Put away the tarot cards, dump the tea leaves in the compost bin, cover up the crystal ball and stop searching for the smoke signals – the prime minister has finally named the date, putting an end to months of election speculation and starting the countdown to polling day. Anthony Albanese has officially launched the election campaign, framing it as a choice between Labor's building agenda and Peter Dutton's proposed cuts.
Analysts predict the election will be decided in the suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne, and regional Tasmania. Labor faces a tight margin, needing to retain almost all seats to avoid minority government, while the Coalition needs to gain nearly 20 seats for a majority. Polls suggest a hung parliament is possible.
The major parties are losing voter share to Greens and independents. Labor will focus on tax cuts, energy policy, cost of living, and manufacturing, while Dutton is focusing on national security and defence and cutting Labor spending. The potential real estate implications of which party wins relate directly to policy with Dutton offering cuts to the public service and Labor focusing on a made in Australia agenda with strong fiscal policy. The election is considered a true toss up with both parties having a path to victory. Marginal seats across several states are in play, with both leaders targeting key regions.
