For everyone The federal election: the parties’ positions on key issues
As the federal election looms, we compare the policy positions of the three major parties – Labor, Liberal, and the Greens – and see how they stack up when it comes to education and other key policy areas that affect AEU members.
What are the major parties’ positions on PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
LABOR
Albanese has pledged to fully fund public schools.
The state–federal Heads of Agreement would see public schools receive 100% of the schooling resource standard by 2034, transforming student outcomes through lower class sizes, more one-on-one support, and increased staffing.
This funding could also contribute to higher wages and measures to address excessive staff workloads.
LIBERALS
The Liberal Opposition has not supported the full funding of public schools.
The previous Liberal government capped federal funding for public schools at 20%, leaving them grossly underfunded for over a decade. As a result, funding for private school students is now 27% higher than for students in public schools.
If current funding arrangements continue, public schools will be underfunded by $31.7 billion, while private schools will be overfunded by $2.1 billion, between 2024–2028.
GREENS
The Greens, led by Adam Bandt, have committed to delivering full funding to every public school by July 2025.
What are the major parties’ positions on TAFE?
LABOR
The Albanese government has committed to making its fee-free TAFE policy permanent. Free TAFE has seen a massive boost to equitable opportunity and accessibility, and restored billions of dollars to the TAFE system for teaching and for student support services.
Labor has also invested:
- $8.61m to upgrade and expand TAFE facilities across Victoria
- an additional $86.4m to deliver a further 20,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places, including 5,000 pre-apprenticeship places, over two years.
LIBERALS
Dutton has consistently opposed fee-free TAFE and promises to scrap the policy, saying fee-free TAFE is “anti-competitive”.
Under previous Liberal governments, deregulation forced TAFE to compete with private providers, leading to 10,000 TAFE teachers being sacked, drastic shaving of course hours, cuts to student support services, and skyrocketing course fees.
Liberals have made a last-minute announcement of a plan to spend hundreds of millions on a small number of technical colleges at the same time as slashing funding for TAFE.
GREENS
The Greens want to prioritise learning, equity and public good over profits through free TAFE for all, and more investment in students, staff and sustainable infrastructure.
“Peter Dutton has just announced free lunches for business leaders, but he does not support free TAFE. It seems he has no problem with taxpayer-funded free stuff so long as it’s just for bosses.”
Sally McManus, ACTU
What are the major parties’ positions on EARLY CHILDHOOD?
LABOR
The Albanese government introduced historic legislation and invested $5 billion to deliver a 15% wage increase for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workers in eligible long day care and other settings.
Labor is committed to universal preschool, which guarantees at least three days of quality, subsidised early education per week for all three- and four-year-olds. This ‘3 Day Guarantee’ replaces the Liberal’s ‘Activity Test’, making early years education and care more affordable for families.
Labor also:
- supports a flat-fee universal childcare system where parents pay no more than $10 or $20 a day
- pledges to invest $1bn in ECEC infrastructure
- invested a further $70.3m in culturally safe EC development initiatives for First Nations children
- increased the childcare subsidy from 85% to 90% for families earning less than $80,000.
LIBERALS
Opposition leader Peter Dutton, whose wife runs multiple childcare centres, fought against removing the Activity Test, which limits the maximum hours of subsidised kinder and childcare a family can access.
Dutton does not support subsidised preschool, citing the cost and potential tax implications.
The Liberals also opposed Labor’s $1bn commitment to build 160 urgently needed childcare centres in outer urban and regional Australia.
GREENS
The Greens moved a motion in the Senate to bring forward Labor’s ECEC reforms.
“Free TAFE, two years of subsidised kinder, and fully funded public schools are all life-changing for our students and for the public education workforce, which gives 100% every single day.”
Justin Mullaly, AEU Victoria
What are the major parties’ positions on INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS?
LABOR
Recent policy changes include:
- strengthening workplace protections
- expanding bargaining rights (e.g. through multi-employer bargaining) measures to address gender pay gaps
- paid domestic violence leave
- restrictions on casual employment
- stronger wage theft laws
- new rights and protections for union reps/delegates
- increases to the national minimum wage by 5.75% in 2022, 3.75% in 2023 and a further 3.75% in 2024
- Superannuation Guarantee to reach 12% in 2025
- increased award rates, including record pay increases for aged care and early childhood educators.According to the ACTU, women working full time now earn $7,800/year more than they would have under the Liberal’s IR policies.
LIBERALS
Dutton has committed to reversing Labor’s industrial relations advance, including new multi-employer bargaining rights, designed to secure wage increases for workers across many industries and especially in feminised sectors where workers were locked out of collective bargaining.
The Liberals plan to:
- roll back protections for casuals and gig workers
- scrap the ‘Same Job Same Pay’ laws that stop labour hire workers from being exploited and underpaid
- get rid of the flexibility to work from home and the right to disconnect.
Under the previous Liberal government, the gender pay gap widened and wages stagnated for a decade.
Key Liberal ministers have signalled they would cut superannuation from 12% to 9% if elected.
GREENS
The Greens’ ‘10 standards for better workplace laws’ guide the party’s approach to workplace laws in Parliament. They aim to reduce inequality, strengthen the role of unions, and protect and improve the rights of working people.
The Greens also want a nationwide scheme to trial a four-day work week across various industries with no wage loss.
What are the major parties’ positions on CLIMATE?
LABOR
Labor’s climate policy (Climate Change Act 2022) aims for a 43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050, with the Climate Change Authority to monitor progress and inform future targets.
Its Powering Australia Plan aims for renewables to power 82% of the National Electricity Market, and electric vehicles to be 50% of new car sales nationwide, by 2030.
LIBERALS
Dutton has failed to commit to the 2035 Paris Agreement and indicates the Liberals may dump the Climate Change Authority.
The Liberals plan to keep coal and gas power plants running until seven government-owned nuclear reactors are built, causing Australia to miss its target to cut emissions. They claim that smaller units could be working by 2035 and the first large reactor by 2037. Dutton claims the cost of his proposed nuclear energy system will be around $331 billion, but experts say it would likely be up to three times this figure.
GREENS
- The Greens climate policy involves:
- no new coal and gas
- expand publicly owned renewable energy
- end the billions in handouts to coal, oil and gas corporations
- end native forest logging
- lower power bills by transitioning to more reliable, clean energy
- subsidise solar and batteries for homes and businesses
- end fossil fuel subsidies for all industries except agriculture
- and save koalas and our wildlife from extinction.
What are the major parties’ positions on THE ECONOMY?
LABOR
Albanese has launched a $22.7 billion ‘Future Made in Australia’ package, aimed at reviving the nation’s industrial capability, making Australia a renewable energy leader, and strengthening our defence capabilities and economic security.
Its ‘National Reconstruction Fund’ supports projects that “create secure well-paid jobs, drive regional development, and invest in our national sovereign capability”.
Labor will also continue its $33 billion affordable housing plan, building 1.2 million homes in five years.
LIBERALS
The Liberals plan to cut $6 billion from the public service by sacking 41,000 public sector workers. (Note: Dutton has since walked back his pledge to immediately cut jobs following community backlash, especially from rural/regional areas, vowing instead to reduce numbers through “natural attrition” over a five-year period. A fortnight later, he reconfirmed the plan, saying the cuts will be limited to Canberra, though experts argue this downsizing could not be achieved without hitting frontline or security-related roles.
The Liberals would wind back regulatory roadblocks, rein in inflationary spending, and lower taxes.
Dutton has vowed to introduce a gas reservation policy, clean up “waste” in the public service, halve the fuel excise for a year, and build a nuclear energy network to “lower power bills”.
Dutton would stand up for farmers, consumers, and small businesses through stronger penalties for anti-competitive behaviour in supermarket and hardware sectors.
GREENS
The Greens would tackle multinational tax avoidance; close loopholes that allow big oil and gas companies to pay zero tax; and introduce a 40% tax on corporations with over $100m in turnover and 10% on the net wealth of Australia’s 150 billionaires.
“Childcare is one of the biggest cost-of-living pressures for families with young children. The Opposition says it wants to deliver cost-of-living relief, but it has no policies to bring down early learning costs.”
Georgie Dent, The Parenthood
What are the major parties’ positions on HEALTHCARE?
LABOR
Albanese has pledged to expand bulk billing through an $8.5 billion investment in Medicare, and build the workforce, including 400 nursing scholarships and 2,000 new GP trainees a year by 2028.
Labor also investing $33.9 billion in public hospitals and $793m in women’s health.
LIBERALS
Dutton has vowed to match Labor’s pledge to boost Medicare funding, grow the GP workforce, and develop new women’s health clinics.
GREENS
Would add free universal dental coverage.
What are the major parties’ positions on HECS?
LABOR
Labor will cut HECS debt by 20% and ensure student debt never outpaces wage growth.
LIBERALS
Liberals oppose Labor’s $16bn pledge to waive 20% of tertiary student debts.reen
GREENS
The Greens would wipe all student debt, and tax big corporations to pay for free TAFE and tertiary education.
“There is much at risk for preschools, schools, and TAFE if a Dutton government is elected. The politicisation of eduction sends a dangerous message about the role of knowledge in society.”
Correna Haythorpe, AEU Federal
