澳大利亚即将进行投票

April2025 Regional Programmefor Australia and the Pacific Australia is heading to thepolls Chhayheng Soth,Programme Coordinator Foreign and Security Policy On March 28, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the federal election would be heldon May3rd, after three years under thegovernment ledby theAustralian Labor Party (ALP). ThePrime Minister is being challenged by Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal-National Coalition, whoiscurrently polling behind in several opinion polls. As of April 23, the ALP held a 55.5 percent to 44.5percent lead over the Coalition in the two-party preferred polls, favored toagainlead the nextgovernment.1 The setup Australia has a parliamentary system where the executive government is elected by and drawn fromwithin parliament. It follows the United Kingdom’s Westminster-style of government. The Parliamentof Australia comprises two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate, of whichboth areup for election. According to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), 150 seats in the House ofRepresentatives will be contested, following a redistribution process that resulted inaone seatreduction comparedto the previous election. Meanwhile, only 40 of the 76 senatorial seats are up forelection in May. The AEC announced on April 11 thatover 18 million Australians—representing98.2 percent of eligiblevoters—have already enrolledto vote.2On May3rd, Australians will decide not just which party willformthenextgovernment,butalsowhichpolicieswillshapeAustraliaamidstdistressingdevelopmentsdomestically and internationally. The two traditional major parties,the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Coalition,comprising theLiberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia,are vying to form the next government.TheALP aims to retain its 77-seat majority, while the Coalition, currently holding 53 seats, must flip 23additional seats to replace the ALPastherulingparty. Butthe ALP and the Coalition are not the onlycontenders. The Australian Greens (AG) andindependent candidates could play pivotal roles, especially if neitherof themajor partiessecures the76 seats needed for an outright majority in the House of Representatives. Notably, Independent,whohold 13 seats following the 2022 election,pose agrowingchallenge, with recent polling indicatingstrong prospectsfor themin several electorates traditionally considered safe for the major parties.3 Polls indicate that a “hung parliament” is nota remote possibility in this election. Should thisscenariomaterialize, it will give the crossbenchers, comprising the independents and minor parties, significantleverage to shape the next government.4 Key Policy Battlegrounds Approaching this election, Australians are grappling with a range ofpressing challenges that affecttheir daily lives:from the housing crisis and the rising cost of living and inflation, tothe highly polarizedtopics ofimmigration, climate and environmental policy, and energy security. On the internationalfront, Australia faces a complex and rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape. Regionally, China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific and unilateralassertivenessintheSouthChinaSeaputregionalstabilityunderpressure.5Furthermore,theretreatbytheUSfromtheestablishedmultilateral trading system and the commitment to shared global responsibilities,are reshaping theinternational order.Across the whole election campaign, Anthony Albanese and Peter Duttonpresentedtheir policies and strategiesto dealwith these critical issues. Housing Crisis During the official campaign launch of the ALP, Prime MinisterAnthony Albaneseoutlined keyhousinginitiativesaimed at easing the burden on first-time home buyers. If re-elected, his government plansto: (1) reduce the required housing deposit from 20 percent toonly5 percent, and (2) investA$10billion, through public-private partnerships, to build 100,000newhomes dedicated exclusively to first-home buyers.6 In contrast, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has attributed Australia’s housing crisis and broadereconomic challenges tomass immigration.7If elected, he has pledged to cut theannual permanentmigrant intake by 25 percent.8TheCoalition’s policyalso includes: (1) investingA$5 billion in essentialinfrastructure to unlock 500,000 newhomes; (2) imposing a two-year ban on foreign investors andtemporaryresidentspurchasing residential property in Australia; and (3) reducing permanentmigration to 140,000 annually for two years.9Both major parties' housing proposals have drawncriticism from policy experts, whoquestiontheirmeritsin addressing the root causes of the housingcrisis.10 Tackling the Cost-of-Living, Taxation, and Energy TheALP’s approachto address the cost-of-living crisis includes acombinationof measures: tax reform,bans on supermarket price gouging, energy bill relief, student debt reductions, and a renewed focuson strengthening Medicare.11A centerpiece of the ALP’s platform is a proposedA$1,000 instant taxcutfor the 2026–