With Opposition Leader Peter Dutton taking to the east coast and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese embarking on a three-day tour of the west, it's clear both major parties have entered election mode.
Polling by Redbridge shows the path to a second term for the government looks difficult, indicating Labor would not be able to govern in its own right.
Brendan Small and I met with Gary, Melissa, and their incredible team at Signarama Tuggerah to hear about their experiences running a small business and the challenges they're facing. — Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) pic.twitter.com/x5JIFPpZKLDecember 5, 2024
The poll showed the coalition would win 64 seats to Labor's 59, while a further 14 seats were too close to call.
The remaining 13 seats were given to independents or minor parties.
Education Minister Jason Clare said the election, due to be held by May, would be close but he was not fazed by the polling.
"Over the next few months, people are going to have a good, hard look at Peter Dutton," he told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday.
"The election will be tight ... there'll be a choice between our Labor government, which is cutting everyone's taxes and lifting wages, or Peter Dutton's Liberals that, to be frank, don't have any ideas."
Mr Dutton said the shift in voter sentiment reflected confidence in his team but conceded the upcoming contest remained an uphill battle.
"I believe that we can form a stable government that can get Australia back on track but we're well and truly the underdogs in this campaign," he said.
Opinion polling shows Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has the coalition on track to pick up seats. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
Mr Albanese's visit to WA coincides with him spruiking a $21 million investment in clean energy incentives for the state's critical minerals sector.
WA is a mining powerhouse where even minor changes to the industry can reverberate through the state's economy.
The state was key to Labor's victory in the 2022 federal election, with the party picking up four seats from the coalition.
Mr Albanese's grants are part of his government's signature Future Made in Australia initiative - a manufacturing package aimed at funding clean energy projects and creating jobs in the decarbonisation transition.
The grants have also been allocated to companies in Queensland and South Australia and are expected to create almost 400 new jobs.
"If we get this right - the move to net zero - we can be even more prosperous in the future," Mr Albanese said in Perth.
The prime minister spruiked clean energy incentives for WA's critical minerals sector. (Kim Christian/AAP PHOTOS)
Mr Dutton hit the hustings in the NSW south coast seat of Gilmore, announcing half a million dollars in funding for the local Surf Life Saving club.
The coalition lost the division at the 2022 election, but Labor only holds it with a 0.2 per cent margin, giving former NSW Liberal Andrew Constance a clear shot at taking the seat.
Mr Dutton announced he would reveal the cost of his controversial nuclear energy plan in the coming week. The proposal has come under fire over its lack of detail and long completion times.
Mining magnate Clive Palmer also has his eyes on the 2025 election, announcing his United Australia Party is looking to re-register.
Mr Palmer voluntarily deregistered the party in 2022 but said he would lodge a challenge in the High Court to allow candidates to run under the UAP banner at the 2025 poll.
Mr Palmer spent more than $120 million campaigning at the last election with just one senator, Victorian Ralph Babet, elected.
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