1 week Ago By Olivia Ireland, Nick Newling
Peter Dutton has said he “felt pretty good” after last night’s debate, but questioned the “composition of the audience, where people have come from and what their views were” after Anthony Albanese was crowned the winner. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at the final leaders’ debate. Credit: AAPIMAGE A panel of voters said that the Prime Minister won the debate, with 50 per cent backing Albanese, 25 per cent backing Dutton, and a further 25 per cent remaining undecided.
Speaking on Gold 101.7’s Jonesy and Amanda , Dutton said he would have his “foot flat to the floor for the next week” despite the exhaustion of the campaign hitting all involved. “The number of families who are really struggling, doing it tough.
People who just can’t afford to renew their insurance on the car, you know, pulling kids out of low fee paying schools, etcetera. There’s a lot of pain out there at the moment. So I think there’s a lot to a lot at stake at this election, and a lot to play for,” said Dutton.
Sticking with last night’s debate, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton described Welcome to Country ceremonies before sports games as divisive in a pointed intervention into a debate over the cultural practice that has escalated since extreme right-wing agitators disrupted Anzac Day services on Friday. Dutton took a strong stance against Welcome to Country ceremonies at sports games during the fourth leaders’ debate. Credit: AAPIMAGE Dutton told Channel Seven’s leaders debate on Sunday night that Welcome to Country ceremonies were respectful at official events such as the opening of Parliament each year, but that many other examples, including the common practice of holding them before football games, were overdone.
His comments represent a hardening of the Coalition’s position since the opposition took aim at Welcome to Country ceremonies earlier this year by pledging to wind back government spending on them . Federal departments have spent about $550,000 on the ceremonies over the last two years. Read the full story by Natassia Chrysanthos here .
Both leaders lost a key point of the final debate of the federal election when a simple question produced two unbelievable answers. The host of the Seven Network debate, Mark Riley, asked Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton if they could trust US President Donald Trump. Albanese and Dutton shake hands ahead of the final leaders’ debate on Sunday evening.
Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The prime minister hedged at first, and the opposition leader was more direct, but both conveyed an astonishing confidence in the White House. “I start, I think, with people on 100 per cent trust,” said Albanese. Pressed by Riley on whether Australia could trust Trump to “have our back” on security, the prime minister then said: “Yes.
” When the time came for Dutton to respond, he was even more sweeping: “We can trust whoever’s in the Oval Office.” Read more about the debate and who our top correspondents think won the night here . Good morning and welcome to the final week of the 2025 federal election campaign.
Following last night’s final leaders debate Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will continue their tour of the nation in an attempt to win over a record number of undecided voters who are yet to cast their ballot. Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese. Credit: James Brickwood/Alex Ellinghausen My name is Nick Newling, and I’ll be taking you through all the days events alongside my colleague Olivia Ireland .
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