Australian election 2025: Albanese, Dutton on final day of campaigning before Saturday's election

The Australian

02-05-2025

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are leaving nothing to chance as they fight for votes on the final day of campaigning ahead of Saturday's election.
The polls are showing Labor is likely to be returned for a second term.
But both leaders have invoked the 2019 election result when then prime minister Scott Morrison scored a shock victory over Bill Shorten despite polls showing Labor was in the box seat.
'Well, we'll wait and see, but I certainly take nothing for granted,' the Prime Minister told ABC AM.
'I think 2019 shows the folly of pretending that you know the outcome of an election before the ballots are counted.'
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will finally face the voters on Saturday after 35 days of election campaigning. Picture: NewsWire
The Opposition Leader says he remains confident he can lead the Coalition to a win.
'I think we're in for the fight of our lives, because if you look at the seat by seat analysis, there's no doubt in my mind that we can win this election,' he told ABC AM.
'I think we're seeing a 2019 situation where you've got a lot of interesting contests playing on the ground, where we've had significant efforts by great candidates.
'I think there will be some big surprises on election night.'
Mr Albanese is aiming to become the first prime minister since John Howard to win back-to-back elections, while Mr Dutton wants to make history of his own by defeating a first-term government.
Going into Saturday's election, Labor holds a notional 78 seats in Australia's 150-seat parliament and the Coalition a notional 57 seats.
Peter Dutton held a supporters rally in electorate of Sturt in Adelaide on Thursday. Picture: Adam Head / NewsWire
Anthony Albanese, drinking an iconic South Australian dairy drink, was at a TAFE in Tonsley, in the electorate of Boothby on Thursday. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire
Record number have voted already
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are setting a frantic pace on Friday to woo voters, but nearly 40 per cent of Australian voters have already cast their ballot already.
A record 5.7 million of the 18.1 million people enrolled to vote in Saturday's election have been to one of 7000 early voting centres to cast a pre-poll ballot, the Australian Election Commission says.
Another 152,000 had cast a vote via one of the commission's special or remote booths while 1.1 million postal votes have already been returned.
Overseas voting centres have also been busy, with nearly 42,000 Australians lining up to have their say on the election.
Early voting starts two weeks before polling day, but this year the period was shortened with public holidays on Easter Monday and Anzac Day.
The early polling booths have done big business in that time, with hundreds queuing up – and braving the dozens of volunteers handing out how to vote cards.
People have been queuing up to be able to cast their votes before Saturday. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass
There have also been some incidents outside booths, but the AEC acting commissioner Jeff Pope says most people have been well behaved.
'We're all seeing isolated incidents … where we have to call police and we are incredibly disappointed by some of that behaviour, and we will continue to call the police,' Mr Pope told RN Breakfast.
'We will continue to pull whatever levers we possibly can to try, and to try and make this the best voting experience for the voter. That's what this is all about.'
The AEC is expecting another busy day at pre-polling centres on Friday before they close at 6pm local time.
'Still more than 10 million people needing to vote,' the AEC posted on X.
Voting is compulsory in Australia and those enrolled who don't face a fine.
Full voting starts across the country on Saturday at 8am local time before closing at 6pm with counting to finally start after five weeks of campaigning.
Albo's eight word pitch to voters: 'Aussies deserve better'
Anthony Albanese has given his final press conference before polling day which saw some classic moves from the Prime Minister – including a brief flash of his Medicare card.
But he ended on eight words: 'Australia deserves better and I'll give them better'.
He also sharpened his attack on the opposition and Peter Dutton.
'My opponent is fearful of the present and petrified of the future. The world changes,' Mr Albanese said while campaigning in the Brisbane seat of Longman.
Anthony Albanese took his final day campaigning to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the LNP-held seat of Longman with Labor candidate Rhiannyn Douglas (left). Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire
'Government is serious. It makes a difference to people's lives,' he said.
'I mean, these people are just not ready. They are just not ready for government. Australia deserves better and I'll give them better.'
Mr Albanese also said the former Coalition government he defeated in 2022 had done 'bugger all' to address energy security, and said they would 'gut' funding to education.
'How do you get rid of paid prep for teachers and nurses? How on earth do you go to an election saying that?'
Albo's 'objective' to maintain 78 seats
Anthony Albanese says Labor still 'has a mountain to climb' to win a second term at Saturday's federal election.
Polling released throughout the campaign has consistently showed Labor is in reach of securing a minority government, if not a majority, in the 150-seat parliament.
'On polls, there's a lot of undecided voters … No-one's (prime minister) been re-elected since 2004,' he said.
'I don't take the Australian people for granted. I'm working my guts out to ensure there's a majority government tomorrow.'
Anthony Albanese says he is aiming for a majority Labor victory in Saturday's federal election. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire
(John Howard was the last Australian prime minister to win an election when he defeated then-Labor leader Mark Latham to win a third term in 2004. He lost the 2007 election – and his own seat of Bennelong – to Kevin Rudd.)
However he said Labor was 'striving for majority'.
'I don't want to lose any seats. Obviously, we're on 78 at the moment. That's my objective,' he said.
'My job is to maximise Labor's vote in the next 48 hours. That's what I'm intending to do.'
Mr Albanese remained quiet on doing deals with what is expected to again be an extensive crossbench, although has ruled out throughout the campaign of doing a deal with the Greens.
When pushed on if he would do any deals, the Prime Minister responded: 'I've made that clear. I refer to my previous 57 comments, to the 57 times I've been asked that question.'
Albo's sneaky drop in on Dutton's seat
Anthony Albanese has returned to where he began the 2025 election campaign, making a lightning quick stop in Peter Dutton's seat of Dickson.
Mr Dutton holds the marginal seat with a slender margin of 1.7 per cent and Labor has talked up its chances of winning the seat for years.
The ALP last held Dickson in 2001 when its star recruit, Cheryl Kernot, was bested by Mr Dutton.
Anthony Albanese dropped in on Dickson candidate Ali France's campaign headquarters in Brisbane, with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire
This time around Ali France, at her third attempt, is trying to defeat the Opposition Leader.
Friday morning's visit was a relatively low key, with Mr Albanese, deputy prime minister Richard Marles and Ms France thanking volunteers in her campaign office for their hard work during a 10-minute visit.
Mr Albanese was greeted by about 15 volunteers, some of whom pulled out their Medicare card and waved it at the PM as soon as he walked in.
'You've got your Medicare card? I have to!' Albanese joked, pulling out his card.
Anthony Albanese and Ali France volunteers got out their Medicare cards during a stop at Ms France's campaign headquarters in Dickson. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire
Ms France told the volunteers 'there are only two days to go and it has been a massive team effort here in Dickson and we're so close … after seven years of constant campaigning we are finally in the home straight'.
Mr Albanese endorsed Ms France's campaign, saying Dickson 'needs someone passionate about their local community'.
'Peter Dutton tried to run for preselection down in Macpherson (on the Gold Coast) all those years ago … at the beginning of this campaign he said that he would move to Kirribilli House, not to the Lodge,' Mr Albanese said.
'That says a lot about Queenslander saying they wanted to move to Sydney, rather than to where their actual job is located, which is in Canberra.
'We're backing Australia's public servants, he is sacking Australia's public servants … during the flood events just a short while ago, it was those workers in Services Australia here on the ground making a difference.'
Later, Ms France said that a number of Liberal voters had told her on pre-polls that they would switch their vote to Labor because of the Coalition's nuclear power policy.
The fact that Albanese and his team are thanking volunteers at Ms France's campaign office – rather than being out and about talking to voters in Dickson – suggests perhaps Labor strategists think their candidate will fall just short.
– James Massola/ Pool
PM's brutal dig to shadow cabinet
Anthony Albanese was also asked which Coalition front bencher gave him 'the most trepidation,' and delivered a scathing dig to the opposition.
'I think one of the issues with this campaign is the fact that they've had to hide people who are senior shadow ministers,' he said.
'There are people who sit on their front bench, and I frankly, shake my head at what their portfolios are.
'There are shadow ministers (where) I have no idea what their job is. No idea because you never hear from them. They haven't been seen in this campaign.'
Dutton says he's 'not focused on losing'
Peter Dutton has been quizzed on 'what's gone wrong' with his campaign, given the polls indicate Labor could be returned to government with a majority.
In an interview on ABC Radio's AM, presenter Sabra Lane brought up 'criticism within your own party already that policies were not up to scratch, and that you personally have not performed well'.
Mr Dutton invoked the shock 2019 election, won unexpectedly by then prime minister Scott Morrison, saying that 'quiet Australians went to the polling booth and said, 'I'm not going to reward the prime minister for the last three years.'' (He meant then-opposition leader Bill Shorten.)
But he also noted that a first-term government had not lost since the 1930s.
Peter Dutton, at the South Australian Produce Markets in Adelaide early on Friday, has defended his campaign. Picture: Adam Head / NewsWire
Pressed again on the negative assessments of his campaign from within the Liberal Party, Mr Dutton dismissed it as 'insider talk from left-wing journalists'.
'It's come from within your party,' Ms Lane noted.
She also asked Mr Dutton whether he would seek to remain as Liberal leader, should he lose the election.
'If the Coalition loses, do you want to stay on as leader or will you go?' Ms Lane asked.
'I just don't have any focus on losing at all. I believe we can win this election,' he said.
'I think there are forgotten and angry Australians that feel let down by this government, and know they need to change the government.'
Dutton says expects 'surprises' on Saturday night
Peter Dutton is not giving up on a surprise win in Saturday's federal election, despite polls showing Labor is expected to win a second term.
The Opposition Leader said the polls weren't always right, pointing to Scott Morrison's shock win in 2019 when he beat Labor's Bill Shorten despite the bookies paying out before election day.
In various interviews on Friday, he said his candidates had been working hard and cutting through with voters in their electorates.
'It's been a long campaign. But it's been a long three years for Australians. Australians have gone backwards,' Mr Dutton told ABC AM.
'I think we're seeing a 2019 situation, where you have a lot of interesting situations unfolding on the ground.'
Mr Dutton has been honing this message in recent days, that the Liberals' candidates in key electorates will pull off 'surprises' on election night by beating 'lazy' incumbent Labor MPs.
'They've thrown mud because they don't have a good track record,' he said, regarding the government's campaign strategy.
'The Prime Minister's not saying to people that they're better off. The government cannot say they have achieved a great outcome for young Australians in terms of housing.
'Our positive plan helps.'
Frenetic day of campaign begins before dawn
Both leaders have been up before dawn to win over voters on the final day of campaigning.
The Opposition Leader is starting the day in Adelaide, where he held an upbeat supporters rally with the Liberal candidates for the key seats of Sturt and Boothby overnight.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister – who was also in Adelaide on Thursday – is in Brisbane again, where Labor is desperate to improve on the five of the 30 Queensland sets it currently holds.
He will then head to Tasmania and Melbourne and vowed to keep campaigning till '6pm tomorrow night'.
More than five million Australians have already voted, with early polling booths closing at 6pm on Friday.
On Saturday, thousands of polling booths will open at 8pm till 6pm local time before counting starts at 6pm.
Neither leader is giving up, with both mounting a hectic cross-country blitz of key marginal seats.
'Going to go broke': Dutton tours produce market
Peter Dutton started his day with a stroll around the South Australian Produce Markets.
They're technically located in the electorate Makin, held by Labor's Tony Zappia with a double-digit margin.
The Opposition Leader walked around for about 20 minutes, meeting various workers and business owners.
One worker, who had worked there for more than 20 years, was asked by Mr Dutton what 'the biggest change' he'd witnessed in that time was.
'Probably harder and harder to get source. Growers walking off the land. Prices all going up. Fertiliser's going up, petrol's going up, labour's going up. Transport's going up. Everything,' he responded.
Peter Dutton and SA senator Anne Ruston chatted with workers at the produce market. Picture: Adam Head / NewsWire
At the end of the walkabout Mr Dutton met Tony Ceravolo from Ceravolo Orchards, a family-owned fruit business based in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula, as well as Mr Ceravolo's father Ralph.
Mr Ceravolo said the business mainly dealt in apples, pears, cherries and juices.
'I think he's pretty good,' Mr Ceravolo told NewsWire afterwards, adding the government 'has got to understand business'.
'It's tough right now,' he said.
'The way they're pushing wages up and up and up. The unions are going to have to back off a little bit, or we're going to go broke. We won't be around in the next five years if it keeps going.'
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at the South Australian Produce Markets in Adelaide with fruit business owner Ralph Ceravolo. Picture: Adam Head / NewsWire
Before leaving the market, Mr Dutton made some brief remarks to the media.
'Today Australians will make a decision, and right up until polls close, people are contemplating: what does our future as a country look like? We can't afford three more years of Labor,' Mr Dutton said.
'We can't afford three more years of higher costs, higher electricity prices, higher gas prices, young people being locked out of the housing market.
'This election is a referendum on the performance of the Albanese government over the last three years, and it has been a bad one.'
Polls point to Labor win of some sort
The polls are pointing to Anthony Albanese and Labor emerging the winner from the bruising 35-day election campaign.
Three polls released on Thursday have Labor winning – but the results differ wildly.
The final AFR/Freshwater Strategy poll, released on Thursday night, shows Labor ahead of the Coalition 51.5 per cent to 48.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
Labor's primary vote sits at 33 per cent, while the Coalition's is at 37 per cent.
Independents were on track to secure 18 per cent of the vote, while the Greens look set to nab 12 per cent.
The poll shows a 0.6 per cent swing towards Labor from the 2022 election, and if that swing holds across all electorates, the firm estimates Labor could jag a slim majority of 76 seats in the 150 seat parliament.
Polls have Anthony Albanese on track to lead Labor to a second term on Saturday. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire
YouGov's modelling released earlier on Thursday points to Mr Albanese winning a solid majority, with 84 seats with the Coalition set to lose a net total of 11 seats to end up with just 47.
The latest Redbridge-Accent poll shows the Albanese government has a 53 to 47 per cent two-party-preferred lead over the Coalition, putting Labor in prime position to retain government.
Meanwhile, news.com.au reported bombshell ALP polling has outlined Mr Albanese's path to victory on 72-78 seats in the 150-seat parliament.
'Break either way': Marles
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told the Today show on Friday there were still 'a large number' of voters who were still undecided.
'In fact, in every election when you see the stats of the number of people who actually make up their mind in the ballot box itself, really means that, yes, the polls are saying one thing, but it's not determinative,' Mr Marles said.
'I mean, there's enough undecided voters out there that this thing can break either way.'
Mr Marles also alluded to the 2019 election when the polls had predicted a strong win for Bill Shorten and Labor, but Scott Morrison ended up leading the Coalition to a 'miracle' win.
'We feel happy with the campaign that we've run, but we're very mindful that this is a matter for the Australian people,' Mr Marles said.
'We've gone into elections before where you think you're going to get one result and you get a different one. So I'm not really going to venture a prediction about Saturday night.'
'Battle of bandaids': Greens leader
Greens leader Adam Bandt is confident the minor party will play a major part in the next parliament following Saturday's election, and could win new seats to add to its current four.
'Our goal this election is to not only hold those seats in the House, the Senate, but there's seats – Macnamara, Wills, Richmond, Sturt, Perth – where we're in the running,' Mr Bandt told ABC News Breakfast.
'One thing will be crystal clear, the Greens will play a big role in the next parliament, and we're the ones pushing for the real lasting reforms.'
Greens Leader Adam Bandt (centre) with Brisbane MPs, Max Chandler-Mather, Elizabeth Watson Brown and Stephen Bates, is hoping to expand the Greens numbers in the lower house. Picture: NewsWire/ Glenn Campbell
Mr Bandt was critical of both Labor's and the Coalition's policies put up over the past 35 days of the election campaign.
'We've seen the battle of the Band-Aids between Labor and Liberals. It's been short-termism, a few hundred dollars here that may evaporate in a year,' Mr Bandt said.
'We're talking about ongoing reform to make the country healthier.
'We would like to see dental into Medicare for everyone, but we need to take action on the housing crisis and the climate and environment crisis well.
'We put forward ideas that we think could get done this year.'
More to come