Your ultimate Federal election polling day guide: How it works, the key seats to watch and what it all means
Federal elections come and go every three years, so if you need a refresher on how it all works — and the key 2025 seats to watch — we have you covered.
To form a majority government, 76 seats are needed for one party.
Polls have sweetened for the Labor party as the election has gone on with most now predicting a Labor government, but whether Labor can win a majority or will rely on crossbench support as a minority government is largely an unknown.
The last time there was a minority government in Australia was in 2010 under Julia Gillard — if a minority government is elected it would be just the third time since 1943.
Cost of living
Labor is offering a 'modest' tax cut from mid 2026 as well as promising to implement an instant $1000 tax deduction write off and cutting student debt by 20 per cent. The Coalition has pledged to cut the fuel excise by 25c promising to save the average family $14 a week if they fill up one vehicle once a week. They have also promised to implement a tax offset plan worth up to $1200 for middle-income earners.
Housing
Labor have promised to build 100,000 homes reserved for first time buyers while also expanding their help to buy scheme and increasing access to the 5 per cent home deposit. The Coalition have promised to allow first time home buyers to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation for a home deposit and allow them to claim interest payments on their mortgage as a tax deduction. The party will also spend $5 billion for infrastructure in housing developments to 'accelerate' the construction of 500,000 homes.
Health
Both parties have pledged at least $8.5 billion to expand bulk billing services to a goal of 9 in 10 GPs. Both sides will also cut the maximum price of PBS medication by nearly $7 to just $25. The Government has promised to build 50 more Urgent Care Clinics at the cost of $644 million while the Coalition says it will restore the number of subsidised mental health appointments to 20 from the current number of 10.
Energy
The Government has promised to extend its energy bill rebate from July 1 which will see another $150 taken off household's power bills. It will also spend $2.3 billion to lower the cost of batteries for households by 30 per cent. The Coalition have pledged to build seven nuclear reactors around the country which they say will cost $118 billion although they would not be producing power for at least another decade. Peter Dutton has promised to back the expansion of gas including approving the North West Gas Shelf proposal within his first 30 days in power.
National Security
The Coalition announced it would spend an extra 21 billion on defence before the end of the decade to buy more F-35 fighters and firm the AUKUS deal. The extra spend aims to lift the current share of GDP spent on defence to three per cent in 10 years time compared to Labor's goal of spending 2.3 per cent of GDP in the 2033-34 financial year. Anthony Albanese did announce a $1.2 billion spend to buy critical minerals for a new strategic stockpile to increase negotiating power.
NSW:
VIC:
SA:
QLD:
TAS:
WA:
NT:
No party currently has a majority in the Senate with Labor having 24 seats, the Coalition having 30, the Greens 11 and others 10.
A party needs 39 seats to hold an outright majority in the Government, a feat which rarely happens.
Forty seats are up for grabs this election, 18 Senate positions won by Coalition members up for re-elction compared to 13 of Labor's, six Greens and one One Nation seat as well as David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie.
Labor are the heavy favourites coming into the election currently having 1.06 odds on SportsBet compared to the Coalition's 9.50.
The website also has a Labor majority government as the favourite with odds of 1.57 compared to a Labor minority government of 2.88, a Coalition minority government at 10 and a Coalition majority at 34.
The odds are slightly better — but still grim — on TAB with Labor having odds of 1.09 of winning and the Coalition at 7.50.
These are expected to change as the day rolls on.
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ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
As Iran and Israel fighting rages, many people face a difficult choice
For some people in Iran and Israel, the past week of fighting between their two countries has posed a difficult question: stay, or leave? Choosing the former usually means living with an ever-present risk of serious injury or death. At best? Survival and constant anxiety. Seeking to leave your home to find safer areas — elsewhere in the country or abroad — may seem an obvious option, but there are multiple reasons why it's not one available to everyone. It often represents a logistical nightmare that comes at enormous financial cost (just ask the Israelis who chartered yachts to take them on a 20-hour journey to the safety of Cyprus this week). Some residents of Tel Aviv are determined to stay in the city. However, they are moving underground to stay safe. Three generations of the Papirany family are currently living underneath one of the city's largest malls, the Dizengoff Centre. Their home is still standing. But a missile strike a few days ago hit buildings a couple of hundred metres away and they are worried about being caught short in future. "I've never heard anything like it before, there were like several jets up ahead, like a dog fight was going on, and we heard lots of booms," Tracey Papirany said. "And then next minute, such a loud boom that everyone yelled and grabbed each other." When the ABC visited the car park, people's mobile phones started chirping with advance warning of a missile strike, which comes from an official Israeli government app. "We put on a show, just for you," Mali, Tracey's daughter, quipped. "This is our everyday life, it's the reality here and that's what we accept when we come here. "We know what we're coming into and we live with it each day now." Maya Papirany, Mali's sister, said she had copped abuse from her friends for moving to Israel. She had been living in New Zealand with her two young children while her parents were in Australia. When they moved to Israel, she followed. "I made that decision knowing that there was a war, but I knew that I had no choice, there was nothing else I could do, it was my sanity, my mental health and doing what I thought was best for the children at the time," she said. "And since moving over, people have been messaging me saying, how could you bring your children to this war? How could you do this to them?" While the Papiranys brought their own bedding, the shopping centre's management is also sourcing supplies. "We're also bringing them tents and mattresses, so people will come here every night, just for the night, from 6pm to 9 in the morning after," Dizengoff centre chief executive Dan Pilz said. "And then they can spend the night safely, not be worrying about taking the kids to run during the bombs. "Without tents and mattresses, 4,000 or 5,000 people can stay here, [with tents] we believe we can contain around 100 or 150 families." Almost 1,500 kilometres away, in Iran, Israel's attacks over the past week have sparked a rush at many of the country's land borders as people attempt to flee. With airports shuttered, hours-long traffic jams clogged roads out of the capital, Tehran. Some were headed for more isolated areas, particularly in the country's north, while others, like Barry Jahed, 34, and his father, Parvis, wanted out altogether. Both men are British-Iranian and live in London. Parvis had been working on a film in Iran and had been based there for several months at the time of the latest attacks, while Barry had arrived in the country to visit family in May. After several days of moving between various locations — including a particularly distressing night at a relative's home, which was punctuated by "a series of air raids and explosions", according to Barry — the pair decided to head for the country's border with Türkiye. That meant convincing a stranger to drive them north. "We didn't get to say goodbye to family members or anything like that. We made a rush to the border in this car," Barry told the ABC. They relied on connections to beat large queues at petrol stations, and eventually used a border crossing that's typically reserved for freight. Once in Türkiye, Barry and his father combined with a group of around 16 other people in the same position to rent a dilapidated minibus in an attempt to drive towards Istanbul and its major international airport. After multiple mechanical issues, that trip took about 24 hours. "We had a young girl sit up front, and she was the DJ and put on music, and we listened to some songs and tried to make it as enjoyable as possible, as uncomfortable as the journey was," Barry said. After boarding a flight in Istanbul, Barry and Parvis are now back in London. But their concerns about the situation in Iran remain ever-present. "I'm worried about not just the bombings, but also the further consequences of shortages of fuel and therefore food," Barry said. His elderly grandmother is among the many people who cannot leave. "She's not able to move around very much," Barry said. "If there is some kind of shortages, this could very much be bad for her health." While Barry may be safe, his anxiety looks likely to continue as fighting rages into a second week. And if the rhetoric from leaders in both Israel and Iran is anything to go by, the end of hostilities could be a long way off.
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Workers' retirement nest eggs set for super boost
Australian workers can look forward to a bigger nest egg, with an increase to the superannuation guarantee to add tens of thousands of dollars to the average super account. From July 1, employers' minimum required contribution to employees' superannuation accounts will rise from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. It's the latest and last in a series of incremental increases from nine per cent over more than a decade since they were legislated by the Rudd-Gillard Labor government in 2012. With the latest bump, a 30-year-old earning $60,000 would have an extra $20,000 in super by retirement, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds Australia. It will add about $300 each year to the superannuation of a worker on a $60,000 salary, or $500 for someone on a $100,000 salary. "The system foundations are cemented for young, working people to have a comfortable retirement," ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty said. "It's a moment all Australians should be proud of." The association says the cost of a comfortable retirement increased 1.6 per cent in the past year, while the cost of a modest retirement rose 1.7 per cent. A "comfortable" retirement includes top-level health insurance, a reasonable car and leisure activities. The cost of either outcome was increasing slower than Australia's current 2.4 per cent headline inflation but retiree budgets remained under pressure from rising food, energy and health costs. Couples on average need $73,900 annually for a comfortable retirement, while most singles needed $52,300 per year, ASFA says. For a modest retirement covering the basics, couples needed $48,200 each year, singles $33,400, or for renting couples, $64,250, and $46,660 each year for singles who rent. The figures underlined the importance of increasing Australia's housing stock, Ms Delahunty said. "They also illustrate how super can be the difference between hardship and stability later in life, especially for renters." For some workers, the extra contribution will come from their existing pay package, according to CPA Australia's superannuation lead Richard Webb. "It's a good idea to check with your employer to see how they view the changes and what it means for you," he said. Workers on contracts with a total remuneration package could see a slight drop in their take-home pay, while those on award or enterprise agreements would likely receive the contribution on-top of their current pay. When compulsory superannuation was introduced in 1992 - in part to reduce government spending on the Age Pension - only one in 10 Australian retirees listed super as a source of income. Nine in 10 people between 30 and 50 now have super. Government spending on the Age Pension is projected to fall from 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2020 to two per cent by 2062/63, despite a doubling of the over-65 population and a trebling of over-85s over the same period. However the super guarantee increase wouldn't help those who missed out on paid work for extended periods, Super Consumer Australia chief executive Xavier O'Halloran said. "(For) people who have caring responsibilities or who have been locked out of the unaffordable housing market ... increasing SG further won't address those inequalities," he told AAP. Mr O'Halloran said there was more that could be done to support people struggling in retirement, when a significant portion of their autumnal years' savings were made. "Right now, there are no minimum standards for retirement products like there are for MySuper," he said. "There is also no performance testing of retirement products, so super funds can still sell poor products." Australian workers can look forward to a bigger nest egg, with an increase to the superannuation guarantee to add tens of thousands of dollars to the average super account. From July 1, employers' minimum required contribution to employees' superannuation accounts will rise from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. It's the latest and last in a series of incremental increases from nine per cent over more than a decade since they were legislated by the Rudd-Gillard Labor government in 2012. With the latest bump, a 30-year-old earning $60,000 would have an extra $20,000 in super by retirement, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds Australia. It will add about $300 each year to the superannuation of a worker on a $60,000 salary, or $500 for someone on a $100,000 salary. "The system foundations are cemented for young, working people to have a comfortable retirement," ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty said. "It's a moment all Australians should be proud of." The association says the cost of a comfortable retirement increased 1.6 per cent in the past year, while the cost of a modest retirement rose 1.7 per cent. A "comfortable" retirement includes top-level health insurance, a reasonable car and leisure activities. The cost of either outcome was increasing slower than Australia's current 2.4 per cent headline inflation but retiree budgets remained under pressure from rising food, energy and health costs. Couples on average need $73,900 annually for a comfortable retirement, while most singles needed $52,300 per year, ASFA says. For a modest retirement covering the basics, couples needed $48,200 each year, singles $33,400, or for renting couples, $64,250, and $46,660 each year for singles who rent. The figures underlined the importance of increasing Australia's housing stock, Ms Delahunty said. "They also illustrate how super can be the difference between hardship and stability later in life, especially for renters." For some workers, the extra contribution will come from their existing pay package, according to CPA Australia's superannuation lead Richard Webb. "It's a good idea to check with your employer to see how they view the changes and what it means for you," he said. Workers on contracts with a total remuneration package could see a slight drop in their take-home pay, while those on award or enterprise agreements would likely receive the contribution on-top of their current pay. When compulsory superannuation was introduced in 1992 - in part to reduce government spending on the Age Pension - only one in 10 Australian retirees listed super as a source of income. Nine in 10 people between 30 and 50 now have super. Government spending on the Age Pension is projected to fall from 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2020 to two per cent by 2062/63, despite a doubling of the over-65 population and a trebling of over-85s over the same period. However the super guarantee increase wouldn't help those who missed out on paid work for extended periods, Super Consumer Australia chief executive Xavier O'Halloran said. "(For) people who have caring responsibilities or who have been locked out of the unaffordable housing market ... increasing SG further won't address those inequalities," he told AAP. Mr O'Halloran said there was more that could be done to support people struggling in retirement, when a significant portion of their autumnal years' savings were made. "Right now, there are no minimum standards for retirement products like there are for MySuper," he said. "There is also no performance testing of retirement products, so super funds can still sell poor products." Australian workers can look forward to a bigger nest egg, with an increase to the superannuation guarantee to add tens of thousands of dollars to the average super account. From July 1, employers' minimum required contribution to employees' superannuation accounts will rise from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. It's the latest and last in a series of incremental increases from nine per cent over more than a decade since they were legislated by the Rudd-Gillard Labor government in 2012. With the latest bump, a 30-year-old earning $60,000 would have an extra $20,000 in super by retirement, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds Australia. It will add about $300 each year to the superannuation of a worker on a $60,000 salary, or $500 for someone on a $100,000 salary. "The system foundations are cemented for young, working people to have a comfortable retirement," ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty said. "It's a moment all Australians should be proud of." The association says the cost of a comfortable retirement increased 1.6 per cent in the past year, while the cost of a modest retirement rose 1.7 per cent. A "comfortable" retirement includes top-level health insurance, a reasonable car and leisure activities. The cost of either outcome was increasing slower than Australia's current 2.4 per cent headline inflation but retiree budgets remained under pressure from rising food, energy and health costs. Couples on average need $73,900 annually for a comfortable retirement, while most singles needed $52,300 per year, ASFA says. For a modest retirement covering the basics, couples needed $48,200 each year, singles $33,400, or for renting couples, $64,250, and $46,660 each year for singles who rent. The figures underlined the importance of increasing Australia's housing stock, Ms Delahunty said. "They also illustrate how super can be the difference between hardship and stability later in life, especially for renters." For some workers, the extra contribution will come from their existing pay package, according to CPA Australia's superannuation lead Richard Webb. "It's a good idea to check with your employer to see how they view the changes and what it means for you," he said. Workers on contracts with a total remuneration package could see a slight drop in their take-home pay, while those on award or enterprise agreements would likely receive the contribution on-top of their current pay. When compulsory superannuation was introduced in 1992 - in part to reduce government spending on the Age Pension - only one in 10 Australian retirees listed super as a source of income. Nine in 10 people between 30 and 50 now have super. Government spending on the Age Pension is projected to fall from 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2020 to two per cent by 2062/63, despite a doubling of the over-65 population and a trebling of over-85s over the same period. However the super guarantee increase wouldn't help those who missed out on paid work for extended periods, Super Consumer Australia chief executive Xavier O'Halloran said. "(For) people who have caring responsibilities or who have been locked out of the unaffordable housing market ... increasing SG further won't address those inequalities," he told AAP. Mr O'Halloran said there was more that could be done to support people struggling in retirement, when a significant portion of their autumnal years' savings were made. "Right now, there are no minimum standards for retirement products like there are for MySuper," he said. "There is also no performance testing of retirement products, so super funds can still sell poor products." Australian workers can look forward to a bigger nest egg, with an increase to the superannuation guarantee to add tens of thousands of dollars to the average super account. From July 1, employers' minimum required contribution to employees' superannuation accounts will rise from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. It's the latest and last in a series of incremental increases from nine per cent over more than a decade since they were legislated by the Rudd-Gillard Labor government in 2012. With the latest bump, a 30-year-old earning $60,000 would have an extra $20,000 in super by retirement, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds Australia. It will add about $300 each year to the superannuation of a worker on a $60,000 salary, or $500 for someone on a $100,000 salary. "The system foundations are cemented for young, working people to have a comfortable retirement," ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty said. "It's a moment all Australians should be proud of." The association says the cost of a comfortable retirement increased 1.6 per cent in the past year, while the cost of a modest retirement rose 1.7 per cent. A "comfortable" retirement includes top-level health insurance, a reasonable car and leisure activities. The cost of either outcome was increasing slower than Australia's current 2.4 per cent headline inflation but retiree budgets remained under pressure from rising food, energy and health costs. Couples on average need $73,900 annually for a comfortable retirement, while most singles needed $52,300 per year, ASFA says. For a modest retirement covering the basics, couples needed $48,200 each year, singles $33,400, or for renting couples, $64,250, and $46,660 each year for singles who rent. The figures underlined the importance of increasing Australia's housing stock, Ms Delahunty said. "They also illustrate how super can be the difference between hardship and stability later in life, especially for renters." For some workers, the extra contribution will come from their existing pay package, according to CPA Australia's superannuation lead Richard Webb. "It's a good idea to check with your employer to see how they view the changes and what it means for you," he said. Workers on contracts with a total remuneration package could see a slight drop in their take-home pay, while those on award or enterprise agreements would likely receive the contribution on-top of their current pay. When compulsory superannuation was introduced in 1992 - in part to reduce government spending on the Age Pension - only one in 10 Australian retirees listed super as a source of income. Nine in 10 people between 30 and 50 now have super. Government spending on the Age Pension is projected to fall from 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2020 to two per cent by 2062/63, despite a doubling of the over-65 population and a trebling of over-85s over the same period. However the super guarantee increase wouldn't help those who missed out on paid work for extended periods, Super Consumer Australia chief executive Xavier O'Halloran said. "(For) people who have caring responsibilities or who have been locked out of the unaffordable housing market ... increasing SG further won't address those inequalities," he told AAP. Mr O'Halloran said there was more that could be done to support people struggling in retirement, when a significant portion of their autumnal years' savings were made. "Right now, there are no minimum standards for retirement products like there are for MySuper," he said. "There is also no performance testing of retirement products, so super funds can still sell poor products."
Sky News AU
7 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Major Queensland coal mine facing termination with hundreds of jobs on the chopping block
A Queensland coal mine may imminently 'pause' operations, which could result in 500 workers losing their jobs. The Burton coal mine, 80 kilometres northwest of Moranbah, was first opened in 2022 and despite fierce attempts to ramp up production and lower costs, a mammoth flood season and record low prices have put the facility in a perilous situation. Bowen Coking Coal Ltd, which owns the mine, released a statement to the Stock Exchange on Friday and revealed that the mine could 'pause' production within a matter of months if additional cash or equity was not immediately sourced. 'If immediate funding efforts are unsuccessful and/or coal market pricing dynamics do not improve, Bowen may seek to temporarily pause operations at part, or all, of the Burton Mine Complex,'' the ASX statement read. The company has been forced to close a number of its coal mines in recent years including the Bluff mine near Blackwater, with Bowen Coking Coal executive chair Nick Jorss blaming the crisis on soaring state royalties and catastrophically low prices. 'Bowen is the tip of the iceberg of the pain being felt by central Queensland,'' Mr Jorss told the Courier Mail. 'We're not the only ones on the edge. Quite a lot of mines in central Queensland are cash negative, meaning a lot of jobs are at risk." Mr Jorss, who has worked in the industry for close to two decades, said the company had paid $120 million in royalty taxes to the Queensland government, after the former Labor government introduced a new progressive royalty structure in July 2022. 'This super royalty is an ongoing tax on revenue irrespective of whether mines are making profit or can pay their wages or other costs.' Mr Jorss said, adding 'it's a really sad state of affairs for Queensland.' The Bowen complex which recently acquired a cash injection was initially given a 10-year life. The facility produces two million tonnes of coal per year, with the Bowen Basin itself holding the largest black coal reserves in the nation. Mr Jorss said that despite Queensland still holding the title of the largest producer and exporter of coal in the nation, tax pressures had taken their toll on the industry's ability to be commercially viable and competitive. '(Former Labor treasurer) Cameron Dick is still playing political games on royalties, but it's impacting real people's lives in central Queensland and beyond,' he said, adding it would be a 'real tragedy if it's taxed out of existence". Mr Jorss said that if the 500 jobs are cut and operations are ceased then surrounding cities as far as Mackay and Brisbane would feel the pinch due to a lack of local supply. Industry magnates have slammed the Commonwealth Grants Commission, which allocates GST revenue among the states, for listing Queensland's soaring revenues brought in from commodity royalties as the justification for it to not receive an estimated $5 billion in GST. Spot prices for coal used to produce steel which is the majority of Burton's output have experienced a steep decline in global prices in the last year, sinking 25 per cent to US$175 a tonne. Experts have put this down to global instability sparked by US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff policies and a historic lack of demand in China and India. Thermal coal used in coal-powered fire stations have also plunged by 25 per since last June to US$66 a tonne as the nation shifts towards a renewables energy grid.
