Culture
The Federal Election and what it means for you
Akash Biradar
23/04/2022
The endless mainstream news coverage and ramp-up of political advertisements on the radio and TV can only mean one thing, it is federal election time!
The 2022 Australian Federal election will be held on May 21st, where the Australian public will have the opportunity to vote for the 47th Parliament of Australia. This is a key election as it will decide which government leads the country in a highly challenging world of COVID disruptions and heightened global geopolitical tensions. This is also the first time that many of us will head to the ballot boxes to vote in a federal election!
So who’s up for the top job?
The main two candidates in this election are the heads of Australia’s two largest political parties, the Liberal and Labour parties. In this election, the liberal party leader is the current Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, who will be campaigning for a second term as Prime Minister. Challenging the Prime Minister will be the leader of the Opposition and head of the Labour Party, Anthony Albanese.
Unpacking both candidate's platforms
Scott Morrison (Liberal Party)
Scott Morrison is the current Prime Minister and leader of the Australian Liberal Party. The Liberal Party is a centre-right party, with fundamental beliefs around economic liberalism (which refers to a free market and minimal government intervention) and social conservatism. Some of the main policies Morrison’s government are presenting to Australians to win a second term are:
- Aim to deliver 1.3 million jobs in 5 years to keep unemployment below 4%.
- Extend tax cuts to low and middle-income earners for another year.
- Expand the first home buyer scheme.
- Plan to spend $575 billion on Defence Force upgrades over the next decade, $15 billion on cyber defence
- $18.8 billion to improve aged care over five years.
- Plan to increase funding for public hospitals by $3.5 billion over the next two years.
Anthony Albanese (Labour Party)
Anthony Albanese is the current leader of the Opposition and the leader of the Australian Labor Party. The Labor party is a centre-left political party, with democratic socialism beliefs through emphasising worker’s rights, a greater role of government over society and businesses. Some of the main Labor party policies are:
- National Reconstruction Fund to see Australian products made by Australian businesses
- Boosting renewable energy to reduce the cost of power and create jobs.
- Invest in TAFE to address skills shortages in the labour market.
- Cheaper child care for families
- Boost amount of GPs available to Regional Australians
How can I vote?
The most common way to vote is in-person at ballot boxes at your closest polling location which can you can find here. There are also postal voting options available which will allow for voting papers to be sent in the mail. For more information, you can check out the AEC website here.