Election 2025: See where Labor and the Coalition are promising to spend billions
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will compete for Australia's vote at the 2025 federal election. (ABC News: Emma Machan)
Labor and the Coalition have promised billions of dollars across the board to convince Australians to vote for them on May 3 — and it can be hard to keep track.
There's a laundry list of commitments Labor and the Coalition have already made, though you can expect more to come through the campaign, which will be added to this piece as they are announced.
Election commitments aren't a complete picture of how the major parties intend to govern — their governing style, relations with foreign powers and reactions to domestic and global events are all essential parts of running the country that can't easily be captured by a list of promises.
It also doesn't account for compromises that may have to be made if neither party can form a majority, and must negotiate with other parties or independent MPs to win government.
Here is a round-up of some of the more significant promises made by the major parties to be carried out next term.
Health
Labor
One of Labor's major policy commitments is to tip $8.5 billion more into Medicare in an effort to have nine out of 10 GP visits bulk-billed by the end of the decade. The money would be spent to triple incentives to doctors not to charge any out-of-pocket costs to patients. The package also includes matching a $400 million Coalition GP training plan.
It would also go towards training 2,000 new GP trainees a year, and additional nurses.
In a $644 million promise, Labor will also expand the urgent care clinic network by opening 50 new centres by mid-2026, the bulk of which will be in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Labor will also commit $573 million to women's health, including a boost to Medicare rebates for long-acting contraceptives such as IUDs.
A new Medicare rebate would also be created for menopause health assessments as well as funding to train health professionals on the topic.
The government will also expand the network of endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics operating around the country from 22 to 33.
And it will slash the price of PBS-listed medicines from $31.60 to $25, at a cost to the budget of $690 million.
In total the party has committed more than $9 billion in health spending.
Coalition
Seeking to head off a scare campaign over Medicare, the Coalition has promised to match Labor's $8.5 billion bulk billing promise "dollar-for-dollar". It also includes a $400 million Coalition commitment for financial incentives and leave entitlements for junior doctors who enter general practice, to bridge the gap that the Coalition says dis-incentivises junior doctors to enter GP clinics in favour of the hospital system.
The Coalition will also match Labor's promised $573 million boost to women's healthcare, and the $690 million promise to slash the price of PBS-listed medicines to $25.
And a $5 million review of women's healthcare items will also be commissioned to identify gaps in services and subsidised medications for women.
In total, the party has committed more than $10.1 billion in health spending.
Cost of Living
Labor
With impacts of more than two years of high inflation still being felt, both major parties are offering a suite of measures to directly relieve cost-of-living pressures, which have been collated here.
Labor has promised to once again offer a rebate on household and small business power bills of $150, which will be automatically applied from July this year and paid over two instalments.
It will also deliver a small tax cut over two stages — the first on July 1 next year and the second on July 1, 2027. That will save every taxpayer about $5 a week in year one and $10 a week from year two onwards.
The cost of PBS-listed medicines will be reduced from $31.60 to $25, and remain at $7.70 for concession card holders.
Labor has also promised to slash students' debts by 20 per cent in a one-off move , which it expects to wipe about $5,520 from the average HELP debt.
In total, those measures will cost the government more than $20 billion over the forward estimates, with the majority of that being the cost of tax cuts.
Coalition
The Coalition's major cost-of-living offering is a 25 cent reduction on the cost of a litre of fuel, by temporarily halving the fuel excise for 12 months.
If that discount is fully passed on by wholesalers, the Coalition estimates it will save the average person about $14 on their weekly refuel.
The Coalition has said it won't stand in the way of Labor's $150 rebate on power bills to be applied from July over two instalments.
Similarly, it will match the promise to reduce the price of PBS medicines from $31.60 to $25.
And it will offer small businesses tax deductions up to $20,000 for business-related meal expenses.
All told, those measures will cost about $8.75 billion over the forward estimates, with the bulk of that expense being the temporary halving of the fuel tax.
Housing
Labor
Labor will match the Coalition's promise to ban foreign investors and temporary residents from purchasing existing homes for two years.
The party will also expand its Help-to-Buy scheme, which was legislated late last year. Under the scheme, the federal government covers part of the cost of a home for eligible first home buyers, and takes an equity stake that can be bought out at a later date.
Labor will expand eligibility to single people earning less than $100,000 and couples earning less than $160,000, as well as raise the maximum price of properties eligible under the scheme.
The party will continue the rollout of money from its Housing Australia Future Fund, which is designed to support the construction of 55,000 social and affordable homes over the next five years.
Coalition
The Coalition would establish a $5 billion fund to speed up essential infrastructure like water, power and sewage at housing development sites, which the party says will "unlock" up to 500,000 new homes.
It would also place a 10-year freeze on changes to the National Construction Code, which sets minimum safety and accessibility standards for buildings, to ease supply constraints and give investors more certainty.
The Coalition has also promised to ban foreign investors and temporary residents from purchasing existing homes for two years.
And it would allow first homebuyers to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation to purchase a home — which would have to be returned if the home is later sold.
It has also promised to scrap Labor's $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, saying not a single home has yet been completed under the scheme.
Climate and energy
Labor
Labor will extend rebates on electricity bills by another six months, meaning households will receive a $150 rebate on their power bills from July, paid over two instalments.
The party is yet to announce new climate change commitments, but will continue to pursue its stated ambition of having 82 per cent of the electricity market powered by renewables by the end of the decade, and have emissions 43 per cent lower than 2005 levels by the decade's end.
Coalition
One of the Coalition's boldest commitments is to establish a nuclear power industry by building seven nuclear power plants in regional Australia.
The Coalition says under its plan the first reactor would be operational from 2035 or 2037 — depending on what technology is used.
Modelling commissioned by the Coalition suggested that plan would cost $331 billion to 2050, though the figure is disputed since that modelling assumed a smaller economy and smaller energy demands.
The life of ageing coal plants would be extended to cover the gap in the meantime.
Assisting to cover the gap would be a significant expansion to gas infrastructure through a $1 billion fund, and a requirement for the gas giants to reserve up to 20 per cent of uncontracted gas for the domestic market.
The Coalition expects that would lower the price of wholesale gas from $14 to less than $10 by the end of this year.
As part of its energy policy, the Coalition would also fast-track the approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas expansion, signing off within 30 days of taking office.
And it would end Labor's $20 billion Rewiring the Nation Fund, which has been investing in transmission technology to get the grid ready for more renewables.
The Coalition has also promised to defund the Environmental Defenders Office, which has become a political football, having its funding cut under former PM Tony Abbott and then restored under the Albanese government.
The Coalition has said it won't stand in the way of Labor's $150 power bill rebate promise.
Childcare
Labor
Labor has promised to establish a $1 billion fund to build and expand around 160 childcare centres over four years. It says where possible those centres would be located on or near school sites, and the government would retain ownership of those services.
The government brought forward its promise to scrap the childcare activity test in favour of a guarantee that every family would receive at least three days of subsidised care each week, meaning this promise has already become law.
It means from 2026 parents will not need to satisfy requirements to work, study or volunteer to receive the Child Care Subsidy.
Coalition
The Coalition says it will ensure families have access to affordable and flexible quality early childhood education. The Coalition says it will announce its childcare policies closer to the election.
Migration
Labor
Labor says it will announce its migration policies closer to the election, which will be in line with its stated goal of bringing migration "under control" and maintaining Australia's borders.
Coalition
The Coalition says it wants to "rebalance" Australia's migration program.
If elected, the Coalition would reduce the annual intake of permanent migrants from 185,000 to 140,000 for two years (as well as a reduced intake of 150,000 in year three and 160,000 in year four).
Peter Dutton has also said the Coalition will set a target for total migration (known as net overseas migration) during the campaign.
It would also reduce the number of refugee and humanitarian places offered each year from 20,000 to 13,750.
The Coalition would also raise fees for student visas above their current price of $1,600, and has promised to impose "tougher caps" on foreign students after rejecting Labor's legislation to limit international student numbers, though has not detailed what those would be.
And it would ensure the deportation of "non-citizen criminals".
Law and order
Labor
Labor has promised $157 million over two years to crack down on the trade of illicit tobacco, with the tobacco black market draining government coffers and causing violence in Victoria and NSW.
Coalition
The Coalition would give police new powers to stop and search people using detector wands, and restrict the sale and possession of knives to minors and "dangerous individuals".
Targeting family violence offenders, the Coalition would also create an offence for using a carriage service to cause an intimate partner or family member to fear for their safety, or track them using spyware, or engage in coercive behaviours — with toughened bail laws for these offences.
The Coalition would also criminalise posting material on social media that depicts violence, drug offences or property offences in order to increase a person's notoriety, punishable by up to two years' prison and bans from those platforms.
Laws that create mandatory minimum jail terms for all acts of terror, and for the display of Nazi symbols and terror symbols were passed in February with bipartisan support, after the Coalition promised to do so at the beginning of this year.
Tax
Labor
Labor will deliver two "modest" tax cuts, the first on July 1 next year, and the second on July 1, 2027. Those will reduce the lowest tax bracket from 16 per cent to 15 per cent in year one, and then to 14 per cent in year two.
The already legislated cuts would hand about $5 a week back to taxpayers from July 2026 and a total $10 a week back from July 2027, at a cost to the budget of 17.1 billion over four years.
Labor will also commit $2 billion to production credits for aluminium smelters which only use renewable energy in their production process. Facilities will be eligible for support for every tonne of clean aluminium produced.
Coalition
The Coalition will temporarily halve the tax on fuel, which will reduce the wholesale price of petrol and diesel by about 25 cents. If those savings are passed on to consumers in full it will save them about $14 on the average weekly refuel.
In exchange for that 12 month discount on fuel, the Coalition has vowed to reverse legislated tax cuts passed by Labor on the eve of the election, saying the halved fuel excise will be worth more to voters.
The Coalition will offer tax deductions up to $20,000 for business-related meal expenses for small businesses. The Coalition says it expects that policy to cost less than $250 million and to run for an initial two years.
The Coalition will also lift the limit for how much small businesses can immediately deduct from their taxes for purchased assets from $20,000 to $30,000 — known as the instant asset write-off.
It will also dismantle more than $16 billion in tax credits due to be made available to critical minerals and green hydrogen producers under Labor's "Future Made in Australia" agenda.
And the Coalition will restore a self-imposed cap on how much tax can be raised by the Commonwealth. The previous Coalition government had a target of taxes being no larger than 23.9 per cent of Australia's GDP, but it was dropped by Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Industrial Relations
Labor
Labor will ban non-compete clauses which restrict workers from moving to a competing employer, or from starting a competing business.
The party says the clauses have become commonplace in worker contracts and are suppressing wages, particularly for the low paid.
The ban will apply to workers earning less than $175,000, and similar 'no poach' agreements that block staff from being hired by competitors will also be banned.
Coalition
The Coalition will mandate a return to the office for federal public servants, ending work from home arrangements that became normal during the pandemic.
The party has also promised to unwind much of Labor's industrial relations agenda if it wins government.
It would re-establish the construction industry watchdog, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, which was attempted by former PMs Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull (who ultimately succeeded), and then abolished by Anthony Albanese in 2023.
The Coalition would also repeal "right to disconnect" laws, which prevent employers from punishing their staff if they do not respond to "unreasonable" calls or emails outside of work hours.
And they would simplify the definition of a casual employee to make it clearer who is a casual.
They have not yet detailed whether they would change or dump Labor's "same job same pay" laws, which require employers to pay workers from labour hire firms the same as ordinary employees, but have promised to review those laws.
Separately, the Coalition has promised US-style anti-racketeering laws, that would allow bosses of organisations engaged in a pattern of illegal activity to be charged.ins
Mental Health
Labor
Labor will provide an additional $46 million over four years to establish an ongoing digital mental health service it committed to earlier in its term.
Coalition
The Coalition will permanently restore the number of subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20 for people with a mental health care plan. The subsidy was extended during the pandemic but lapsed under the previous government.
It has also promised to invest $400 million more into youth mental health services, and expand the National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
That money will also be spent on boosting regional services and "place Australia at the forefront of youth mental health treatment in the world".
Education
Labor
The Albanese government has promised to raise the minimum income threshold before graduates must begin repaying student loan debts, as well as cutting how much has to be repaid.
From July next year, repayments would not begin until people are earning at least $67,000, and the rate at which they must repay would be more closely tied to how much above that amount they are earning — which the government says will mean a person earning $70,000 would pay around $1,300 less per year in repayments.
The government has promised to cut a further 20 per cent off all student loans as a one-off measure to reduce debts that grew massively over two years of high inflation. It says that will wipe about $5,520 off the average HELP debt of $27,600.
It would also double incentive payments to people who complete an apprenticeship related to housing construction to $10,000. Those payments would be made in instalments with first paid out at the six-month mark of an apprenticeship.
Coalition
A target of 400,000 apprentices and trainees in training would be set under the Coalition, with targeted incentive payments for employers to hire and train apprentices.
Small and medium businesses would recieve $12,000 to put on a new apprentice or trainee in critical skills areas for the first two years of their training.
The Coalition has promised to restore a curriculum that puts literacy and numeracy fundamentals at its core, and cultivates critical thinking and responsible citizenship.
It will announce its education policies closer to voting day.
Government services
Labor
Labor has not announced any election commitments specific to government services.
Coalition
The Coalition says it will find areas of "waste" in the public service and cut those jobs to save taxpayer money. While the Coalition won't commit to a number of jobs or savings target before the election, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pointed to the 41,000 new jobs added since 2022, and has suggested cutting that number would save $24 billion over four years.
Gambling
Labor
Labor has not announced any election commitments specific to gambling.
Coalition
The Coalition will ban gambling advertising one hour before, during and after live sports on television and streaming services.
Supermarkets
Labor
Labor will enact laws to make it illegal for supermarkets to price gouge customers, and establish a taskforce to set a standard for measuring "excessive pricing", which will then be policed by the competition watchdog.
It will also develop a $3 million education program to help suppliers negotiate better deals with the supermarket giants as part of its initial response to findings that Australian supermarkets are among some of the most profitable in the world, with little incentive to compete because of the market domination by Coles and Woolworths.
Coalition
The Coalition will legislate break up powers that could be used as a last resort tool to force Coles and Woolworths to sell off parts of their business, such as their alcohol arms, if they were found to be abusing their market power.
The Coalition has said it does not intend to use the powers, but they would act as a disincentive for the supermarket giants to engage in uncompetitive behaviour.
Defence
Labor
Labor has not announced any election commitments specific to defence.
Coalition
The Coalition has promised $3 billion to acquire extra joint strike fighter jets, after plans to buy an additional 28 fighter jets were scrapped last year in a re-prioritisation of defence spending. The Coalition will reverse that decision and lift Australia's F-35 fleet to 100.
Peter Dutton has also signposted a "significant funding commitment" to be announced during the campaign.
Internet
Labor
Labor would deliver a $3 billion equity injection into the NBN to deliver access to higher internet speeds for around 622,000 additional premises by the end of the decade. It would mean 94 per cent of homes would have access to speeds up to 1 Gbps.
Coalition
The Coalition will match Labor's $3 billion commitment for faster broadband.
Social media
Labor
Labor would compel social media companies to strike commercial deals with news organisations to support journalism. A charge would be imposed on Facebook, Instagram, Google and TikTok which they would be able to entirely offset by renewing or entering into deals to pay Australian news organisations.
Coalition
The Coalition would outlaw what it calls criminal "posting and boasting", making it an offence to post material that glamorises violence, drug and property crimes in order to increase a person's notoriety.
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Credits:
- Illustration: Emma Machan
- Developer: Ashley Kyd