Parliament has just finished up for the year.

151 MPs and 76 Senators are sighing with relief after a jam-packed sitting fortnight where the Government tried to pass dozens of bills – some were successful, others were ‘shelved’ (translation: think of a book that you put back on the shelf and plan to pick up again… but in all likelihood won’t get around to anytime soon).

The rushed legislative agenda gave a sense of finality, begging the question: how soon until we head to an election?

Many of you will have voted in a local or state election this year, with both territories (NT and ACT) and two states (Tasmania and Queensland) voting for their respective governments in 2024.

But next year, all of Australia will vote in a federal election. Prepare for corflutes near the beach or volunteers handing out flyers at the train station. You might even be the lucky resident on the other side of a door knock!

Here’s what to expect going into 2025.

Federal elections need to be held at least every three years. 

The last election took place in May 2022. Therefore, Australia needs to hold an election by May, 2025. In Australia, Prime Ministers can choose when the Federal Election is (as long as it’s by a certain date). Some commentators are predicting there will be an election as early as March.

Could it be earlier?

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: “Why not call an election now to put Australians out of their misery?”

Albanese responded, looking puzzled, asking if Dutton wants an election “on New Year’s Day?”

The Prime Minister needs to give at least 33 days notice of a Federal Election, and once it's called, Parliament can no longer sit.

So, it means Parliament could sit again, but it depends on when the PM fires the campaign starting gun!

The main standoff will be between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (leader of the Labor Party) and the man who wants his job, Peter Dutton (leader of the Liberal Party).

Polls suggest Albanese and Dutton will struggle to get a majority government, meaning their respective parties won’t win enough seats to achieve power on their own and will need the support of the crossbench (an MP that doesn’t belong to one of the major parties).

So, you can expect to hear more about the ‘Teal’ independents, the Greens, and other independents. To give you some context, at the last election, a record number of Australians voted for minor parties or independents.

But what are we actually voting on?

Cost of living is the top issue for voters. Poll after poll has ranked it as the highest priority, with inflation (rising prices) stretching personal budgets.

It’s not unusual for election campaigns to run on economic issues. However, the cost of living refers to the affordability of everyday expenses – like rent, groceries, and energy – while the economy mostly refers to bigger-picture growth and employment trends.

Labor has pointed to its record of increasing wages in some sectors (aged care, childcare), improving workers’ rights, introducing a $300 annual energy bill relief, and rejigging tax cuts to apply to a broader group of people. 

The Government is likely to have a nuanced message: spruiking its progress while acknowledging that more needs to be done to help Australians “doing it tough” – in the words of Treasurer Jim Chalmers. 

The Coalition has sketched out general plans to tackle inflation and lower taxes (without giving specifics), cutting government spending, and reducing energy bills. Their message will be clear: blaming the current Government for the cost-of-living crisis and high inflation, and asserting that the Coalition is determined to fix it.

Housing has emerged as an increasingly pressing issue for Australians.

Ipsos is a company that has conducted issues-based national polls for at least a decade in Australia. In 2013, 2016, and 2019, roughly one-fifth of Australians rated housing as a top issue.

At the last election, nearly a third of people listed housing as a top concern. The latest Ipsos poll shows it’s now a key issue for 42% of voters.

Labor has passed multiple reforms in housing. It has set up the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) – a long-term investment program for social and affordable homes.

It also passed their Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills this week. This will allow up to 40,000 first home buyers to co-purchase homes with the government, and will offer tax incentives for apartments designed for renters.

The Coalition, on the other hand, is fixated on the “dream of home ownership” – they even have a Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership.

It has pledged to increase housing supply by discouraging foreign ownership, reducing migration, and cutting red tape for new builds. Earlier this week, Shadow Housing Minister Michael Sukkar reiterated plans to allow first home-buyers to dip into some of their superannuation to put towards a property.

The Greens have become a vocal player in the housing debate. Their wishlist of reforms includes setting up a national property developer and scrapping tax discounts for property investors, known as ‘negative gearing’. 

The party has also pledged to cap rent increases nationally, an issue Labor insists is a state-based issue.

TDA polling showed climate change was the top issue for our audience. While it continues to be a key concern for younger people, polling shows it has  tailed off as cost of living dominates the field. 

Both major parties are committed to net-zero emissions by 2050: where all carbon emissions released into the atmosphere are balanced by the amount of carbon taken out of the atmosphere.

The parties differ in their vision of how to get to net zero. 

Labor wants to transition away from fossil fuels and bring in more renewable energy like wind and solar. It also has a keynote policy – the Future Made in Australia – dedicated to setting up a green-powered domestic industry.

The Coalition has a mixed approach. It wants to lift a national ban on nuclear power and set up reactors across seven sites. Nuclear energy is a lower-emissions technology fuelled by uranium, which is a finite resource. This is why it's not considered a source of renewable energy. 

Both parties are framing their respective actions on climate change in economic terms: whose plan will help reduce energy costs? 

There are several other issues that each party will be pushing. 

For instance, the Coalition has promised to restore government-subsidised (partially funded) psychology sessions from 10 to 20 a year.

Labor has promised to cut 20% off HECs debts if it’s re-elected.

But there are some areas of agreement: both parties support the ban on children under 16 using social media and the AUKUS submarine deals will steam ahead under either leader.

Through the campaign: TDA will be here to answer your questions and make sense of how politicians are planning to change Australia.

Yes, democracy can be dry. But not with us!

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In this week's wrap of good news, we discuss a medical breakthrough for asthma, the good news about air fryers and the biggest cohort of blood donors.