Federal election 2025: The good, the bad and the ugly of the campaign unpacked
You can hardly blame Australians for being late to the party when it comes to elections.
Many people don't tune in until the last minute because, let's face it, who really wants to watch two men in suits talking themselves up while sticking knives into their opponent.
How many times can they really bang on about the cost of living, housing, energy prices and Medicare without seeing voters' eyes glaze over?
But as much as politicians can try and talk us into a state of lethargy, there are factors outside of their control that have made this election one to watch.
A supposed Chinese 'spy ship'. Russian war planes. A seemingly innocent fall off a Newcastle stage. And the ever unpredictable US President, who has emerged as the third candidate in this election.
Here are some of the defining moments of the past five weeks.
THE GOOD
The Coalition started the campaign on a competitive footing, with opinion polls pointing to a narrow gap in the two-party preferred vote and a likely outcome of a hung parliament. If the pollsters are to be believed, it's the high point for the Coalition before Mr Dutton's campaign unravelled . . . or failed to get off the ground, depending on which way you look at it.
THE BAD
Labor is given a free kick in the first week when Mr Dutton said he wouldn't live in The Lodge if he becomes prime minister, telling Sydney radio hosts he would 'take Sydney any day over living in Canberra'. Labor seized on the comments, accusing the Opposition Leader of 'measuring the curtains at Kirribilli House' while having no respect for the people of Canberra.
Mr Albanese experienced his roughest day of the campaign, copping the fallout from Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariffs before literally falling off a stage at a Mining and Energy Union conference while in Cessnock in NSW. The simple mishap turned bizarre when the PM tried to claim he 'didn't fall . . . just one leg went down, but I was sweet.'
THE UGLY
Extremist gatecrashers made their presence known early in the campaign. A climate protester was able to get within an arm's reach of Mr Dutton on his first day campaigning in Queensland, triggering heightened security that limited spontaneous interactions with the general public. The PM was also targeted by alleged neo-nazis who gatecrashed his press conference in Brisbane.
THE GOOD
Many — including from within the Coalition's camp — have found it difficult to crack Mr Dutton's 'hard man' persona and convey a softer side to voters. But the Opposition Leader spoke personally on a range of issues at The West Australian's Leadership Matters event in Perth, including how politics is a 'brutal business' after a Brisbane boy was charged over an alleged terror plot targeting his home. In another moment of emotional candour, he described his family and his experience on the beat as a police officer in the 1990s as a driving force behind his ambition for the top job.
THE BAD
Just when the PM thought he was done with Chinese ships, a sea-floor research vessel appeared off the South Australian coast. Mr Albanese said he would 'prefer' it wasn't there but admitted he couldn't do anything about it. He said Australia conducts similar moves in the Taiwan Strait, sparking a furious reaction from the Opposition who said it was equating the behaviour of the Australian Defence Force to the Chinese Communist Party.
Mr Dutton admitted the Coalition's plan to force public servants back into the office was a 'mistake' in his first major backflip of the campaign. Polling shows both leaders are on the nose with female voters but Mr Dutton doesn't say whether this impacted his decision. He also walks back plans to axe 41,000 government jobs over the next five years through forced redundancies.
THE UGLY
The first blood is spilled after a cameraman is hit in the head by a footy following a stray kick from the Opposition Leader in Darwin. Mr Dutton apologised to the man, who was later seen sporting a bandage around his forehead and joking with colleagues after the accident.
THE GOOD
The leaders held their campaign launches with party faithful on the same Sunday (April 13), with the PM in Perth and the Opposition Leader in Western Sydney. Both unveiled last-ditch appeals to voters and sweeteners on tax cuts and mortgage relief. It's good to see first-homebuyers and young people finally getting some attention, but it's also clear this election has become a spendathon.
THE BAD
Mr Dutton made another blunder, jumping on a report that Russia was trying to base military aircraft in Indonesia — which would put fighter jets about 1400km north of Darwin — and incorrectly claiming the country's president had publicly announced Russia's request. While neither the Australian Government nor Indonesia categorically ruled out the request from Russia, Mr Dutton admitted during the second leaders' debate he wrongly claimed Indonesia's president had first made comments on the issue.
Housing is apparently fine to talk about as a policy issue — just don't ask what goes on behind closed doors. Both Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton dodged questions around whether they would help their own children with housing deposits after announcing policies to help more Australians crack the market. Mr Dutton, who brought his son Harry on the campaign trail and spoke about how first-homebuyers shouldn't have to rely on 'the bank of Mum and Dad', eventually said he would help him 'at some stage'. The PM argued 'families don't have a place in these issues'.
THE UGLY
There's nothing more embarrassing than going in for a hug and being snubbed — except for when that moment is caught on national TV. The PM appeared to block a hug and a kiss from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek as he greeted members of his frontbench during his campaign launch. A number of others were also given the cold shoulder including Resources Minister Madeleine King, Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman and Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh. They insisted they weren't offended, but a post-election cabinet reshuffle could reveal otherwise.
THE GOOD
The Coalition gets some serious momentum this week. Its pledge to inject $21 billion into Australia's defence is the shot in the arm the it needs in the penultimate week of the campaign. Mr Dutton has vowed to increase defence funding to 2.5 per cent of GDP within five years, if elected prime minister, before lifting that figure to the Trump administration's 3 per cent target. He also delivers his strongest performance yet in the third leaders' debate.
Labor also manages to cut through with its pledge to spend at least $1.2 billion buying critical minerals to stockpile, which will form part of Australia's response to Mr Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs and is tipped to be particularly beneficial for WA.
THE BAD
The world is rocked by news of the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Campaigning is briefly suspended out of respect for the late pontiff.
Another confusing backflip by Mr Dutton, this time on scrapping Labor's tax breaks for electric vehicles. The Opposition Leader pledged not to repeal the fringe benefits tax exemption for electric vehicles, which has soared in popularity since it was introduced by Labor in 2022. However, he has since confirmed the Coalition would axe the scheme, describing it as 'wasteful spending'.
THE UGLY
The stage saga refuses to go away. Just when we think Mr Albanese has finally admitted his blunder — confessing his worst moment of the campaign was when he fell off a stage in the first week of campaigning — he backtracked at a press conference later by saying he 'stumbled' off the stage and 'didn't fall over on my backside'. Of all the hills to die on, this one hardly seems worth it.
Disruptions during Indigenous acknowledgements at Anzac Day dawn services in Perth and Melbourne left crowds stunned and were slammed as an 'act of low cowardice' by Mr Albanese. Mr Dutton echoed his sentiments.
THE GOOD
Western Australia received yet another visit from both leaders as they made their final pitches to voters before polling day, cementing the State's status as a crucial battleground. Voters in a handful of WA electorates could decide the fate of Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton, with Bullwinkel, Tangney, Curtin and Pearce among the seats to watch.
THE BAD
Mr Dutton gets the price of a dozen eggs wildly wrong during Channel 7's Leaders' Debate. He says a carton costs $4.20, which is about half of the average price in supermarkets at the moment. We know the leaders don't do their own shopping, but Australians expect them to be across the cost of living — which has been the foundation for both campaigns.
The wheels all-but fell off the Coalition's campaign when one of its buses broke down in the middle of central Sydney traffic. Fortunately the bus is carrying the travelling media, who are able to capture the hiccup before their muscles are needed to help push. The one saving grace is that the bus wasn't branded with the Coalition's campaign slogan pledging to get Australia 'back on track'.
THE UGLY
The Brisbane electorate office of Mr Dutton is vandalised for the third time in two weeks, with litres of red paint splashed across its windows. An 18-year-old woman has since been arrested and charged.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
31 minutes ago
- West Australian
The US needs Australian beef for hamburgers, Littleproud says
Anthony Albanese should play hardball with the US on beef as tariff talks grind on, Nationals leader David Littleproud says. American beef imports have emerged as a key negotiating item in the Albanese government's efforts to secure a tariff carve out. The Trump administration has been pushing for Australia to loosen import rules to include beef from cattle originating in Canada and Mexico but slaughtered in the US. The Prime Minister has confirmed biosecurity officials were reviewing the request but vowed his government would not 'compromise' Australia's strict bio laws. But the prospect of changing laws has sparked unease among cattle farmers worried about keeping bovine diseases well away from the country's shores. With beef imports seemingly key to securing a US tariff exemption, Mr Littleproud on Monday said there needed to be some 'perspective'. 'The United States does need Australia and other countries to import beef to be able to put on their hamburgers,' he told Sky News. 'They don't have the production capacity to be able to produce the type of beef that goes on their hamburgers. 'So this is a tax on themselves that they put on Australian beef.' Despite being subject to the blanket 10 per cent tariffs on foreign imports, Australian beef into the US has risen by 32 per cent this year, according to Meat and Livestock Australia. Meanwhile, the cost of domestically produced beef within the US has been climbing, as cattle farmers struggle with drought. Mr Littleproud said the Nationals were not against importing American beef provided that it was from cattle 'born in the United States and bred all the way through to their slaughter in the United States'. But beef from cattle originating in third countries was a risk because 'we don't have the traceability that we have over the US production system'. 'And that's why Anthony Albanese needed to rule out straight away that he would not open that up to those cattle that were born in Canada, Mexico, or anywhere else in the Americas, because that poses a significant risk unless we can trace those cattle,' Mr Littleproud said. Mr Albanese has been clear in saying he would 'never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity'. But he has also said that if a deal can be struck 'in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no'. Mr Littleproud acknowledged Mr Albanese's words but said 'when you see reports from departments saying this is what's on the table in terms of negotiations – where there's smoke, there's fire'. In addition to the baseline 10 per cent duties on foreign goods, Australia has also been subjected to 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium. Only the UK has been able to secure a partial exemption from the Donald Trump's tariffs. A key UK concession was scrapping its 20 per cent imposts on American beef and raising the import quota to 13,000 metric tonnes. But with many British goods still subject to tariffs, analysts have questioned whether the deal was worth it. The US has trade surpluses with both the UK and Australia. Though, Australia also has a free-trade agreement with the US, meaning goods should be traded mostly uninhibited. The Albanese government has repeatedly criticised Mr Trump's decision to slap tariffs on Australian products as 'economic self-harm' and 'not the act of a friend'.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
THE ECONOMIST: Race to the bottom as even cheaper Chinese electric vehicles spark trade fears for China
China's ability to make electric vehicles (EVs) cheaply has caused angst in countries with big carmakers, prompting governments to investigate China's subsidies for the sector and to erect trade barriers. Now, though, it is China's own government that is worrying about how cheap its producers' EVs are. The race to the bottom shows no sign of letting up, and the industry has become emblematic of some of the broader problems facing the economy. On May 23 China's biggest ev manufacturer, BYD, caused shockwaves when it slashed the cost of 22 electric and hybrid models. Now the starting price of its cheapest model, the Seagull, has fallen to a mere ¥55,800 ($12,000). The move came just two years after BYD had originally unveiled the electric hatchback, at a then astonishingly low cost of ¥73,800. ($15,800) The latest move triggered official concern about how low prices could go in the world's largest car market. On May 31 China's industry ministry told Xinhua, the state-run news agency, that 'there are no winners in the price war, let alone a future'. The ministry vowed to curb cut-throat competition, which it said harmed investment in R&D, and could cause safety problems. On June 1 People's Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, argued that low-priced, low-quality products could harm the reputation of 'made-in-China' goods. The backlash comes as leaders crack down on unproductive, self-harming competition between firms and local governments that has created overcapacity and lowered profits. Their moves are part of a broader effort to rebalance the economy. 'Recent developments suggest the old supply-driven model remains intact,' Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's chief China economist, wrote in a note. BYD's shares fell after the price cuts and the official pronouncements, amid concerns that the price war will be unsustainable. But to cling to market share, other carmakers cut their own prices. Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motor, one of the largest, called the industry unhealthy and invoked the collapse of the property market as a cautionary tale. 'Now, the Evergrande of the automobile industry already exists, but it just hasn't exploded yet,' he told Sina Finance, a news outlet, referring to the world's most-indebted developer. A BYD executive responded that Mr Wei's comments were 'alarmist'. The situation is not helped by the fact that there are 115 Chinese EV brands, according to Jato Dynamics, a research firm. Only a few, including BYD, make any money and are expected to survive in the long run. Brutal price wars are a common affliction across Chinese industries. By the end of last year's third quarter, nearly 25 per cent of China's listed firms were in the red, more than double the proportion five years ago. Consolidation will take time and will be painful. BYD is well positioned, given its scale and vertical integration. The firm controls everything from mining rights of minerals it needs to build its own batteries to cargo ships for transporting its cars to foreign markets. In November it sparked fears of even fiercer competition when it pressed suppliers to cut prices by 10 per cent. Suppliers may now be squeezed further. That could mean layoffs and less money for car workers to spend, at a time when the government is playing up the need to boost weak domestic demand to help absorb the shock of the trade war with America. An increasingly tough market at home will fuel Chinese car exports. Reuters reports that BYD plans to sell over half of its cars overseas, especially in Latin America and Europe, by 2030. That would be a big jump. China accounted for about 90 per cent of the firm's 4.3 million car sales last year. But the higher prices that EVs command abroad could offset the ever-smaller margins in China. And it is making inroads in spite of stronger trade headwinds. In April, despite the European Union's increased tariffs on Chinese EVs, BYD sold more of them in Europe than Tesla, an American rival, for the first time, according to Jato Dynamics. Though the price war is at its worst in China, its ramifications will be felt worldwide. Cheaper EVs would be a silver lining, but that will be little comfort for governments already anxious about China exporting overcapacity to their markets. More trade tensions are inevitable.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Honouring Scott Morrison makes a mockery of awards system
We learnt a lot about Scott Morrison after he was dismissed by Australian voters in May 2022. We continue to learn more, none of it good. And now, the worst insult to all Australians, Morrison is a King's Birthday recipient of a Companion of the Order of Australia, the highest honour in the land. Unlike most honours lists, this one hasn't been a secret. Crikey broke the embargo as soon as they received the list. It's a thing they do. Want a list of the many transgressions Morrison committed against Australians? Let's begin with the most recent – his secret appointment to key ministries during COVID-19. Legal but fundamentally undermining of the principles of responsible government. At least that's what our Solicitor-General found. As immigration minister under PM Tony Abbott, Morrison overrode medical advice and in turn made it harder for an asylum seeker in offshore detention to access an abortion. This was part of a policy that hampered asylum seekers in offshore detention from accessing medical treatment in Australia. The breathtaking breadth and depth of the cruelty of robo-debt. The cold-bloodedness of his comments about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout – apparently it wasn't a race until it was. And that was on top of what we already knew about him. Apparently, he had to talk to his wife and daughters to clarify the need for further action against sexual harassment and sexual assault. He told women of Australia they were lucky to be able to demonstrate in peace and safety. He embarrassed everyone, even his own colleagues, when he said: 'I don't hold a hose, mate' during the Black Summer bushfires. Careless? Or callous? News of Morrison's honour devastated me. I've been writing about honours since Gaia was a girl (in those early days of my career, this was a suitable topic for a girl reporter). I've written about the good ones and the bad ones, I've endlessly written about the disproportionate number of men, the disproportionate number of people from wealthy postcodes, the fact that some of our most brilliant First Nations citizens are left off the list. I've berated the number of people who get these awards – which should be our most valuable accolades – just for doing their jobs. Mostly, it's been about how terrible the choices are, and how they bear nearly no connection with the real life of courageous Australians. Time after time, someone gets a gong who really, really shouldn't. It takes a criminal conviction for an honour to be removed. Even people who are paedophile sympathisers get a gong and get to keep a gong. But the award to Scott Morrison absolutely takes the cake for poor judgment and bad timing. Let me first say that each and every former prime minister has one of these to pin to their lapel. And each and every one of those people has made bad decisions that harmed Australians.
