With Labor and Anthony Albanese back for another term, learn about the policies can Aussies expect to see over the next three years.
Another election has come and gone, and the results are in: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Government have been re-elected with another term with a whopping majority. Yet over the past five weeks of electioneering, voters have been bombarded with campaign promises from both sides of politics, making it far to understand what we can expect from the next Parliament.
That’s why we’re putting together a guide on what the set of policies Labor laid out to address the issues facing the nation, helping you wrap your head around the possible future initiatives on the horizon.
Housing
Suburbs of Sydney. Photography by Harley Kingston via Shutterstock
Arguably one of the most important policies for many young Aussies, housing affordability became a major issue for both parties, offering several remedies to address the issues. Here, Labor proposed:
- Building More Housing: First announced in 2023, Labor reaffirmed their plans to build 1.2 million over the next five years, hoping to add some much-needed supply to Australia’s strained housing market. So far, however, they have been falling short of their targets.
- First-Home Buyers: Labor plans to allow first-home buyers to enter the property market with just a 5% deposit without needing to pay lenders mortgage insurance. Additionally, they have committed $10 billion to build 100,000 homes specifically for first-home buyers.
- Foreign Investment: To curb the impact of foreign investment on housing prices, Labor has pledged to ban foreign investors from purchasing existing homes for two years.
Cost of Living
Person looking at grocery receipt. Photography by Denys Kurbatov via Shutterstock
Beyond housing, the cost of living has become a major issue for everyday Australians, as inflation has significantly eaten through family weekly budgets. Therefore, Labor proposed a few measures meant to address the rising cost of living:
- Small tax cuts are on the horizon: Labor has pledged to reduce the tax rate for the lowest tax bracket from 16 per cent to 15 per cent in 2026, dropping further to 14 percent in 2027. While only a small cut, this does mean that everyone dollar you earn between $18,201 to $45,000 will be taxed less.
- Energy bill relief: With energy bills continuing to strain households, Labor promised to provide an additional $150 in Energy Bill Relief for households, while around one million small businesses also being given support.
Superannuation
Different Australian currency. Photography by RomanR via Shutterstock
A focal point of the debate, Labor is looking into several changes to the superannuation system that could impact you:
- Tax on Superannuation: One of the most notable proposals is the introduction of a 15% tax on unrealized gains for superannuation balances above $3 million. This means that even if the assets have not been sold, they would still be subject to taxation. This policy aims to target the wealthiest superannuation accounts and ensure a more equitable distribution of tax burdens.
- Superannuation Guarantee: Labor plans to increase the superannuation guarantee rate to 12% by 2026, ensuring that Australians have more savings for retirement.
Healthcare
Australian Medicare card and currency. Photography by Robyn Mackenzie via Shutterstock.
Throughout the election, healthcare and access to bulk-billing was a cornerstone of Labor’s campaign, with a significant focus on strengthening Medicare. This is what has been promised:
- Medicare Investment: Labor has promised to inject $8.5 billion into Medicare over four years. This investment aims to ensure that nine out of ten GP visits are bulk-billed by the end of the decade.
- GP Training: The policy includes funding for training nurses and 2,000 new GP trainees annually, enhancing the healthcare workforce.
- Expand Medicare Urgent Care Clinics: Throughout the past few years, Labor has grown a network of 87 free Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia, and planning to open another 50 more.
Education
Australian kids at school. Photography by Jandrie Lombard via Shutterstock
During the 2025 Australian federal election campaign, Labor announced a few changes to the education system that we can expect in the next government. These include:
- Cutting 20% of HECS debt: Throughout the election, Labor campaigned on wiping off 20% from everyone’s student debt. They also plan to raise the repayment threshold and lower repayment rates to help Australians with the cost of living.
- Make Free TAFE permanent: While first implemented in their first several years of government, Labor is looking to make free TAFE permanent. This may help the construction industry, who are already facing a significant shortfall in workers, achieve Labor’s housing targets.
Climate Change and the Environment
Solar panel installation in Australia. Photography by zstock via Shutterstock.
In order to meet the target of 82% renewable energy by 2030, Labor has announced investments into solar, wind and energy storage technologies. Here is what you can expect:
- Investing more into Future Made in Australia: Arguably the centrepiece of Labor’s economic plans, Future Made in Australia is a broad reaching plan to turn Australia into a major producer of renewable energy technology. To achieve this, Labor will invest another $8 billion in this program.
