| Policy Area | Australian Labor Party | Liberal Party of Australia | Australian Greens |
| Home Buyer Support | Help to Buy Scheme: shared equity scheme so First Home buyers need a smaller deposit; scaling up to 40% equity contribution on new homes and 30% on existing homes Invest $10b for 100,000 homes reserves for first home buyers Expand access to 5% deposit for all homeowners | Super Home Buyer Scheme: unprecedented policy to access up to $50k early from superannuation retirement scheme for a house deposit First Home Buyer Mortgage Deductibility Scheme: tax deductions on interest payments for the first 5 years and $650,000 of a mortgage | HomeKeeper: discount mortgage set at a regulated ceiling at a maximum of 1% above the cash rate. All of the big 5 banks would be required by regulations to offer HomeKeeper Give the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) the authority to block banks from imposing unnecessary mortgage price increases. |
| Supply & Infrastructure | Housing Australia Future Fund: $10b to build 30,000 social & affordable homes in first 5 years National Housing Accord: build 1m homes over 5 years | Invest $5b for water, power, and sewerage to unlock 500,000 homes Freeze changes to National Construction Code; fast-track approvals: halve approval times for major projects | Public developers to build 360,000 homes over 5 years, sold/rented below market rates; saving average renter $5,200 per year and homeowners $260,000 total Tax the thousands of vacant properties across Australia to increase rental stock |
| Renters | National Rental Affordability Scheme: incentives for states/territories to deliver affordable rentals Rent Assistance increased by 45% over Labor’s term; largest boost in 30 yearsBuild to Rent will deliver 80,000 new rentals across the country; all rentals must offer 5-year leases | Supply prioritised over reform. No targeted rental reforms; policy lever is more homes to ease rents | Rent freeze and rent caps: two-year national freeze; cap at 2% every two years onwards End No-Grounds Evictions Establish National Renters Protection Authority to advocate for tenants and investigate rental issues Introduce guaranteed lease renewals |
| Migration | Managed migration; align net migration with housing/infrastructure capacity | Cut migration by 25%; ease demand on rental/home markets Cut international students to free up housing stock | No specific migration policy; focus remains on housing supply and affordability |
| Social and Affordable Housing | Invest $5b for social & affordable housing target of 30,000 homes in NSW Housing Australia Future Fund: $10b to build 30,000 social & affordable homes in first 5 years; 20,000 for vulnerable women | No specific social housing policy | One third of new stock to be public housing by 2030 Invest $1b to deliver at least 2,500 public and social homes in regional NSW each year for the next 10 years |
EDUCATION
| Policy Area | Australian Labor Party | Liberal Party of Australia | Australian Greens |
| Tertiary Vocational (TAFE) | 100,000 Fee-Free TAFE Places per year from 2027, extra $870m per year Commonwealth Prac Payment at $319.50 per week for ~68,000 students specifically in nursing, teaching, and social work. | $260m for 12 technical colleges, aligning courses to local industry needs | Free Uni & TAFE: abolish all fees; wipe existing HELP, SFSS, VET debt from 1 July 2025; funded by higher taxes on billionaires and corporations Expand Prac Payment to students from all degrees with mandated placements such as medicine and dentistry; paid at minimum wage per hour of work |
| Student HECS-HELP Debt Relief | 20% off HELP; write-down all existing debt by 20%Raise repayment threshold to $67k | Maintain current indexation & thresholds | Wipe all HELP Debt, abolition of existing debt No interest on new HELP |
| Higher Ed Infrastructure | Modernisation program: upgrade labs, digital tech in universities & schools | Build purpose-built specialist facilities at Technical Colleges | Tertiary Education Commission: needs-based funding body; invest in research infrastructure |
| International Students | Cap new international student enrolments at 270,000 annually Set enrolment thresholds for universities Visa processing change; include fee increase and increased English language proficiency requirements. | Cap total commencements at 240,000 Limit international students to 25% of public university enrolments Triple visa application fees to make it $5,000 for Group of Eight universities | Invest $250m annually for travel, health concessions, and affordable accommodation Expand access to Concession fares on public transport to international students |
HEALTHCARE
| Policy Area | Australian Labor Party | Liberal Party of Australia | Australian Greens |
| Medicare & Bulk Billing | Invest $8b to Bulk Billing; 18m extra bulk-billed GP visits per year12.5% bonus for 100% bulk-billing clinics 87 Urgent Care Clinics opened & 50 more to open Aim for 90% of GP visits bulk billed by 2030 | Match Labor’s investment with $9b Restore GP bulk-billing rates | Medicare expansion: $195b investment Free GP Visits: all Medicare-subsidised services free, funded by higher taxes on billionaires and corporations 1,000 free clinics: nationwide access to GP, nurse, allied health |
| Mental Health | $225m for 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health clinics Six extra psychologists per clinic10 extra visits per year for youth Over $200m for 58 new, upgraded or expanded Headspace services | Double Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20 $400m for youth mental health; boost Headspace services | Double Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20$400m grants for community mental health organisations Unlimited counselling: remove current session capsIntegrate psychologists into Medicare; focus on early intervention Free ADHD and autism assessments |
| Telehealth & Technology | Permanent telehealth: maintain pandemic-era telehealth items; expand digital prescriptions & e-referrals | Telehealth boost: extend telehealth items; invest in rural telemedicine infrastructure | My Health Record opt-out option for individuals with privacy concerns Free telehealth for remote communities $2m to review access to telehealth |
| Public Hospitals | $1.7b increase to public hospital funding | Maintain existing hospital funding levels | $30.6b investment: major capital works on local hospitals; focus on rural & regional health |
| Pharmaceuticals (PBS) | Keep PBS co-payment scripts at $7.70 for concessional until 2030 Negotiate lower prices on new medicines | Reduce PBS co-payment to $25, down from current general $31.60 | Cap PBS co-payment at concessional rate of $7.70 for all individuals Expanded PBS: add dental, allied mental health, allied health consumables |
| Women’s Health | No change to abortion Investing $573.3m into women’s healthMore bulk billing for IUDs and birth control Opening 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinicsNew oral contraceptives and Hormone Replacement Therapy on the PBS | No change to abortion Invest in specialist cancer nurses for women with ovarian cancer Increase funding for training to support women facing endometriosis and peri/menopause. | $100m to public hospitals to increase access to abortion services |
| Drug Policy | Held Drug Summit in 2024, considering implementation of 56 policies, including increasing funding for drug and alcohol abuse | $355m in extra funding to crack down on illegal drugs, including upgrades screening and detection capabilities | Legalise recreational marijuana Increase access to medicinal cannabis; allocating $10m over 2 years Expand access and funding for pill testing across Australia |
SOCIAL SERVICES AND SOCIAL ISSUES
| Policy Area | Australian Labor Party | Liberal Party of Australia | Australian Greens |
| Youth Allowance & Austudy | $40/fortnight increase to Youth Allowance, Austudy, Abstudy, JobSeeker, and Parenting Payment for ~318,000 young people Raise parental means test threshold by 150% | No rate changes; maintain existing payment levels & indexation | Lower age threshold for ‘independent’ to 18 from 22Expand to all 18+ students; remove parental income test for those living away from home $75/fortnight increase to Youth Allowance, Austudy, Abstudy, etc. Raise income support payments above the poverty line |
| Commonwealth Rent Assistance | Most recently invested in a 15% increase; largest boost since CRA inception | No change announced; rely on housing supply measures to lower rent | Automatically index rents: linking to 30th percentile of local market rents to ensure rent assistance scales proportionate to your actual rent |
| Centrelink Services & Digital Access | Simplify claim processes; reduce wait times via automated assistants | Streamline Services: reduce paperwork; invest in Service Centre upgrades | End punitive compliance: remove automated debt-recovery; focus on support and case management |
| Mutual Obligations & Compliance | More flexible requirements: tailor mutual-obligation to individual circumstances, increase tele-appointments | Emphasise job-seekers meeting obligations and requirements to receive payments | Abolish mutual obligationsVoluntary participation in training & supportNo penalties for non-attendance |
| Domestic and Sexual Violence | Invest $100m in crisis and transitional housing for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence, with older women at risk of homelessness. Prevent perpetrators from using tax and corporate systems to create coercive debts Make perpetrators liable for social security debts incurred by victim-survivors through coercion or financial abuse | Invest $90m into domestic violence strategy Create national database of domestic violence offenders for law enforcement useIntroduce new offences targeting the use of mobile phones and spyware for coercive control. National child sex offender disclosure scheme | Invest $12b into a 12-year plan to fully fund the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children Raise the Escaping Violence Payment, expanding recovery and healing services Making dating apps safer with a mandatory code of conduct. National consent education, student safety surveys, and stronger tertiary campus oversight. |
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: PALESTINE
| Policy Area | Australian Labor Party | Liberal Party of Australia | Australian Greens |
| Diplomacy and Occupation | Supports a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and Palestine | Strong support of Israel Strong criticism of Palestine and Palestinian resistance against occupation No policy regarding ending the occupation of Palestine | Supports an immediate end to occupation; calls on Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied since 1967 Supports Palestinian’s right to resistance against the Israeli occupation |
| Genocide and Statehood Recognition | Party platform recognises Palestinian statehood; no new statements during ongoing genocide Has not recognised the ongoing genocide in Palestine | Opposed to recognising the ongoing genocide in PalestineOpposed to Palestinian self-determination and statehood | Actively recognises Palestine statehood during ongoing genocideRecognises and condemns the ongoing genocide in Palestine by Israel Condemns the Australian government’s complicity in the genocideSupport Palestinian self-determination |
| Military Exports & Arms Embargo | No change; export controls remain under existing Defence Export Controls regime | No change; export controls remain under existing Defence Export Controls regime Opposed to placing arms embargo on Israel | Supports an arms embargo; immediate halt to all arms exports to Israel Strengthen expansion of export controls against human-rights violators |
| University Divestment, BDS | Opposes universities divesting from companies supplying weapons to Israel Opposes the BDS campaign | Opposes universities divesting from companies supplying weapons to Israel Opposes the BDS campaign | Divestment Campaign: require universities to divest endowment/fund holdings in companies supplying weapons to Israel Supports the BDS campaign |
| Academic Freedom and Campus Access Policy | Implicit support for the Campus Access Policy and tighter regulations on campus protests Collective party condemnation of ex-Labor Senator Fatima Payman’s visit to the University of Sydney Gaza Solidarity Encampment | Supports a crackdown on protests on campus Suggests a Royal Commission into antisemitism at Australian universities as a result of campus protests | Actively supports campus protests and supported the University of Sydney Gaza Solidarity Encampment Supports free speech and the right to criticise Israel on campus |
| Humanitarian Aid & Reconstruction | Maintain existing aid to Palestinians via UNRWA and bilateral channels; no new funding announced | Reduce aid to Palestine due to misuse and governance concerns Skeptical of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees aid towards Palestine | Increase aid; boost humanitarian funding for Gaza reconstruction; link aid to human-rights benchmarks in the region |
