would have been aware during their party launches that they needed to capture undecided voters’ attention before campaigning is interrupted by the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends.

Thanks for joining us today. We will be back with more live election coverage from early tomorrow morning, so please join us then.

Bye for now.

Thanks so much for following our blog today as the Labor and Liberal Parties launched their campaigns.

Here is a quick recap of the highlights from the two launches, which followed very similar formats and included a major policy announcement from both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton:

• Taxpayers have been promised they will no longer have to collect tax receipts under a $1000 instant tax deduction unveiled by Albanese at Labor’s federal election campaign launch.
• Dutton’s policy reveal was to allow some first home buyers to deduct interest payments from their taxable income, in an incentive worth as much as $12,000 a year.

• Those announcements add to the policies that were announced on Sunday morning: The Coalition promising one-off tax cuts of up to $1200, while Labor vowed to allow most first home buyers to enter the housing market with a 5 per cent deposit.
• The Liberal Party had former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison in attendance to watch Peter Dutton while Julia Gillard made a rare political appearance for Labor’s launch in Perth.

The leaders now have less than three weeks left to woo voters, and both would have been aware during their party launches that they needed to capture undecided voters’ attention before campaigning is interrupted by the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends.

We’re finding out more about the Coalition plan to allow first home buyers to deduct the cost of their interest payments – the big housing move from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton today.

In a briefing, Coalition spokespeople say the policy will cost about $1.25 billion over four years.

It is only available to first home buyers who buy a newly built home.

The benefit will work out to be just over $12,000 per year in tax deductions at the top end, although the savings would vary according to income and loan size.

It is a significant benefit, but subject to many variables.

Anthony Albanese has offered his own analysis of Peter Dutton’s campaign strategy saying he has been reticent to speak about nuclear energy.

“My opponent is happy to talk about measuring up the curtains at Kirribilli House, but there is something he very rarely talks about, the N word, the cost of his nuclear scheme and the cuts he will make to pay for it,” he said.

“The Liberals want us to turn our backs on all of that, to forfeit our nation’s unique advantages … and risk it all on nuclear reactors that won’t be ready until some time in the 2040s.

“Their scheme will mean shutting down renewable energy projects that are already under construction.

“After a decade of chaos and pushing 23 different energy policies without landing one of them, they are now trying to sell a nuclear scale that will close manufacturing centres, derail new investment in the regions, and drive up power bills for everyone.”

“They will charge a lot of it, the whole $600 billion, to the taxpayer because the private sector doesn’t want to touch their nuclear scheme with a barge pole.”

A cornerstone of Albanese’s speech to the Labor faithful has focused on his signature housing policy of 5 per cent deposits and building new homes exclusively for first home buyers.

“This generation of Australians should not be forced to choose between the opportunity of home ownership and security in retirement. Australians deserve both, and Labor is building both,” he said.

“Buying a first home has never been easy, but for this generation, it’s never felt further out of reach,” he said.

“Today, I announced that under a Labor government, you’ll be able to buy your first home with just a 5 per cent deposit.”

“Our 5 per cent deposit plan will be open to every Australian looking to buy their first home. It will be available for homes valued all the way up to the average price in every city and region, and you won’t have to pay a single dollar in mortgage insurance.”

He said a $10 billion investment to build new homes was reserved for first home buyers only.