Election 2025: Anthony Albanese surges ahead of Peter Dutton on cost-of-living response

Anthony Albanese has streaked ahead of Peter Dutton on who voters believe is better to manage cost-of-living pressures, despite 76 per cent of Australians supporting the Coalition’s pledge to halve fuel excise.

Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese clash in an election campaign leaders debate in Sydney. Picture: Alex Ellinghausen / NewsWire

Anthony Albanese has streaked ahead of Peter Dutton on who voters believe is better to manage cost-of-living pressures – the number one election issue for households – despite 76 per cent of Australians supporting the Coalition’s pledge to halve fuel excise.

After the Coalition in November last year moved ahead of Labor for the first time since the 2022 election in relation to managing the cost-of-living crisis, the ALP now leads by 42 to 24 per cent, according to the latest SEC Newgate Mood of the Nation survey.

The tracking polling of 1214 Australians across every state and territory, conducted from April 10-14, shows the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader are now neck and neck on defence and crime, which have traditionally been viewed by voters as Coalition strengths.

With Labor figures believing they remain vulnerable in Melbourne seats at the May 3 election, the survey revealed Jacinta Allan’s Victorian Labor government is the worst-performing in Australia. Ms Allan’s state government has plunged to an all-time low of 25 per cent in terms of positive approval rating.

The research found the actions of Donald Trump, which have been weaponised by Labor against Mr Dutton, are viewed by Australians as “overwhelmingly negative”.

“Federal Labor is set to benefit, with a quarter of voters saying Trump’s actions make them more likely to vote for Labor, while only 10 per cent say they are more likely to vote for the Coalition as a result,” the Mood of the Nation report said.

On the back of a shaky Coalition campaign and other external factors, the polling shows the Albanese government has notched its strongest performance rating in almost two years.

After sitting at around 32 per cent of voters expressing positive sentiment towards the federal government’s performance, the survey shows a lift to 38 per cent, a week out from polling day. The federal government’s performance remains well behind positive state government rankings in Queensland (54 per cent), South Australia (56 per cent) and Western Australia (60 per cent).

The polling confirmed a rump of Australians weren’t sure who they would vote for, with 58 per cent of respondents declaring they were certain about their votes compared with 32 per cent who said there was a slight chance they could change their minds and 6 per cent who believed they were a strong chance of changing their minds.

The survey, conducted almost two weeks ago, showed Labor policies dominated the list of most popular election policies. Mr Dutton’s best-performing policy is the Coalition’s pledge to reduce the tax on petrol by 25c per litre for 12 months, with 76 per cent of voters backing the cost-of-living measure and only 8 per cent opposed.

SEC Newgate managing partner Angus Trigg said the survey indicated “a lot is going the government’s way in this campaign”.

“Labor remains the strong frontrunner, with the Prime Minister enjoying a clear lead across a wide range of issues, such as the economy, interest rates, trade and immigration.

“Labor’s policies around urgent care clinics, reducing PBS medicines and electricity rebates have the strongest support, while the proposed reduction of fuel excise has been the policy for the Coalition that has resonated most strongly.”

As the major parties commit to higher defence spending, the survey showed growing support for Australia to pivot its focus away from the US on both national security and trade. Only 53 per cent of voters feel positive about Australia’s renewables transition, while support for the Coalition’s nuclear policy has slipped from 39 to 30 per cent since mid-2024.