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Policy Blog

Weekly Political Roundup

A structured briefing on accountability in Australian federal politics.

Insights from our AI Analysis EngineSunday 25 October 2026Covering 18 Oct – 25 Oct 2026
0 divergences181 statements3 politicians
Tax

Polling

Preferred Prime Minister

As of 6–10 Oct · Resolve · Leadership approval polling · Wikipedia polling

  • Anthony Albanese (Australian Labor Party) — 32% (+0.0 pts vs prior poll)
  • Pauline Hanson (Pauline Hanson's One Nation) — 26% (+0.0 pts vs prior poll)
  • Angus Taylor (Liberal Party of Australia) — 22% (+0.0 pts vs prior poll)
  • Unsure — 20%

Top 3 party leaders + Unsure, per Wikipedia Preferred PM tables.

Weekly Political Pulse

Tax

168 statements · All statements this week

Tax dominated federal politics this week, with ALP, Liberal, National, One Nation all weighing in on the debate. This pulse focuses on what those moves mean for people — not a re-list of the week's headlines.

  • For households and workers: Penny Wong (ALP): "Australia stands with the people of Sudan as we soon mark one year since the fall of El Fasher.

We join the United Kingdom and international partners calling for an end to attack…" — watch how this lands on cost of living, services, or jobs in the coming week.

  • For households and workers: Jim Chalmers (ALP): "From what we’re doing to help Australians with the cost of living to the significant economic impacts of the war in the Middle East, Amanda Copp from Politico Australia and I cover…" — watch how this lands on cost of living, services, or jobs in the coming week.
  • For households and workers: Angus Taylor (Liberal): "I thank and pay tribute to Michelle Landry, following her announcement today that she won’t recontest the next federal election.

Michelle has been an amazing colleague, a true fig…" — watch how this lands on cost of living, services, or jobs in the coming week.

  • For households and workers: Dave Sharma (Liberal): "Of the 43 advanced economies around the world, only Iceland has higher interest rates than Australia.

Peristent inflation, fuelled by excessive government spending, is keeping bor…" — watch how this lands on cost of living, services, or jobs in the coming week.

  • For households and workers: Bridget McKenzie (National): "https://t.co/VLjQx8hmPG" — watch how this lands on cost of living, services, or jobs in the coming week.

In the latest polling (2026-10-20), One Nation leads the primary vote at 30%, with Anthony Albanese ahead of Pauline Hanson as preferred prime minister (32% to 26%).

What to watch: whether decisions on tax ease pressure on household budgets and services, or lock in sharper party conflict into the next sitting week.

Policy

New & Updated Policies

  • Integrity and accountability — one-nation
    One Nation emphasises accountability of major parties and institutions, advocating for transparency and the need for governance reforms. The party acknowledges concerns regarding the lack of accountability for certain individuals in power, which could undermine public trust and…
  • Defence and national security — one-nation
    One Nation supports strong national defence and border protection, while advocating for transparency and accountability in governance to maintain public trust. Distinct alternative acquisition programs beyond general support are limited in our database.
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: National security / borders.
  • Immigration — one-nation
    One Nation advocates substantially cutting immigration to reduce the number of new arrivals to Australia. The party supports lowering overall immigration levels to prioritize Australian workers and reduce pressure on infrastructure and services, while also opposing tax concessio…
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Taxes / budget; National security / borders.
  • Jobs and wages — one-nation
    One Nation links job availability for Australians to migration settings and local-preference hiring, while also emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in governance to maintain public trust. Distinct Fair Work Act redesign schedules are not recorded in our data…
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Jobs / wages; National security / borders.
  • Childcare and family payments — one-nation
    One Nation emphasises parental choice in care arrangements and opposes Labor's capital gains tax (CGT) discount for foreign investors, advocating for amendments to remove controversial CGT changes that could burden Australian investors and businesses.
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Taxes / budget; Education; National security / borders.
  • Aged care — one-nation
    One Nation states support for improved aged care for Australians, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in governance. This includes a commitment to redesign Support at Home fees or Age Pension assets tests to ensure fair practices that impact all Australians,…
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Health / aged care.
  • Tax and superannuation — one-nation
    One Nation’s recorded stance opposes additional taxes on superannuation and retirees. However, recent statements indicate a lack of accountability for individuals in power, which contradicts their previous advocacy for transparency and governance. This divergence raises concerns…
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Taxes / budget.
  • Climate and energy — one-nation
    One Nation opposes rapid net-zero pathways that it argues raise power prices, and favours conventional fossil generation. The party is critical of government shifts in energy policy that may impact living standards and the reliability of the electricity grid, contributing to unc…
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Climate / environment.
  • Education and student debt — one-nation
    One Nation criticises student debt burdens and university funding priorities, while also emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency in governance. This includes a call for the potential redaction of personal details to ensure integrity in institutions affecting eve…
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Taxes / budget; Education.
  • Healthcare and Medicare — one-nation
    One Nation states support for Medicare access for Australians. However, there are contradictions in their stance on capital gains tax, indicating a potential shift towards supporting CGT concessions for Australians, which may affect investors and businesses.
    Relevant Impact Framework pillars: Taxes / budget; Health / aged care.

Media

Further Listening

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