Election called: May 3 to decide Australia’s, and aged care’s, future

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally confirmed that Australia will be heading to the polls for an election on Saturday, May 3.

The election, which is only five weeks away, is poised to be a defining moment for the nation, particularly those within the aged care sector.

No other industry is currently going through major upheaval that is so dependent on government involvement. 

“My fellow Australians, this morning, I visited the Governor-General, and Her Excellency has accepted my advice that an election be held on Saturday, 3rd of May, 2025,” Mr Albanese shared on Friday morning.

“Over the last few years, the world has thrown a lot at Australia. In uncertain times, we cannot decide the challenges that we will face, but we can determine how we respond.

“Because of the strength and resilience that our people have shown, Australia is turning the corner. Now on 3 May, you choose the way forward. Your vote has never been more important.

“And your choice has never been more clear. This election is a choice between Labor’s plan to keep building or Peter Dutton’s promise to cut. That is the choice,” he added.

The previous federal election, held in 2022, saw the Albanese-led Labor Party overrun the incumbent Liberal/National Coalition government led by Scott Morrison. The Coalition was seeking a fourth consecutive term in office but Labor secured victory with 77 seats to 58 and a two-party-preferred vote of 52.13% to 47.87%. 

Current polls suggest that opposition leader Peter Dutton is in the strongest position with a minor 1.3 percentage point advantage in two-party preferred voting. That’s the equivalent of a 2.8% swing since 2022 — although the gap has narrowed after Labor dissatisfaction peaked in January. 

Earlier in the week, Labor’s 2025 Budget provided support for wide-ranging policies, although it was by no means a budget that pushed boundaries. Vote-winning promises are likely to come in the next five weeks.

Regardless, key policies announced in the budget include:

• A planned $8.5 billion investment in Medicare
• $2.6 billion to increase aged care nurse wages and $291.6 million for aged care reforms
• A 20% cut to student debt
• $25 capped costs for PBS-listed scripts
• New Urgent Care Clinics
• The banning of non-compete clauses
• An income tax cut providing the average worker an extra $268 per year

“What drives me each and every day is the determination to build a future worthy of the people of Australia,” Mr Albanese added.

“This is a time for building on our nation’s strengths, building our security and prosperity for ourselves, building an Australia where no-one is held back and no-one is left behind.”

The announcement follows Mr Dutton’s budget response which was released on Thursday night. In it, he cited five top priorities for a Coalition government:

1. A stronger economy with lower inflation
2. Cheaper energy
3. Affordable homes
4. Quality healthcare
5. Safer communities

Additionally, he would introduce four pieces of legislation on the first sitting day of next Parliament: 

1. The Energy Price Reduction Bill
2. The Lower Immigration and More Homes for Australians Bill
3. The Keeping Australians Safe Bill
4. The Guaranteed Funding for Health, Education and Essential Services Bill

Mr Dutton’s budget reply also honed in on his major goals. This would include implementing a National Gas Plan to increase domestic gas supply and lower prices. 

The Coalition would also ‘curtail union militancy in workplaces’, increase instant asset write-offs to $30,000, provide an annual $20,000 business-related meal expense dedication and reduce permanent migration by 25%. Stricter caps on foreign students are also on the radar. 

As for health and aged care, he said the Coalition will invest $9.4 billion into health to boost Medicare bulk billing, incentivise junior doctors to work as GPs, increase subsidised mental health sessions and support hospitals. 

There was no specific attention to aged care despite the ongoing aged care reform process, except for:

“In line with our national interest, we will continue to invest in essential services and critical areas of the economy – like health, aged-care, veterans’ support, the NDIS, Indigenous affairs, child care, and defence.”

That certainly does not mean the Coalition plans to ignore aged care or the NDIS. It most likely means that the sector can expect to hear plenty of talk over the next five weeks and that will hopefully lead to action rather than inaction that negatively affects the sector.