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Party Policies You Should Know: Federal Election 2025

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For the first time in Australian History, 18 to 45-year-old voters outnumber Boomers at the polling booths. The Burne's Meg McPake, Isabelle Collyer, Afia Khan, and Genevieve Spiteri have summarised the issues that matter to you.

Enrolled voters will head to the polls next Saturday, May 3rd, to vote for the next prime minister and steer Australia's direction for the next three years.


For the first time in Australian history, however, Boomers are outnumbered by their 18-45 year old peers, with Gen Z and Millennials making up around 7.7 million votes to Boomers' 5.8 million, according to the AEC.


Swinburne University's Hawthorn campus lies within the Kooyong electorate, 52 square kilometres of Melbourne's richest inner-east suburbs, which has historically been a liberal seat but flipped to independent Dr Monique Ryan in 2022. The university and surrounding student accommodation have made the seat a contestable position, especially on topics such as education, cost of living, and housing affordability.


The Burne has summarised the party's major positions as they pertain to university students. Listed below are the issues you told us matter to you via our social media, @Swinburnejournalism on Instagram, and how each party and independent candidate plans to address them.


 

Cost of Living



Roughly one in ten Australians experience food insecurity, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Photo: Adobe Stock
Roughly one in ten Australians experience food insecurity, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Photo: Adobe Stock

Cost of living has risen across the country with essential food items seeing massive price increases coinciding with rising rent medians in the capital cities. The Consumer Price Index, which is a tool used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to track household inflation, shows inflation grew to 4.1% across household expenses in December 2023, up from 2.5% ten years prior–meaning, on average, your overall expenses may have grown 4.1%--however, in some areas of your expenses the price of goods or other services may have shrunk.


The incumbent Labour government has met rising expenses with $300 household electricity bill rebates over 2025, and the Supermarket duopoly royal commission, which presented its findings in March this year and seeks to stop price gouging.


Labor has promised to continue to battle the cost of living through:

  • Adding another $150 toward the $300 energy bill relief for Australian households and small businesses

  • An instant tax deduction of  $1,000 for all tax payers. 

  • More tax cuts for taxpayers: taxpayers within the $18,201 - $45,000 tax bracket will have their taxes reduced by 2% over the next two years, resulting in those earning under $45,000 to save an estimated $1000 in taxes annually. More information can be found here.

  • Cutting the cost of medication under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from $31.60 to $25.

  • Banning supermarket price gouging following the recent price gouging inquiry into Coles and Woolworths.


 

However, the Liberal-Nationals Coalition argue government spending is to blame for inflation, and instead proposes to introduce Nuclear power, which it promises will reduce power bills after completion; halve the fuel excise, reducing petrol by 25 cents; and promote businesses to inject cash into local economies with $20000 tax-exempt lunches, among other policies.


The Liberals promise to:

  • Provide $50 million to food relief charities to expand their services. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins has announced that if re-elected, the Albanese government will develop a new national food security strategy ‘Feeding Australia’




 

The Greens, Australia’s largest minority party, hope to pressure Labor into investing into renewables further and taxing big corporations and billionaires to relieve tax pressure and energy bills on voters, among other cost-of-living related policies.


The Greens promise to:

  • Upgrades to existing public transport lines and funding accessible public transport with 50 cent public transport fees 

  • Penalties of up to $50 million for supermarket corporations that are in breach of price gouging: they will also empower the ACCC to take these matters to court and increase its resources

  • Entitlements for casual workers: Casual workers will be included under pro-rata entitlements to sick leave, annual leave, and carers leave.

  • Income support: raising income support payments above the poverty line, ensuring no one is forced to live in poverty. According to data from Services Australia and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, the total income for a single adult who solely receives government support is $481.45. The poverty line in Australia is $636.46 for a single adult. 


 

Other minor parties and independents promise to address cost of living through numerous and alternative policies and legislation, listed below.

Minors and Independents:

  • Since becoming MP in 2022, Dr Monique Ryan (Kooyong) has pushed for tax reform, consumer protections, cheaper medications, and lower electricity bills. In this election, her cost-of-living policies include:

    • More affordable and accessible housing

    • Reducing energy bills by expanding home electrification.

    • Ensuring access to affordable quality childcare. 

    • Further reducing HECS debts and supporting secondary and tertiary education.

    • lessening our reliance on income tax by sensitive, evidence-based tax reform



    Zoe Daniel (Goldstein) proposes a new tax system which looks at:

    • broadening the tax base and the petroleum rent resource tax, 

    • reconsidering taxes such as the Stamp Duty tax, 

    • implement a consumption tax, 

    • design a windfall tax arrangement on multinational gas companies


    Daniel has also proposed reforms to the income tax by lowering the income tax threshold and indexing them to the annual inflation rate. In December 2024, the Reserve Bank of Australia reported the annual inflation rate as 2.4%. Individuals within the $18,201 – $45,000 tax bracket are taxed 16 cents for every dollar they earn over $18,200. 


    Kath Davies (Chisholm)’ policies prioritise a liveable minimum wage that must keep up with cost of living measures, fairer working conditions and stronger protections for casual and gig workers rights, and reducing out of pocket healthcare costs. 


    To combat cost of living, the Libertarian Party will make superannuation voluntary, reduce the company tax rate to zero, raise the income tax-free threshold to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples, and reduce government involvement in the economy by scaling back regulatory agencies, cutting the ATO workforce by half, and privatising government enterprises like the ABC, SBS, and NBN. 


    Pauline Hanson’s One Nation proposes to enable and incentivise cheaper coal and gas-fired power, immediately slashing electricity bills by 20%, halve the fuel excise to 26 cents per liter for 3 years, introduce income splitting and joint tax return for families, and remove the excise on beer and spirits in venues.

    Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots has one policy for cost of living, and that is to cap interest rates at 3%. 

    Family First Party will provide an annual $200 vehicle registration rebate for families requiring a vehicle with a seating capacity of six or more.

    The Victorian Socialists will impose taxes on various incomes over $300,000, scrap negative gearing and capital gains tax discount, abolish the GST, introduce a climate tax, increase royalties on coal, gas, oil, base and precious metals and minerals to 35 percent, and end land tax exemptions and other write-offs for institutions.



 

Education




In 2024, the ATO reported there were a total of 2.93 million Australians with outstanding student debt, with the average HECS student debt at $27,460. Due to inflation and the annual indexation rates, people struggle to make HECS repayments which then affect their ability to buy property. 


As stated in their 2023 annual report, Swinburne has received $9,910,000 through the VET Student Loan Program, and $131,967,000 through the HECS-HELP Australian Government payments. It was reported in their latest annual report that the Swinburne Vice-Chancellor earned around $1,040,000 to $1,049,999. 


In February, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that banks will be allowed to overlook HECS and other student loans in a potential home buyer’s application. 


Labor also promises to:

  • wipe 20% off all student debt in a one-off debt reduction 

  • raise the income repayment threshold to $67,000 (which means you start repaying your HELP debt later, when you make more money)


 

The Coalition has publicly opposed Labor's hecs plan. In a statement to the ABC, "It's not fair that [uni students] should get thousands of dollars from taxpayers, but the young tradies who had to borrow to pay for their Ute or their tools, or the uni students who diligently paid off their student debt, get nothing," it wrote. Despite this, it has no published policy to tackle HECS and instead is focusing on increasing incentives for apprenticeships and vocational training. 


The Greens are proposing to abolish all student debt starting from the 1st of July, including HELP, SFSS, and VET. They also plan to cover the student contribution costs associated with loans, which they say will help relieve the financial stress for students. As of this year, both VET and higher ed students can be charged a maximum of $365 for their Student Services and Amenities Fee. For TAFE students, they will remove required upfront fees. 


Minors and Independets:

Dr Ryan has opened up the debate on student debt to parliament, which resulted in the government cutting down HECS indexation rates. For her 2025 campaign, she has promised:

  • More affordable degrees

  • Fairer accounting for HECS payments

  • Ensuring that HECS debts won’t prevent first home buyers from qualifying for loans 


The Libertarian Party is proposing to abolish the Federal Department of Education and instead use a voucher-based system for schools.


One Nation proposes the incentivising of newly qualified health professionals moving to regional locations by introducing three year contracts and repaying their HECS debt in full.


Trumpet of Patriots propose to make education free for Australians by doubling university fees for international students. Currently, international students will need to pay an average of $44,000 yearly to study an undergraduate degree at Swinburne. 


Victorian Socialists plan to abolish all university fees, reinstate free tertiary education, and increase funding for TAFE and other public vocational education and training sectors. They will also work to amend laws that ban higher fees for international students. Along with the Greens, they also propose to cancel all student debt including HECS, HELP, VET. 


 

Financial Support (Jobseeker, Youth Allowance, etc.)



According to the 2024 Australian Youth Barometer, financial security has been a concern for young people. Many have reported the instability of work hours and the rising costs of living as main contributors, with about 59% of young people saying that there is barely enough financial support from the government. 


While both Labor and Liberals have no policies stated for increasing financial assistance for young people, both parties have historically reduced and upped centrelink programs.


The Greens plan to abolish parental income tests for young people applying for government support, and increase the average Youth Allowance payment for current recipients by $4,700. They also plan to lower the jobseeker age eligibility, currently 22, to 18. For international students, the Greens will annually provide $250 million for travel and health concessions and affordable student accommodation. In December 2024, the Australian government’s Department of Education reported a number of 1,095,298 international student enrolments. 


Minors and Independents:

In February, Dr Monique Ryan (Kooyong) and other crossbenchers including Helen Haines signed an open letter urging parliament to raise income support. Although having no policies on improving income support, Ryan has proposed securing financial support for healthcare students doing practical placement. 


Helen Haines (Indi) has proposed payments for students in healthcare placements and the expansion of prac payments to include medical students and allied health students. 


The Victorian Socialists propose to lift all welfare payments to a minimum of $1,500 per fortnight and abolish all punitive bureaucratic requirements imposed on recipients. Currently, a young person with no partner nor dependents on Youth Allowance can receive a fortnightly amount of $472.50 if living at home, or $663.30 if living out of home. The current Jobseeker rate for a single individual with no dependents is $781.10 a fortnight.


The Libertarian Party has stated a policy of restricting welfare to only Australian citizens. 


One Nation wants to introduce an eight year waiting period for welfare for immigrants. 

 

Housing





With high rent increases and high mortgage rates, students have been suffering from the impacts of the housing crisis. October last year, Swinburne University released a report stating that housing insecurity severely impacts young people's "...safety, relationships, health and wellbeing, education, employment, and ability to plan for the future."


The Labor Party is proposing to make multiple changes and solutions to the ‘housing crisis’ by:

  • Commiting $10 billion to build 100,000 homes exclusively for first home buyers

  • Expansion of the “Help-to-Buy” scheme: announced earlier this year, this policy would involve lifting the property price and income caps that would allow more Australians to be eligible for the scheme 

  • use $120 million from the National Productivity Fund to “incentivise states to remove red tape and help more homes be built faster”

  • Continuation of a two-year ban on foreign investors purchasing Australian properties, which started from the 1st April 2025, and would continue until 31st March 2026 

  • Construction of 55,000 social and affordable houses with funding from the Housing Australia Future Fund


 

The Coalition's standpoint is that by increasing supply and attracting developers to build more homes, rental and home prices will fall.

The Coalition promises to:

  • First-time buyers of new homes will be able to deduct mortgage interest from their taxes for an alleged savings of around $55,000 

  • Allowing first-time buyers to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation, which would need to be repaid into their super before selling the property

  • Scrap Labor’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, citing its failure to deliver completed homes

  • Freeze any changes to the National Construction Code for 10 years: the code sets minimum safety and accessibility standards for buildings

  • A two-year ban on temporary residents purchasing existing homes

 

The Greens have policies suited to both renters and homeowners. From scrapping negative gearing for property investors to limiting rent increases to 2% every year--Negative gearing refers to when costs associated with owning and maintaining properties are used to deduct from an investor’s taxable income. 

The Greens promise to:

  • limiting rent increases to 2% every year

  • invest over $5.2 billion toward ending homelessness, 

  • establish a National Renters Protection Authority, 

  • instate a government-owned property developer to build affordable homes 

  • Lower mortgage costs by legislating a HomeKeeper mortgage product with a regulatory ceiling 1% above the cash rate to prevent banks from overcharging

 

Minors and Independents:

Dr Ryan (Kooyong) has called for measures to improve housing affordability through tax reforms and incentives to downsize

  • Changes to borrowing practices focusing on loan repayment assessments, 

  • Increase housing stock through Housing Australia Future Fund, Help to Buy, and Build to Rent schemes, 

  • Policy changes that will discourage property speculation, land banking and empty homes, 

  • Increases to Commonwealth Rental Assistance,

  • Investments in public and social housing in key locations, including the VicRoads site in Kew which is open for developer consultation until the 16th of May. 


Zoe Daniel (Goldstein) proposes a national “Under One Roof” housing summit in 2025. With the aim to create a commitment to a 20-year housing strategy framework, the summit will address the growing intergenerational inequity young people face. 


Kath Davies (Chisholm) prioritises housing affordability with a strong focus on renters' rights and investments in social housing. She also pushes for stamp duty reform and shared equity schemes to support first home buyers entering the market.

 

Despite not having any policies, Helen Haines (Indi) supports changes to make housing more affordable for both renters and homeowners.


Trumpet of Patriots will allow up to 30% of superannuation to be withdrawn for a house deposit


One Nation will hold a review of excessive government charges that make up to 44% of the cost of new homes. It proposes a 5-year suspension of GST on building materials to reduce new housing costs (for homes up to the value of $1million) and remove mandatory disability compliance requirements for new homes.


Family First have proposed the release of more land and the reduction of red tape to free up supply and lower prices. They will also gather the homeless from the streets each night into a communal shelter where they are connected to services committed to settling them in long term secure housing. 

 

For renters, the Victorian Socialists will impose a five-year freeze on rent increases and establish a National Rental Inspectorate (NRI) enforcing a set of legally binding minimum rental standards. They will also tackle homelessness by building 1 million new public housing units and establishing a public builder to undertake construction.


 

Climate




According to the CSIRO, extreme heat, heavy rainfall, coastal inundation, fire weather and drought have been the key issues for climate in Australia. 


Since entering Parliament in 2022, the Albanese Government has legislated that under the 2016 Paris Agreement Australia is to achieve a net zero emissions target by 2050. They have cut expected carbon emissions by 39 tonnes, and have invested $1.2 billion into Great Barrier Reef conservation.


To continue meeting these targets, Labor pledges to:

  • Vave 82% of the grid come from renewable sources by 2030

  • Invest $8 billion towards renewable energy and low-emission technologies

 

The Coalition’s climate and energy plan focuses on nuclear power, coal and gas expansion, and cuts to renewable initiatives.


The Coalition seeks to:

In an open letter to Dutton, the Climate Council of Australia have urgently requested a briefing with him to inform him of the substantial and escalating risks of climate change on Australians. 

 
By 2030, the Greens plan to phase out coal and gas by:

  • Banning new coal, oil and gas projects 

  • Cancelling exploration permits and blocking new permits.

  • A job-for-job program for the coal and gas workforce with extended wage subsidies and support for older workers. 

  • Expand the Net Zero Economy Authority to support all fossil fuel workers

  • Invest in affordable, accessible clean energy for renters, schools and public buildings

  • Empower renters to request solar installation in their rentals without unreasonable refusals from landlords

  • Include coverage for all natural disasters in the public reinsurance pool Victoria

 

Minors and Independents:

Dr Monique Ryan (Kooyong) supports the commitment to 75% reduction of emissions by 2035. As well as opposing new fossil fuel developments in Australia, her focus on climate also includes:

  • Pushing for accurate measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions

  • Advocating for a ban on native forest logging

  • Increased EV uptake

  • More federal subsidies for electrification 

  • Transparency and integrity in green financing


Zoe Daniel (Goldstein) also supports  the commitment to 75% reduction of emissions by 2035. Daniel’s policy on climate revolves around the transition to renewable energy sources. This includes:

  • expanding the focus of the Safeguard Mechanism to additional sectors

  • phasing out subsidies for fossil fuels,

  • no nuclear investments, 

  • financial support for climate mitigation projects. 


For households and small businesses, Daniel will push for the energy bill relief which includes federal pressure on pricing, state government concession programs, as well as electrification and battery storage support.


With a background in science and engineering, independent Chisholm candidate Kath Davies pushes for a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2035.


Helen Haines (Indi) pushes for the tripled funding of the Regional Australia Micro-grids as well as the transition from gas through supporting the Renewable Heat Industrial Decarbonisation Program.


The Victorian Socialists support a transition to a zero-emissions economy by 2050 and a ban on new gas projects. They will also:

  • Impose an immediate ban on new coal mines and coal-fired power by 2030,

  • End fracking and all unconventional gas extraction, 

  • Establish a new publicly-controlled renewable energy operator, 

  • Invest in publicly-owned recycling and green tech facilities. 

  • Guarantee alternative secure jobs and retraining for the fossil fuel workforce 


Smaller parties like the Libertarian Party, Trumpet of Patriots, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, and Family First Party all propose exiting the United Nations 2016 Paris Agreement. The Libertarian Party also proposes to repeal the ban on nuclear energy and instead ban use of public land for wind and solar energy developments.


One Nation also proposes to incentivise the use of coal and gas to support nuclear energy, and abolish the Department of Climate Change and related programs and agencies.


Family First supports the use of gas, coal and nuclear and wants to lift restrictions on gas exploration.


Legalise Cannabis Party is promoting hemp for its positive impact on the environment as a fast-growing carbon-absorbing crop and for its potential use as a replacement for plastic and building materials. 

 

For more information on all these candidates and their policies, click on the links below:


Kooyong Electorate:

Australian Labor Party - https://alp.org.au/policies

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation - https://www.onenation.org.au/issues


Outside of Kooyong: 

Zoe Daniel for Goldstein - https://zoedaniel.com.au/policies/

Kath Davies for Chisholm - https://kath4chisholm.com.au/kaths-plan


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