“Out of Touch” - How Dutton’s politics is costing him the votes of young Australians
By: Abisha Sapkota 17/04/25 Seven years ago, among thousands of high school kids protesting for School Strike For Climate (SS4C), Emma Teffer was captured holding a cardboard sign that read, “I’ll be voting in 4 years”. At just 14, it was the first of many protests she would attend, driven by her concern for the climate. But now, at 20, things have shifted. Studying a double degree in Arts and Law, Emma finds herself buried in student debt, struggling with the cost of living and a worry for the climate.
For the first time, Gen Z and Millennials will outnumber Baby Boomers at the ballot box and they are calling for strong change. For Peter Dutton his politics could be costing him the votes of young Australians.
Ben Raue, a freelance election analyst, notes a clear generational divide, “amongst younger voters there's a huge Greens’ vote…amongst older voters the Coalition dominates”.
Younger voters are more progressive and a study conducted by The Guardian shows that the key issues risen amongst them are climate change, the cost of living crisis and the genocide in Gaza as having the most impact on their political stance.
Dr Rebecca Huntley, an Australian social researcher, writer and commentator believes that housing and cost of living is the number debate for this Federal election.
“Obviously housing affordability…not even housing..just being able to rent, just being able to move out of home, just being able to have that kind of sense of autonomy around that…is kind of challenging. It's also very clear that climate is important…so they tend to be the ones that rank quite highly”.
Labor, Liberals and Greens have had to change their campaigns to reflect the changing priorities of younger voters.
Mr Raue also stated that younger Australians, “are less likely to have party identity” and show “less loyalty” to the parties.
Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has taken a different approach to the shift in demographic of voters this Federal Election.
Liz Tilley, the Greens’ candidate for Parramatta states,
“I think Peter Dutton is appealing to a specific voter…that message doesn't
ring true for the majority of young people.”
Dutton’s efforts in the past two election debates have attracted widespread media attention, with outlets such as ABC describing it as a “nightmare week” for the opposition. Outlets are criticising the Liberal’s traditional campaign strategies and its inability to connect with younger voters.
Polling indicates that young Australians are showing less support for the Coalition. In recent surveys, Dutton is trailing behind other political leaders in terms of public trust and credibility. A RedBridge and John Centre survey found that 33% of voters said they were less likely to vote for Dutton due to his perceived similarities with Donald Trump. Amongst voters aged 18 to 44, 48% expressed agreement with a Trump-like leader should not be governing the country.
Whilst Labor has drawn comparison between Dutton and Trump, the opposition leader has not publicly distanced himself from these allegations.
“He leans into the image of the 'strong man', much like Trump, and echoes the promises Trump made of making Australia great again with getting Australia back on track” said Mrs Tilly.
Emma said she “couldn’t believe what I was hearing” referring to Coalition Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's pledge to “make Australia great again”.
Emma further said the pledge, “gave me déjà vu, it's a literal copy and paste of Trump’s script”.
Youth Seeking Climate Commitment
Climate change remains a key concern for many young Australians.
Emma says “circumstantially the cost of living is the top concern and climate change follows closely…there's no future without change”.
Opposition leader Dutton has faced criticism for past comments on rising sea levels,
“you’re about to have water lapping at your door”,
which some have compared to Trump’s statement “and you'll have more sea front property”.
Emma believes that Dutton’s stance is “dry when it comes to issues that young voters care about”.
During Cyclone Alfred in 2025, Dutton was reported to be away from his electorate, staying at a property owned by Justin Hemmes for a fundraiser. This attracted attention on social media, with residents of electorate Dickson calling out Dutton for his absence.
Some comments included, “Filling his money bags while his electorate were filling sandbags” and “You think he’d be more concerned about his razor thin margin in his seat of Dickson!” referring to his local seat which he holds by a narrow 1.7% .
Dutton’s opponent for the Dickson electorate, Ali France critiqued the opposition leader, “Peter Dutton is out of touch. He hasn’t supported any cost-of-living relief and that’s probably the biggest issue in this community”.
When asked about this Emma responded with “He is far from reality, quite insensitive to the needs of the people who will be determining his electorate, not just us young people”.
During the leaders’ debate in Parramatta, Peter Dutton responded with “I don't know” and “I'm not a scientist” when asked if he believed extreme weather events were made worse due to climate change. Later he insisted that he “believes in climate change”.
Under Dutton, the Coalition had proposed a review of Australia's emission target, building seven nuclear reactors and an expansion of gas production.
This juxtaposes the common ground shared by the Greens and Labor a) establishing a climate committee and b) implementing carbon pricing.
Some have expressed concern for these policies to weaken Labor’s safeguard mechanism (SMG), a set of regulations that apply to Australia's highest greenhouse gas emitting facilities.
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) gave the Greens 98%, Labor 54% and Coalition 1% for their climate policies. The Coalition received the worst score in over 20 years.
Cost of Living Crisis
Entering the housing market has become a struggle for young Australians.
Mr Raue emphasised that “housing is enormous” and noted that “whether you own assets…capital…makes a big difference in your position in society and how you vote”. This difference is reflected upon home ownership rates with only one in six of Gen Z owning their own home compared to one in four Baby Boomers at the same age.
Recent polling suggests that 40% of Australians favour Labor’s approach to addressing the cost of living crisis, with voters aged 60 and over being the only demographic to show preference for the Coalition.
Emma emphasised, “we don't have the greatest options between the two major parties. I mean how can you say you care about young people while continuously voting against wage theft laws”.
Dutton’s voting record has gained attention by Gen Z and Millennial voters amplified by social media. “It really highlights the disillusionment felt by young Australians like myself when it comes to housing affordability”, Emma says.
Dutton has voted against increasing housing affordability, voted for getting rid of Sunday and public holiday penalty rates and against criminalising wage theft. These decisions have been widely circulated online amongst younger Australians who are directly impacted by unaffordable renting markets.
Tilley echoed this sentiment stating, “They are really struggling with the cost of living ....renting at astronomical costs that just keep going up”.
She further criticised Coalition's approach by saying “It's also evident that the Liberals will always do what is in the best interests of the boss, not the worker”.
However, the disillusionment is also shared towards the Australian housing system.
Dr Huntley criticised the system by stating, “but we've created, you know, housing in this country, like a Ponzi scheme for the top five, ten or fifteen percent. And the more houses you earn the easier it is to buy property. That is essentially what the problem is and the more that you get your income just from labor and not capital the harder it is to get ahead.”
Peter Dutton previously stated that he wants to see home prices “steadily increase”, a statement that sparked discussion amongst younger voters struggling to set foot in the housing market.
Dutton also introduced a policy allowing homeowners to use their super for home deposit, to which Dr Huntley said “I mean, you know, it's all well and good to say, we gonna give you $50,000 out of your super…like, how many 25 year olds have $50,000?”.
Peter Dutton was joined by his son, Harry, at a press conference in Brisbane. Despite the public figure position held by his father, the 20 year old apprentice carpenter expressed the challenge he faces in the current housing market.
He states “I'm saving up for a house and so is my sister and a lot of my mates but it's almost impossible to get in the current state”.
Over the past 35 years according to SBS, Dutton has over 26 properties.
When asked about Dutton’s strategies in bringing out his son, Dr Huntley stated “ I thought it was an act of desperation….. and actually, I feel very sorry for son”
Genocide in Gaza: A Political Priority
UN human rights expert, Francesa Albanese believes that that Israel has committed “acts of genocide”.Emma says she sees “a strong parallel between Dutton and Trump when it comes to immigration, foreign policy and refugees that's why I'm put off” influencing her political stance.
Emma adds, “Half my friends are from diverse backgrounds, and Dutton talks about these people as a threat to national security. It’s personal”.
Dutton has made media headlines for his stance on immigration and refugees, including the 2016 comment claiming that refugees would be “taking Australian jobs”.
Between 2023-24, Dutton attacked Labor’s migration levels linking it to housing affordability and jobs.
Emma says these “microaggressive comments” may resonate with a different demographic of voters but not with her generation.
“Politicians like Trump and Dutton scare people into voting for them by stoking fear” she says, “This would obviously work with Baby Boomers but not for us”.
The Gaza conflict has emerged as a defining foreign policy issue in the lead up to the 2025 federal election.
Dutton described the Labor Government “reckless” for their decision to grant humanitarian visas to Palestinians and raised concerns that arrival of Palestinian refugees could pose threat to national security.
At a recent election debate hosted by ABC in Parramatta, approximately 60 to 70 protesters gathered to voice their frustration over the ALP and Liberal’s stance on Gaza. The protest was organised by the Palestine Action Group and Students for Palestine Western Sydney.
It featured chants like,
“Peter Dutton, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide”
and
“At the election we will remember, Albanese is a genocide defender”.
Among the speakers was Greens' candidate for Parramatta, Liz Tilley.
She highlighted the diversity of the electorate where more than 60% of residents were born overseas, only 14% with both parents born in Australia and 67.5% of households speak a language other than english. “Many have families who have come to Australia fleeing oppression and war,” she said.
She added, “When they see the Coalition supporting the Israeli state's apartheid and their genocide in Gaza, or the ALP failing to stand up and condemn genocide… locals can see that these parties would not have stood up for them, either.”
Dr Huntley states that humanitarian injustice like the Gaza conflict resonates with individuals based on their personal values. She says, “ I think it's important to recognise that in many ways… some issues might just be common across all young people…depending on their identity or depending on their socioeconomic position, you'd have some young people who know Gaza is very important to them…not on the radar for others”.
This belief was also shared by Mr Raue who said, “I think it does amongst certain…demographic…I think that it is a factor changing those electorates and people are passionate about it”.
The Federal Election will be held on the 3rd of May with early voting opening on the 22nd of April. To get more information on the election or your electorate go to, https://www.aec.gov.au/.
“Everyday is a financial challenge” - Young Australians are Struggling to Stretch the Dollar
By: Abisha Sapkota
6/05/2025
In a bustling Sydney Westfield, 20-year-old university student Sophie Tusth, hesitates in the canned goods aisle. After comparing prices, she opts for Coles’ home brand kidney beans at $1.90. As a full time Media and Law student reliant on casual retail/hospitality income and youth allowance, Sophie is part of a growing demographic of young Australians impacted by the cost of living crisis.
In the midst of the 2025 Federal Election campaign, a study conducted by The Guardian, housing and affordability have emerged as urgent political issues. According to Resolve polling two thirds of young people listed cost of living as their main concern.
Dr Rebecca Huntley, an Australian social researcher, writer and commentator believes that housing and cost of living is the number debate for this Federal election.
Policy Proposals
Labor has committed to building 100,000 new properties designated for first home buyers, allowing them to purchase with 5% deposit and expanding current schemes. They are also promising to wipe 20% of all student HECS debts.
The Coalition has proposed to allow individuals to withdraw up to $50,000 from their superannuation to purchase their first home, introducing mortgage deduction and $5 billion for critical infrastructure.
Dr Huntley in response to the Coalition's policies said,
“I mean, you know, it's all well and good to say, we gonna give you $50,000 out of your super…like, how many 25 year olds have $50,000?”.
The Greens have a bolder approach, they proposed a two-year rent freeze, establishing government property developers, building 50,000 crisis shelters for the homeless. They are offering 50-cent public transportation nationwide and wiping all HECS student debt.
Liz Tilley, the Greens candidate for Parramatta said, “And our policies always prioritise people and planet, over corporate profit” when asked what is different about Green's approach.
Struggles of Young Australians
Ben Raue, a freelance election analyst says there is a clear generational divide amongst voters, “amongst younger voters there's a huge Greens’ vote…amongst older voters the Coalition dominates”.
With Gen Z and Millennials outnumbering Baby Boomers at the Ballot Box, the cost of living and housing affordability is an important policy criteria.
Anglicare Australia, an independent charitable network has advocated for the importance of housing affordability for people on the lowest incomes.
Their latest Rental Affordability Snapshot revealed that 352 out of more than 51,000 rentals were affordable for an individual on full time minimum wage.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 174, 700 people aged 16-24 receive student payment. For students on Youth Allowance one in three rental listings met the affordability threshold with all rooms being a shared house.
Across the 74 electorates, not a single rental property was affordable for minimum wage earners.
“Everyday is a financial challenge,” Sophie said.
Action Required
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said that all parties and candidates need to be proactive on housing affordability.
She says, “Australia’s housing crisis is the worst it has ever been…people on the lowest income don't stand a chance”.
The Australian Bureau of Statistic (ABS) reports from March 2024 to March 2025, rent prices climbed by 5.2% while food and non alcoholic beverages rose by 3.4%. The Consumer Price Index saw an overall increase of 2.4% in the 12 months to March.
“For students like myself who live outside of home, living off a $47 daily budget from Youth Allowance is really hard,” Sophie says.
She further adds,
“My mind races through my daily budget because every dollar needs to stretch until my next paycheck”.
Major supermarkets such as Coles and Woolies have used pandemic and inflation to increase profits from sales. Woolworths made over $1.62 billion profit with Coles making $1.1 billion profit.
Prime Minister, Antony Albanese described “price gouging” as “taking the piss”. Major parties have agreed to ban supermarket price gouging starting July.
According to a recent study by the University of Tasmania in 2024, the percentage of university students facing food insecurity has jumped from 42% in 2022 to 53% in 2024. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) lifted the national minimum wage by 3.75% in July 2024 bringing it to $24.10 per hour.
Sophie who balances her full time studies with casual work notes, “I don't have stable hours. I can't work part time or full time with uni either,”
She further adds, “it's just making it harder for individuals who already face financial insecurity” in reference to price gouging.
In 2023, the ABS found that 80% of young Australians aged 15-24 were engaged in both work and study, yet the average annual income for university students remained around $23,000.
Most students work 20 hours per week.
Sophie resides in West Ryde, 21 km from the CBD, paying $400 per week for a room in a shared house. Her landlord increased rent by $30 last year.
A National Survey found that 50% of tenants have seen rent hikes of over 10% in the past year, with one in six experiencing increases above 25%.
Vacancy rates are also low, Sydney's rate being 1.5%, Melbourne 1.8%, and Brisbane 1%.
For many young Australians, home ownership is a distant goal. The disparity between younger and older generations is prominent. According to The Coming of Age Report, only one in six of Gen Z own their own home compared to one in four Baby Boomers at the same age.
Dr Huntly notes, “Obviously housing affordability…not even housing..just being able to rent, just being able to move out of home, just being able to have that kind of sense of autonomy around that…is kind of challenging”.
Tilley echoed this sentiment, “They are really struggling with the cost of living...renting at astronomical costs that just keep going up”.
Anglicare Australia argues that without significant public investment in affordable and social housing, the crisis will only worsen.
The report states, “too many people who live on fixed incomes such as welfare payments...are facing homelessness as the supply of social and affordable housing has… failed to keep up with the demand over recent decades”.
Data from the Australian Taxation Office showed that 71% of landlords own a single investment property while 4% own four or more.
This has drawn political scrutiny towards opposition leader Peter Dutton, who has voted against increasing housing affordability, voted for getting rid of Sunday and public holiday penalty rates and against criminalising wage theft. These decisions have been widely circulated online amongst younger Australians who are directly impacted by unaffordable renting markets.
“It really highlights the disillusionment felt by young Australians like myself when it comes to housing affordability”, Sophie says.
“It's also evident that the Liberals will always do what is in the best interests of the boss, not the worker”, Tilley said.
However, the frustration is also evident towards the Australian housing system.
Dr Huntley described the system by stating, “but we've created, you know, housing in this country, like a Ponzi scheme for the top five, ten or fifteen percent. And the more houses you earn the easier it is to buy property. That is essentially what the problem is and the more that you get your income just from labor and not capital the harder it is to get ahead.”
As the election approaches, Anglicare Australia has emphasised the need for financial security for young Australia is more important than ever.