PM Albanese's Fate On Cards As Australia Goes To Polls Amid Economy, Cost Of Living Issues

Polls opened in Australia on Saturday, and issues like the soaring cost of living, the economy, energy, and China were the dominating issues in the general elections. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Labour Party is facing off against the centre-right Liberal Party's Peter Dutton with the party promising to get the country "back on track" after three years in opposition. 

The pre-election opinion polls have been in favour of Albanese's Labour Party as voter appetite for a change was dampened by worries over US President Donald Trump's volatile diplomacy, according to Reuters.

However, Australia's preferential voting system and declining dominance of the two major parties have made it difficult to predict a clear outcome for the 150-member House of Representatives. 

The voting began on Saturday at 8 am local time, although a record 8 million out of 18 million eligible voters have already cast ballots before. Australia is among a few democracies with mandatory voting with the threat of fines for no-shows. 

ALSO READ | Carney Slams Trump's 'Canada 51st US State' Remark: 'Important To Distinguish Wants From Reality'

Albanese Vs Dutton 

The Australian PM said his Labour Party has "built really strong foundations during this term" and needed a second term to follow through on key policies including improving housing affordability and boosting Medicare, the country's universal healthcare system. 

"We want to be able to continue to kick goals for Australia," he said. 

Meanwhile, Dutton urged voters to elect the Liberal-National Coalition "to get our country back on track."

"Under Labor, Australians have faced the largest fall in living standards on record," he said on social media platform X.

The Labour Party attempts to gain leverage on anti-Trump sentiments pitching Dutton as a Trump-lite conservative. 

Dutton, a former policeman has forged a reputation as tough on borders over two decades in parliament. He has also pledged to cut thousands of public service jobs. 

ALSO READ | Hamas Commander Visited JeM Headquarters In Pakistan Days Before Pahalgam Attack, New Video Reveals

Cost Of Living, China Among Key Issues 

The Australians are voting with the soaring cost of living, the economy, energy, and China as the key issues in this general election. The country is seeing a dip in affordable housing, and high interest rates while the two major contending parties remain starkly divided on how to wean the nation off fossil fuel-generated electricity.

While Australia is a close US security ally, it has also not been spared from Trump's sweeping tariffs with a 10 per cent duty imposed on Australian exports. 

The major political parties have pitted each other on China as well on how to deal with the country which is both Australia's largest trading partner and a strategic threat.

world