2025 election: Takeaways from Dutton's Budget reply
What it means to Australians after a week in pre-election politics
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has promised cheaper energy, lower migration, and more support for small business under a sweeping pre-election pitch delivered in his budget reply speech Thursday night.
At the centre of his address was a National Gas Plan, aimed at boosting domestic supply, cutting energy bills and fast-tracking major gas projects. The plan includes an east coast gas reservation scheme, a $1 billion Critical Gas Infrastructure Fund, and measures to slash approval times and sideline legal roadblocks to development.
"We will immediately introduce an east coast gas reservation," Dutton said. "This will secure an additional 10% to 20% of the east coast's demand, gas which would otherwise be exported."
The Coalition claims its policy would drive wholesale gas prices down from around $14 to under $10 per gigajoule. Dutton also reinstated his commitment to his nuclear power proposal, which would build seven power plans and two modular reactors, costing $331 billion over 25 years.
By Friday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wasted no time, announcing the election, blunting the impact of the opposition leader's moment.
"In uncertain times, we cannot decide the challenges that we will face, but we can determine how we respond," Albanese said after asking Governor-General Sam Mostyn to dissolve parliament.
"Our government has chosen to face global challenges the Australian way - helping people under cost-of-living pressure, while building for the future. Because of the strength and resilience that our people have shown, Australia is turning the corner.
"Now on May 3, you choose the way forward."
Australia's choice: Tax cuts or cheaper fuel
As both major parties trade blows and mimic each other's policies, the election battleline has sharpened: Labor's tax cuts or the Coalition's promise of cheaper fuel.
Labor's budget centerpiece will cut the 16% tax rate to 15% in 2026 and 14% the year after, costing $17.1 billion over four years. The move, passed by the Senate on Wednesday despite Coalition opposition, will save taxpayers up to $268 in the first year and $536 in the next.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton dismissed the cuts as "a cruel hoax", calling the $5-a-day savings "insulting" amid a cost-of-living crisis. Treasurer Jim Chalmers hit back, on Sunrise saying Dutton "wants to cut everything except people's taxes".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese even accused the opposition of being "delulu without a solulu" in an apparent shout-out to younger voters.
In a bid to shift focus, Dutton pledged to halve fuel excise for 12 months if elected, offering immediate relief at the bowser. The $6 billion plan would cut petrol prices by 25 cents a litre - saving a typical one-car household about $14 a week, or around $700 over a year, Dutton claimed.
While both policies have their supporters and critics, voters face a clear choice: a smaller, permanent tax cut from Labor or immediate but temporary fuel savings under the Coalition.
Key election issues
While the headline bout is playing out over tax cuts and fuel relief, a flurry of other policy skirmishes are unfolding across key battlegrounds - from housing and migration to mental health, apprenticeships and union reform.
Dutton has pledged to slash migration to 140,000 for two years, down from the current 185,000 cap. While he hasn't specified where the cuts would fall, he hinted on 7.30 that both skilled and family visas could be reduced.
He argued a lower intake would ease pressure on housing and help restore "the great Australian dream of home ownership".
The Coalition would scrap Labor's $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which aims to deliver 1.2 million homes, and redirect $5 billion into housing-related infrastructure, claiming it would help deliver 500,000 new homes. First homebuyers would also be allowed to dip into their super, accessing up to $50,000 for a deposit.
"I don't want young Australians locked out of the property market or having to rely on the bank of mum and dad," Dutton said.
On jobs and business, the Coalition promises to train 400,000 apprentices and trainees and offer businesses $12,000 to support them over two years. It would also lift the instant asset write-off for small business to $30,000.
Other pledges include:
- $9.4 billion for health, including cutting PBS medicine co-payments to $25
- Cutting 41,000 public servants
- $400 million for youth mental health services
- $50 million over four years for food charities
- Tougher bail laws for domestic violence offenders and nationally consistent knife crime laws
- Deregistering the CFMEU
- Establishing a dedicated antisemitism task force
What's next?
With the 2025 federal election now set for Saturday, May 3, Australians face a five-week campaign filled with competing promises on energy, tax, housing, and more. As the major parties already on the election path, voters will have to weigh immediate relief against longer-term reforms.
While the official writs to dissolve parliament are yet to be issued, the countdown has begun, and so has the responsibility to be informed and ready.
To check your enrolment details or register to vote, visit aec.gov.au/enrol.
You can also enrol at your local Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) office, or by mailing an enrolment form. If you face challenges enrolling, the AEC offers alternative options to ensure everyone can participate.
Voting is compulsory for Australians aged 18 and over, so now's the time to get across the issues, assess the promises, and prepare to have your say. Your democracy sausage awaits.
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