Policy and messaging focus →

With the federal election now set for a Saturday in May, this week has offered a preview of the key narratives that will drive the campaign.

Labor is locked into delivering a pre-election budget on 25 March, an outcome driven more by necessity than strategy. With inflation concerns limiting new spending and a sea of red on the books, the budget is unlikely to contain significant spending measures to excite voters. Instead, it will serve as a platform for Labor to argue it remains the safer pair of hands on economic management, while the opposition will no doubt point to deepening fiscal challenges.

Peter Dutton’s leadership also came under scrutiny after he left Brisbane ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred to attend a high-end fundraiser in Sydney. While he defended the decision, the optics played into broader criticisms that the opposition leader is out of touch with ordinary Australians.

Meanwhile, Labor failed to secure an exemption from Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs, giving the opposition an opportunity to attack its economic diplomacy. While Malcolm Turnbull previously secured an exemption from similar tariffs, it is unclear whether Anthony Albanese could have done the same — or if Trump’s actions were inevitable.

In Western Australia, the state election delivered a returned Labor government, despite an 11 per cent swing against Labor. While the Coalition failed to make major gains in key seats, Labor saw significant swings in the outer suburbs, an emerging battleground nationwide.