Australia is going to elect their next federal government after a delay in the 2025 general elections which were originally expected to be held on April 12. A cyclone disrupted the government’s plan and prompted the current prime minister Anthony Albanese to reschedule the biggest elections of the country.

Prime Minister Albanese is the leader of the Centre left Australian Labour Party (ALP) and is seeking re-election after coming to power for the first time in 2022. Leader of the Conservative Liberal National Coalition, Peter Dutton, is contesting his first election as the opposition leader to Albanese.

Voting Compulsory in Australia

While Albanese is a veteran with nearly 3 decades of Parliament experience, Dutton is a former minister for defence and home affairs, and is known for his polarising stance on immigration and social politics. The ALP government, which is currently in power, is facing criticism over Antony Albanese’s handling of sensitive topics such as housing, indigenous issues and rising concern about antisemitism and Islamophobia. It is in this context that Dutton’s candidature has hope in this election. He is seen as a hardline conservative.

Australia does not vote directly for its prime minister and the leader of the party that forms the majority in the house of representatives, makes the government. Voting in Australia is compulsory, failing to do which without a valid reason results in a fine of Australian dollar 20.

The citizens of Australia will vote on issues of cost of living, housing affordability, healthcare strain, energy, climate and the country’s relation with China and US.