Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was declared the winner of the first televised leaders’ debate of the 2025 federal election campaign, securing a lead among undecided voters after a night of pointed exchanges on the cost of living, energy, Medicare, and economic credibility.
Hosted by Sky News and The Daily Telegraph, the “people’s forum” debate took place in the marginal electorate of Parramatta, an area seen as a bellwether for western Sydney — a key electoral battleground. The forum was watched by an audience of 100 undecided voters who cast votes at the end of the hour-long session.
The results: 44 per cent gave their vote to Albanese, 35 per cent to Dutton, and 21 per cent remained undecided.
While both leaders avoided major gaffes or ‘gotcha’ moments, the forum marked a decisive moment in the campaign’s early days, with Albanese appealing to optimism and stability, and Dutton seeking to tap into voter frustration over living costs and public service delivery.
Cost of living remains king: From the outset, both leaders focused on the number one issue dominating this election: cost of living pressures. Albanese sought to reassure voters that his government had already delivered tangible relief and would continue to ease inflationary stress if returned to office.
“We’ve seen the worst of inflation. We’ve weathered the storm,” the Prime Minister said.
“Now is the time to stay the course, not change direction.”
Dutton, however, painted a bleaker picture of daily economic realities under Labor. He claimed life had become more expensive for average Australians, and that Labor’s promises on energy bills, housing, and grocery prices had failed to materialise.
“People are struggling,” Dutton said.
“Anthony Albanese said your power bills would go down by $275 — they’ve gone up. This government has been distracted, not delivering.”
Leaders trade barbs over Medicare: One of the most memorable moments came when Albanese pulled a Medicare card from his pocket — a symbolic gesture he has used often — to reinforce Labor’s commitment to universal healthcare and bulk billing.
But Dutton challenged the narrative, asking an audience member directly about her experience with out-of-pocket GP costs. She responded that she regularly pays a $70 to $80 gap fee, prompting Dutton to declare: “That’s the reality for millions of Australians.”
Dutton accused the government of misleading the public.
“The Prime Minister keeps saying all you need is your Medicare card. But bulk billing rates have dropped, and that’s a fact,”
he said.
Albanese shot back, blaming the previous Coalition government for freezing the Medicare rebate for six years and attempting to introduce a co-payment during Dutton’s tenure as Health Minister.
“We inherited a system in free fall,” Albanese said.
“We’ve reversed that trend and made the biggest investment in bulk billing in history.”
Energy showdown: renewables vs nuclear: mEnergy policy provided another flashpoint. Dutton criticised Labor for failing to deliver lower power bills, arguing that the transition to renewables had been poorly managed and unreliable.
He asked, accusing Albanese of breaking his $275 power bill reduction promise,
“If renewables are so much cheaper, why haven’t people seen the savings?”
In response, Albanese mocked the Coalition’s newly announced energy plan, which proposes government-backed nuclear power plants to replace coal while using gas as a transitional source.
“The only gas policy the Coalition has is the gaslighting of the Australian public,”
the PM quipped.
He reiterated Labor’s commitment to renewables and the grid upgrades necessary to make them viable and affordable.
Misinformation and mistrust: While the tone of the debate was respectful overall, the gloves came off when each leader accused the other of dishonesty.
Albanese attacked the Coalition’s record, claiming it had cut hospital and school funding when in power. Dutton quickly fired back, labelling the claim as “factually incorrect and dishonest.”
“It’s designed to scare people,” Dutton said, arguing that spending levels had increased under the Coalition, albeit not at the pace Labor preferred.
Later in the debate, Albanese accused Dutton of inflating Labor’s spending record, denying the claim that his government was the “biggest spender in 40 years.” He pointed instead to the Coalition’s pandemic-era stimulus as far more significant in scale.
Foreign policy and Trump briefly mentioned: Despite global events looming large in the background — particularly the war in Gaza and the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. political stage — foreign policy barely featured.
Responding to a question from the audience, Albanese reaffirmed that “no Australian weapons are being used by Israel in Gaza” and said his government supports an internationally negotiated peace deal.
Neither leader spoke at length about Trump, despite recent headlines about his potential influence on trade and diplomacy.
A quiet show of respect: One topic that wasn’t raised — but noted by many observers — was the absence of any mention of Peter Dutton’s father, Bruce Dutton, who had been hospitalised earlier in the day. It was a gesture of restraint from Albanese, acknowledging the gravity of personal circumstances in the midst of political combat.
Mr Dutton’s team confirmed that his father, 79, was in a stable condition. The Opposition Leader chose to proceed with the debate, which was reportedly encouraged by his family.
Debate one: momentum or mirage: While the undecided audience gave Albanese a narrow win, the outcome is far from conclusive. With several weeks until the May election and more debates on the horizon, both leaders are now armed with fresh soundbites and talking points to energise their base and sway wavering voters.
For Albanese, the challenge will be to maintain control of the narrative and highlight his government’s achievements. For Dutton, it’s about capitalising on dissatisfaction and positioning himself as a credible alternative in uncertain economic times.
The election battle has only just begun — but in this first contest, the Prime Minister walks away with the early edge.
Support our Journalism
Whether you live in Australia, UK, Canada, the USA or India, you can take a paid subscription by clicking on Patreon and support honest and fearless journalism.
