The second leaders’ debate of the 2025 federal election campaign took place on Wednesday night at the ABC’s offices in Parramatta, Western Sydney, with journalist and ABC TV’s Insiders host, David Speers, moderating.
Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton stood at their own lecterns, fielding questions on everything from housing and negative gearing to climate action, nuclear energy, and Australia’s tricky relationships with the US and China.
While there were no knockout punches, there was plenty for voters to chew on. Here’s what actually stood out from the night:
1. Dutton fesses up to another campaign blunder
Liberal candidate Peter Dutton admitted he got it wrong about Indonesia’s president confirming Russian military planes in Papua. “It was a mistake, I am happy to admit that,” he said.
Dutton clarified, “The reference I was making shouldn’t have been to the president, it was in relation to sources from the Prabowo government.”
This is the second time Dutton’s had to walk back a campaign claim since the election was called.
2. Power prices: still no clear timeline
When pressed about when Aussies will see relief on their energy bills, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wouldn’t lock in a date. Instead, he leaned on expert advice: “We know renewables are the cheapest form of power, not because of what we say, but because of what the Australian Energy Market Operator says.”
But as for when bills will actually drop? “Well, what we need to do is to roll out renewables. Make sure there’s energy security. Make sure it’s backed up by batteries, by hydro and by gas,” Albanese said — without giving a timeframe.
3. Climate change chats
Climate was a dividing line. Albanese was direct: “The science is very clear.”
He added, “Doesn’t mean that every single weather event is because of climate change.”
“The science told us that the events would be more extreme and they’d be more frequent, and that is what we are seeing playing out. Whether it be increased bushfires, increased flooding — these extreme weather events are having an impact.”
Meanwhile, Dutton was more cautious: “I’ll let scientists and others pass that judgment,” and when pressed, said, “I don’t know David, I’m not a scientist.” Totally.
4. Negative gearing: the untouchable topic
Both leaders dodged any real talk of changing negative gearing. Albanese argued, “Because the experts say that what they potentially would do is diminish supply, not increase it, and that’s why the key to fixing the housing issues is supply.”
Dutton claimed, “If you want to cut out negative gearing, as the Labor Party and the Greens would love to do, you will stop investment taking place for properties which ultimately are rented by young Australians.”
In short, neither side wants to touch it.
5. Do Dutton and Albanese trust Trump and Xi Jinping?
Asked if he trusts Donald Trump, Dutton replied, “We trust the US, and I don’t know the president. I’ve not met him. The prime minister obviously has been able to.”
Albanese jumped in: “Yeah. I have no reason not to. I’ve had a couple of discussions with him.”
Notably, Albanese called Trump’s initial rollout of his controversial tariffs “not an act of a friend”, earlier this month.
Both leaders said Australia would keep negotiating with the US, but neither was keen to spell out exactly how they’d handle the new tariffs or the bigger diplomatic picture.
When the trust question moved to the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Albanese said: “I have no reason not to either. In terms of the discussions we have had as one on one discussions have been important. China is our major trading partner. One in four Australian jobs depends upon trade.”
“I spoke to him across the table. I haven’t done business with him and shaken hands and seen whether somebody has honoured that deal. I don’t have any reason to distrust,” Dutton said.
6. Closing the gap: Both admit not enough is being done
Both leaders agreed Australia isn’t doing enough for First Nations people. Albanese said, “That’s just a fact. And that’s something that breaks my heart.”
Dutton called the figures “heartbreaking to see” and said, “I’ve had, in every expenditure review committee and government in opposition, a desire to invest as much money as is required to see those terrible outcomes improve, and it hasn’t happened.”
Neither leader has visited an Indigenous community during the campaign.
7. Housing: big promises, but no quick fix
Housing kicked off the debate, with both leaders offering up their plans. Albanese talked up Labor’s $43 billion plan and a target to build 1.2 million homes by 2029.
Dutton said, “So the demand that the Prime Minister has generated has really created a housing crisis,” and pitched a $5 billion fund to unlock new land and a migration cut. But when it came to whether these plans would actually make homes more affordable soon, neither side could give a firm answer.
8. Pro-Palestine protesters ignored
While the leaders were inside debating, around 100 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the ABC studios. The group was there to call out both major parties over their handling of Israel’s actions in Gaza, making their message clear with chants and signs.
The protest was peaceful but visible, with demonstrators aiming to put pressure on both Albanese and Dutton to take a stronger stance on the conflict. Despite the noise outside, the demonstration didn’t spill into the debate itself, and neither leader directly addressed the protest or shifted their position on the issue during the event.
Bottom line, there were no major stumbles, but plenty of sidesteps. Both leaders stuck to their main talking points, admitted some hard truths, and left a few big questions hanging. Two more debates to go — maybe we’ll get more straight answers next time.
If you missed the first election debate you can catch up on the key takeaways HERE.
And if you’d like to see where the major parties stand on key issues, you can check out their policies HERE.
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