Federal election 2025: Labor’s YouTube ad spend revealed

Labor has poured more than $175,000 into YouTube advertising in one key election seat in the hopes it will help secure victory on Saturday. Find out where they spent the most money.

Labor’s spending on YouTube ads shows the party is on the defence sandbagging in must-hold seats under threat from the Coalition and the Greens across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.

Of the top 20 seats being targeted by Labor with advertising through Google, which owns YouTube, only four are seats the party is hoping to pick up, including the brand new seat of Bullwinkel in WA.

Labor has spent the most amount in the Melbourne seat of Wills where the party is facing a serious challenge from the Greens, pouring $175,725 on YouTube ads between March 16 and April 25, including $44,225 in the last 10 days alone.

The next three highest seats for ad spending on the platform over this period are also in Victoria, including McEwen, Chisholm and Bruce, with Hawke, Gorton, Dunkley and Holt — all also in Melbourne — rounding out the top ten.

The ultra-marginal seat of Bennelong has had the biggest YouTube ad spend for Labor in NSW, with $115,150 forked out since March 16, with neighbouring Reid next with $105,550 spent.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese takes a selfie with voters while campaigning in Padstow on Monday. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

The Labor seat of Blair in Queensland has had $99,275 worth of YouTube ads purchased over the six weeks.

Over this period Labor has spent $101,675 on Google ads in the Far North Queensland seat of Leichhardt, which is held by the Coalition though considered in play due to the retirement of longtime MP Warren Entsch.

Labor has also spent $152,850 in the Queensland seat of Griffith, and $137,875 in the electorate of Brisbane, which are both held by the Greens.

This includes about $45,000 spent in both seats in just the last 10 days.

Six days out from the election, Anthony Albanese visited a mix of Labor and opposition seats in NSW on Monday, including the must-hold electorate of Robertson on the Central Coast and Bennelong in Sydney, as well as the Liberal seat of Banks and independent-held Fowler in Sydney.

Peter Dutton, who has vowed to visit 28 electorates in the final week of the campaign, went on the attack also in Robertson on Monday, and also visited the Labor-held seat of the Hunter.

Originally published as Federal election 2025: Labor’s YouTube ad spend revealed