Policy and messaging focus →

Week two of the federal election campaign saw Opposition Leader Peter Dutton abandon a key election policy to end work-from-home arrangements for the public service as well as cutting 41,000 jobs across the sector. Facing internal backlash and poor polling among women voters due to a failure to prosecute the policy effectively and a well-coordinated Labor campaign of attacks, the reversal was framed as a correction but interpreted by many as panic.

Labor seized on the retreat to question Mr Dutton’s judgment and reliability. In an attempt to reset, Mr Dutton leaned into cost-of-living concerns, campaigning on his promise to cut the fuel excise by 25 cents per litre.

The Coalition, resetting its approach to the campaign after its Monday policy backflip, remained mostly on message and released its policy costings on its proposed gas reforms. Labor continued its slow, steady rise in the polls, maintaining its focus on health and education as key campaign topics. External pressures — including global financial market instability sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs — added further complexity, with Labor maintaining its tactic of attempting to associate Mr Dutton and the Coalition with the Trump Administration. Both parties responded to global economic movements cautiously, with Labor highlighting the importance of stability and the Coalition pointing to its economic record during the pandemic.

Tuesday night’s leaders’ debate offered no breakthrough. Mr Dutton performed solidly under difficult personal circumstances, though at times he became bogged down in specific details in answers to questions. Mr Albanese stayed on message, reinforcing Labor’s Medicare credentials, however, his performance was cautiously measured and risk averse. Neither leader managed to gain any extra political momentum from the event, with both sticking to talking points and being careful not to make any major mistakes

Polling across multiple firms showed modest but consistent gains for Labor, with two-party-preferred leads of 52–48 or higher. The Coalition’s primary vote fell, and Mr Dutton’s personal approval ratings remained poor. Policy polling suggested that while some Coalition proposals — such as cutting migration — were popular, the public service cuts and work-from-home rollback across the sector were not.

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