Leaders’ debate 2025 as it happened: Dutton, Albanese go head-to-head for third time on Nine

After a third leaders’ debate – with a fourth set for Sunday – we’ve seen a lot of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton verbally sparring with one another.

So, who is getting the better of whom? And is either leader shifting the dial for undecided voters?

Chief political correspondent David Crowe, senior writer Jacqueline Maley, and defence and national affairs correspondent Matthew Knott were all watching closely tonight and have given their verdicts on the debate.

You can read them all here.

That’s all from our coverage of the Channel Nine leaders’ debate, which was a lively contest that saw both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton score some points and deliver key messages.

We’ll be back early tomorrow with more live election campaign coverage. Until then, goodnight.

After a third leaders’ debate – with a fourth set for Sunday – we’ve seen a lot of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton verbally sparring with one another.

So, who is getting the better of whom? And is either leader shifting the dial for undecided voters?

Chief political correspondent David Crowe, senior writer Jacqueline Maley, and defence and national affairs correspondent Matthew Knott were all watching closely tonight and have given their verdicts on the debate.

You can read them all here.

The Channel 9 panel are giving their verdicts.

Deborah Knight (Channel 9)
“Peter Dutton just beat out Anthony Albanese.”

Phillip Coorey (Australian Financial Review, chief political correspondent)
“I give it, by half a per cent, to Anthony Albanese.”

Charles Croucher (Channel 9, chief political correspondent)
“I give it to Peter Dutton by a nose.”

So a slim victory to the opposition leader, according to the broadcaster’s panel. But all three said the debate was very close.

We’ll have our own expert verdicts coming up very shortly.

Before the debate, we considered what the leaders needed to do to deliver on their goals for this debate. Both hit their marks, even as they each lost a little ground to the other.

But the question now is, did they do enough to shift any votes?

Albanese, above all, wanted to preserve his lead and avoid stuff-ups. Check on that one – no major blunders.

He also wanted to emphasise his role as a stable incumbent PM in an uncertain, Trump-ravaged world, and he delivered on this, too – repeating again and again the phrase “uncertain times”.

Both leaders gave a solid performance on Tuesday night.Credit: James Brickwood

But with Dutton willing to admit his government would consider curbing expenditure to restrain the budget, Albanese’s pitch for big-spending health and housing policies was harder to land.

Dutton needed to put his case to voters as to why they should take a risk with an untested leader.

He was on solid ground when pointing to the budget deficits as far as the eye can see under Labor, and harking back to the Coalition’s history of focusing on economic management.

Dutton also sought to counter Albanese’s criticisms by repeatedly accusing him of being “loose with the truth”.

However, he found it hard to cram in explanations of his policies on housing, nuclear energy and tax cuts – given they had not been fully revealed to the electorate before the campaign kicked off.

Thanks for following along for the third leaders’ debate of this election campaign. We’ll shortly have analysis of the performance of the two leaders, so stick with us for our experts’ verdicts as they pull apart the key moments and cast forward to the election on May 3.

Albanese has the final remarks of the debate, and he begins with criticism of Dutton’s nuclear plan and moves on to health and education funding.

“We are in uncertain times, and this is not the time to cut, which is what the Coalition will have to do in order to pay for their nuclear plants, in order to make it clear where they want the country to go ... This is a time to build Australia’s future, not to cut.”

Final remarks from both leaders – Dutton gets to go first.

He says it’s a sliding-doors moment for the nation at the election (a term he has been returning to throughout the campaign).

“We want to help people with cost-of-living pressures, and we want to make sure that we can keep people safe in their homes, in their communities, and also make sure that our country can be safe in a very uncertain time,” Dutton says.

“We need to also make sure that at this election, we elect a prime minister who has strength of character and the ability to stand up for our country in a very uncertain time.”

The leaders are asked a series of quick-fire questions as we near the end of the debate.

Would you do a deal with the Greens to form government?

Both say no.

What is the first item on your agenda if elected?

Albanese says it is to cut student debt. Dutton says to cut fuel excise taxes, reform energy to nuclear and introduce tax cuts.

What do you admire about your opponent?

Albanese nominates the Coalition leader’s relationship with his family and his longevity in politics – including repeatedly holding his marginal Brisbane seat of Dickson.

Dutton also refers to his opponent’s family and his support of the AUKUS deal for nuclear submarines with the US.

Dutton is asked if the Coalition does not win the election, will he ditch his plan to build seven nuclear power plants across the country?

He gives one of the clearest responses of the night, saying: “We are committed to it.”

Credit: James Brickwood

“I haven’t committed to nuclear energy for votes. I committed to it because it’s in the best interests of our country.”

Albanese is asked if he would lift Australia’s national ban on nuclear energy, so the technology can be debated as a serious option to transform the grid.

The PM is not open to the idea.

“No one will invest in it. That’s the fact … This is a friendless policy because it doesn’t stack up,” Albanese says.

Dutton, who made the big claim that the 12 interest rate increases under the government were due in part to extra spending, has been reticent to explain where he may cut spending if he wins on May 3.

Asked directly about possible savings, Dutton wandered around the question, remarking that on taking office, the Coalition would look at “government waste”.

The Coalition has made clear that voters won’t see its full costings, and savings, until next week in the final days of the election campaign.

That’s enabled Albanese to let fly at Dutton, accusing him of verballing both Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock before landing a key point.

“He won’t tell you what they [the cuts] are. That’s just not being fair dinkum,” he said.