Key takeaways from the first leaders' debate
The first leaders’ debate of the election campaign has now wrapped up in western Sydney. Here are the main takeaways, after Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton went head-to-head:
The prime minister opened the debate by saying now was not the time to “cut” or “look backwards”, but instead to “build Australia’s future.”
In his opening remarks, the opposition leader argued the Coalition would “get our country back on track” by “fixing” Australia’s energy system.
Albanese asked Dutton to outline what he would cut to pay for the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy, but he did not answer directly. Albanese accused him of “gaslighting” the Australian public.
On Trump, Albanese said Australia was best placed to seize the opportunities presented by the tariff situation. Dutton, meanwhile, said a leader should “stand up against bullies [and] against those that would seek to do us harm”.
Dutton continued to defend the Coalition’s policy to cut international student numbers, attempting to link this to the housing crisis.
In his closing remarks, the PM took aim at the Coalition for “chopping and changing” their policies in the lead up to the election and asked, “how can you believe what they’d do after the election?”
Dutton closed by positioning the Coalition as always being “a better economic manager.”
Catie McLeod will be with you bright and early tomorrow morning for another day on the campaign trail, and I will be here in the evening to bring you the key moments from the treasurers debate. Until then, take care.
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Dutton gives closing remarks
Peter Dutton is now giving his closing remarks, arguing the Coalition will “always be a better economic manager.”
The prime minister spent the first 16 months of this term obsessing about the voice, which was a $425m red herring that proved to be a distraction, an attempt to divide the country. And when that debate was taking place, the prime minister should have been making decisions around how best to protect us from inflation that was obvious off the back of Covid.
And with that, the first campaign debate of the federal election has wrapped up. Anthony Albanese and Dutton ended by shaking hands.
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PM gives closing remarks
Anthony Albanese is now giving his closing remarks, saying there is “more to do to build on the foundations to build a stronger future”, highlighting Labor’s budget surpluses and cost of living support.
I know that in this uncertain time with what’s going on in the world, now’s not the time to make cuts, to have the sort of policies that we’ve seen in the last week, where they’ve chopped and changed even before the election. So how can you believe what they do after the election?
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PM answers quick-fire questions as debate wraps up
As the debate begins wrapping up, Anthony Albanese said he wouldn’t link Australia’s defence arrangements with the tariff issues.
The PM also ruled out any further referendum on the voice, saying “we respect the decision.”
He also ruled out any deal with the Greens to form government, and said:
I’m aiming for majority government. We hold 78 seats. I’m aiming to hold every one of them.
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Dutton asked about backflip on WFH policy
Peter Dutton has been asked why the Coalition dumped its work from home policy.
He said the policy applied to public servants in Canberra, and it was never going to affect every workplace.
If there is an arrangement that you’ve got in your workplace, your boss and you can work from home … that’s fantastic … We’ve never had any issue with that whatsoever. Our argument in relation to Canberra was that we wanted to make sure, and we do want to make sure that taxpayers who are working hard, providing their taxes to the commonwealth government, that that money is being spent in most efficient way.
Anthony Albanese said the truth was “every public servant isn’t in Canberra.”
They’re all around Australia, helping people in Centrelink offices around here, helping people with assistance right around the entire country.
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Perception solar panels an inner-city thing ‘completely wrong’ – PM
Taking a question on solar panels, Anthony Albanese touted his government’s policy to provide a 30% rebate for batteries.
We have the largest number of solar panels on roofs per head of population of anywhere in the world. And the perception that somehow this is an inner city thing, of course, is completely wrong. The rate in Blacktown is 10 times the rate in Bondi.
What we don’t have enough of is batteries to make sure that the power can be absorbed, if you like, when the sun’s shining and then it can roll out and be used during peak periods.
Peter Dutton said he supports rooftop solar but argued against Labor’s policy, saying the Coalition wouldn’t “support a policy where people who are on lower incomes … are expected to subsidise a battery for people on my income.”
Albanese hit back that the Coalition was asking people to subsidise its nuclear policy, though.
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Dutton continues to advocate for a ‘well-managed’ migration program
An undecided voter asks how the Coalition’s plan to cut migration will impact industries such as health and construction, and what Peter Dutton will do to ensure “discussions remain respectful and avoid demonising migrants?”
Dutton says “we are a greater country because of our migrant story” but argues Australia needs a “well-managed program”.
When you bring in a million people over the course of two years, that is going to have an impact on health services, on infrastructure, on education, right across the economy …
Our argument is that you can reduce it from the record level … down by 25% for two years, which will create about 100,000 homes, and that will help young Australians get into housing.
Is it really that simple? Patrick Commins has written some analysis on this, which you can read below:
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Albanese takes aim at Dutton’s track record as health minister
While taking a question on health, Anthony Albanese has accused Peter Dutton of trying to abolish bulk billing when he was health minister by having a fee every time people visit a doctor.
Dutton says this is “factually incorrect”, and argues the bulk billing rate went up under the Coalition.
Albanese pushes him to answer the question – did he try to abolish bulk billing as health minister? – but Dutton does not answer directly, and the debate moves on to the next question.
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PM asks Dutton to outline what he will cut to pay for nuclear policy
Anthony Albanese then asks Peter Dutton a question, bringing up the Coalition’s nuclear policy for the first time in the debate:
You have opposed every cost-of-living measure that we’ve put forward over the last three years in government. You now are going to an election with a nuclear plan that will build seven nuclear reactors that will cost $600bn to provide 4% of power sometime in the 2040s. What are you going to cut to pay for it?
The opposition leader argues the Coalition’s nuclear policy would cost $120bn, and takes aim at the cost of renewables instead.
Dutton continues to defend the Coalition’s nuclear policy, saying “the amortisation period, or the life of the nuclear reactors, lasts between 80 and 100 years”, but quickly pivots to speaking about gas. He also doesn’t outline any cuts to pay for the nuclear policy.
Albanese then outlines Labor’s future gas policy, and says “we want renewables, backed by gas, backed by batteries, backed by hydro”.
The only gas policy that the Coalition [has is] the gaslighting of the Australian public … 24 out of the 28 coal-fired power stations in Australia announced their closure during the former government. They were there for a decade. There was no new coal-fired power stations built, and there was no nuclear plan.
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Dutton says he would reassess economy in 12 months when asked about tax cuts
Peter Dutton has been answering an economic question, and says there are “many ways in which we can provide support – including tax cuts”.
And we would reassess where we are as an economy, as a people, as a nation, in 12 months’ time. And if we needed to extend it [the fuel excise], then we could do that.
But I would just say that if you bake it in and you put it as a continuing cost, that continues to compound, because every dollar that Anthony Albanese is spending at the moment is borrowed money, and that has to be paid for. So we just have to get the balance right.
Dutton then asks Albanese if his government is the highest-spending government in 40 years? The PM responds:
Well, that’s not true, except for the one that you were a part of …
The previous government promised a surplus in its first year in 2014 and every year thereafter, they never delivered one. The only governments that have delivered two budget surpluses in a row is the one that I lead, in the last 20 years, going back to the Howard government.
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Leaders asked for their stance on Gaza if elected
A young, undecided voter asks about the war in Gaza, and says that at the moment, “our taxes are going towards the funding of weaponry aiding the onslaught on the innocent people of Gaza”.
What would each leader do to address this?
Anthony Albanese begins by saying this has been a “very traumatic period” and that “my government’s approach is every innocent life matters, and we want to see a ceasefire”. He continues:
I must say that there are no Australian weaponry involved in what is going on in Gaza. That is just not the case. We have made sure as well that Australia has taken, I think, a responsible position of continuing to call for not just the short-term issues in terms of ceasefire, aid to people in Gaza, the release of hostages, but also our principled stance of a two-state solution. I want to see both Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and security side by side.
Peter Dutton responds next, saying: “I want to see peace in the Middle East as well.”
I want to make sure that in our country, people can celebrate their heritage … But when you come to our country, it’s about celebrating being Australian … And I think what we’ve seen in our society over the course of the last couple of years with firebombings, with attacks on individuals, it’s completely un-Australian, and it’s not something that I think any of us would accept.
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Dutton continues to tout Coalition cuts to international student numbers
An undecided voter asks whether his child’s university fees would increase under the Coalition’s plan to cut international student numbers.
Peter Dutton says fees wouldn’t increase, and goes on to argue that increased international student numbers is impacting housing.
There are about 42 international students coming into our country for every one student accommodation unit that’s been approved, and that has had a big impact. So it doesn’t impact on the cost of a domestic student going to university, but it will change the dynamic within many universities.
The voter responds that the Australian “way of life is sharing our way of life with the rest of the world”, and asks if this policy would impact Australia’s worldwide brand.
Dutton says Australia has “been made better because of our migration story”, but says there has been a “dramatic increase” in international student numbers.
So I’m all in favour of a well-managed migration program, but I’m not in favour of what the prime minister has done by flooding the market, and a person is coming in every 44 seconds into our country, and we haven’t got the housing to accommodate that.
Anthony Albanese responds that “the population today is lower than what was anticipated in 2019”, and that “migration levels fell in the last year by 31%”.
For some important context on whether international students are actually impacting the housing market, you can read our factcheck from Krishani Dhanji below:
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Albanese and Dutton clash over whether Coalition made cuts to education and health
The leaders have taken a question on education and, while answering, Peter Dutton has taken aim at the PM for claiming the Coalition had made cuts to education and healthcare.
The opposition leader says:
The prime minister goes out with this Mediscare campaign and education-scare campaign, it is not a truthful statement. Now, what the prime minister is saying is that the funding didn’t go up by as much as he would want each year, but there was no year where funding was cut from hospitals or from education.
Anthony Albanese says it “is a fact”, responding:
It is in the 2014 budget papers. There’s line items really explicitly – $50bn savings in health, $30bn savings in education, go down each year …
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How would each leader deal with Trump?
The first undecided voter has asked a question – how will Australia cope with the “Trump pandemic that we’re going through right now”, and what is each leader’s strategy going forward?
Anthony Albanese responds first, saying Trump has undertaken an “act of economic self-harm for the United States” through the tariffs.
Australia got the best deal of any country on the planet … No country is better positioned to take advantage of the trade opportunities. And it’s important to remember this – 80% of global trade doesn’t involve the United States, so in our region in particular, there will be opportunities for Australia that we want to seize.
Peter Dutton says the prime minister of the day should “have the ability and the strength of character to be able to stand up against bullies, against those that would seek to do us harm, to keep our country safe and to make sure that we can make the right economic decisions for our country as well”.
And that’s exactly what I would seek to do as prime minister.
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Dutton makes opening remarks
Peter Dutton is now giving his opening remarks, saying it has been a tough three years for Australians. He says the government has made a number of mistakes, “starting with the voice [referendum]”:
Almost 30,000 small businesses have gone broke … when you go to the supermarket now, you’re now paying 30% more for groceries, paying about 32% more for your electricity …
We want to make sure that we can get gas for Australians, so that we can fix up the energy system, which is driving up the cost of everything. And if we can do that, we can get our country back on track.
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Leaders' debate begins
The debate between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton has officially kicked off, with the leaders shaking hands on stage.
The prime minister is the first to speak, noting the various challenges thrown at Australians in recent years – “the Covid pandemic followed by the biggest inflation spike since the 1980s, and the biggest energy crisis since the 1970s.”
But what matters is how you respond, and we’ve responded the Australian way.
Albanese points to inflation coming down, wages being up and low rates of unemployment. He continues:
Now is not the time to cut. Now is not the time to look backwards. Now is the time to look forward and see the opportunities and build Australia’s future.
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Dutton's father suffers medical emergency, according to reports
Just minutes ahead of the debate kicking off, reports have emerged that Peter Dutton’s father has suffered a medical emergency.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Bruce Dutton has suffered a heart attack and has been taken to hospital in Queensland.
We are working to confirm these reports and will bring you the latest as soon as we can.
Leaders arrive ahead of debate
The leaders have arrived. Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are standing on either side of the stage minutes before we go live, greeting some of the audience members in the first few rows.
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More politicians filtering in ahead of debate
More politicians are filtering in to the backstage here to watch their leaders battle it out in the first debate.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, and home affairs minister, Tony Burke, have joined Katy Gallagher (who we mentioned arrived earlier).
On the opposition side, the shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, and shadow communications minister, Melissa McIntosh, join Angus Taylor.
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Ten minutes until leaders’ debate kicks off
The media pack for both campaign buses have joined together in the Wenty Leagues club.
Journalists are seated behind the audience, along with political staff members and TV crew, so we can watch the debate and see the audience’s responses.
We’re about 10 minutes off kick off time.
Dutton shares video ahead of debate
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has shared a video from the green room ahead of tonight’s debate – set to kick off in about 15 minutes.
All set for the debate! pic.twitter.com/3YIAmL9xp1
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) April 8, 2025
Where is tonight’s debate being held?
The first leaders’ debate is being held in Sydney’s western suburbs at the Wenty Leagues club.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, arrived with an entourage but took a bee line for an undercover car park away from the press pack.
Other federal politicians took the front door, including the shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, and finance minister, Katy Gallagher.
The former Coalition speaker Bronwyn Bishop strolled in while the Fowler MP Dai Le was on her way out after recording a segment with Peta Credlin.
Le said she would be watching the debate from home on her high-definition TV.
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Everything to expect from tonight’s leaders’ debate
Before we get stuck into the debate, Ima Caldwell has outlined everything we can expect tonight – plus the other debates to keep an eye out for over the coming weeks.
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Welcome to the first leaders' debate
Good evening, and welcome to our live blog for the first leaders’ debate between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.
At 7.30pm AEST, Albanese and Dutton will face off in a “People’s Forum” event, hosted by Sky News and the Daily Telegraph.
Similar to the 2022 election campaign, the prime minister and opposition leader will respond to questions from 100 undecided voters in western Sydney – where Albanese previously won against the former prime minister Scott Morrison.
The debate will be moderated by Sky News’ chief anchor, Kieran Gilbert, and broadcast live on the Sky News channel and website, as well as the Daily Telegraph website – all of which require a subscription.
But fear not, we will bring you all the key moments right here on our live blog.
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