'Pretty disappointed': Aussie holidaymakers, expats deliver damning federal election verdict as polling day approaches
There is now just one week until most Australians head to the polls, but some for some voters the election is proving an unwelcome distraction as they attempt to enjoy a European break.
Hundreds of Aussies will pass by Australia House in the coming days in order to perform their civic duty, although more than 16,000km from Australia the mood at the booths is far less festive than what many polling places will see on May 3.
Voters from across the nation told SkyNews.com.au they were "pretty disappointed" with the campaigns run by both major parties, highlighting a lack of "leadership" from both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Waleed, 38, from Victoria explained it felt as though Labor and the Coalition were simply "trying to win the short-term game", while Tasmanian resident Wayne said "nothing" had stood out to him from either party's election pledges.
Both men agreed the cost of living was the biggest issue facing voters, but neither felt as if the major parties were actually addressing the problem.
"Been a bit weak, from both parties, been a bit weak," Waleed says dismissively.
"It's been pretty light on on the policy front. It seems like they're looking to buy votes and the policies they've announced; seems like they're just catering for the lowest common denominator and trying to win the short-term game rather than being game-changing and something that can change the nation."
Asked what has stood out from Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton's campaigns, Wayne appears stumped.
"Nothing great that's stood out. They're always talking about cost of living and stuff, but don't seem to do anything," he says.
The perceived lack of action from both parties is a recurring theme among those taking a break from their break by lining up to vote.
It reflects statements from both sides of politics that the election remains finely balanced, despite recent polling showing Labor pulling ahead.
Dissatisfaction with both major parties has placed support for alternatives at 31 per cent, according to the latest Newspoll, with the Greens sitting on a 12 per cent share of the primary vote, Pauline Hanson's One Nation on seven per cent and other independents, including the Teals, on 12 per cent combined.
Such is the level of apathy toward Labor and the Coalition, several voters told SkyNews.com.au they had not even bothered to examine the major parties' policy platforms before casting their ballot.
"To be quite frank I haven't actually had a good look at what the major parties (are proposing) because I'm not voting for either of them," Joy, 65, said.
Carl and Paula, both 40, from the Australian Capital Territory said they were relieved when they found out they would be on holiday in the lead-up to the election, explaining they had deliberately blocked out the campaign while travelling.
"I haven't checked anything, I've made a very strong mental note to not check. I don't really want to hear it. It was a bit of a relief when they announced it and we knew we'd be away, we thought: 'Okay we'll miss all of that'," Paula said.
Asked why they had been so keen to skip the campaign, Carl explained "no real issues" were being addressed by either side of politics.
"A lot of stone throwing from the major parties, no real issues being addressed. Definitely a lack of leadership, 100 per cent a lack of leadership from both parties," he said.
Leadership was another recurring theme among holidaymakers at the booth, perhaps unsurprisingly in an an election year in which both Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton have struggled to achieve and maintain positive approval ratings.
In a worrying sign for the Opposition Leader, his leadership style was called into question by several of those who spoke to SkyNews.com.au.
"I think I'm looking to see some leadership and I haven't seen any from the Liberal Party at all, from Peter Dutton," Joy declared.
The Tasmanian local highlighted the Coalition's stance on asylum seekers, suggesting Mr Dutton had set the tone for policies which she believed were robbing those fleeing conflicts overseas of "justice".
Paula also expressed concerns over the opposition leader's position on some issues, saying she was worried by comparisons with United States President Donald Trump.
"I've been surprised at some of the alignment with Trump and what's going on in the US as well," she said.
"People have aligned Dutton with Trump, you know, some of the messages and stuff like that. What I'm hearing is that people are aligning his policies and his vision with some extreme things coming from that side."
Labor has repeatedly accused Mr Dutton of seeking to introduce "Trump-style politics" throughout the campaign, claims the opposition leader has rejected.
However, polling suggests Joy and Paula are not alone in viewing Mr Dutton unfovourably.
Newspoll has recorded a five point swing, in two party preferred terms, from female voters toward Labor since March 26, while Mr Albanese is overwhelmingly viewed as the preferred Prime Minister by women - 50 per cent to Mr Dutton's 36 per cent.
Even among male voters, the Opposition Leader is being urged to do more.
Shai, 68, from Victoria, said Mr Dutton needed to "get out of the square" and clearly lay out practical plans to tackle the main issues facing Australians.
"Dutton needs to show more leadership. Australia is Australia, I cannot say compare yourself to Trump because he is totally crazy, but it should be something like Trump only less Trump-y," he said.
"He has to lead Australia in a certain direction, to say: 'Okay guys this is what I'm going to do. I have 100 days (to make an impact in office), so this is what I'm doing: one, two, three, four'. Cover the main issues for Australia.
"The main issues, of course, are the cost of living, security, safety."
Shai's call for Mr Dutton to mirror the US President style hints at the tightrope the opposition leader has at times been forced to walk, but the 68-year-old's focus on crime pointed toward something many analysts have suggested could be an advantage for the Coalition in his native state.
Labor is on the nose with voters in Victoria, with soaring crime rates a key reason for community dissatisfaction.
Some believe Mr Dutton, who was a Queensland Police officer before entering politics and has built his career since on protecting the community, is well placed to exploit that sentiment, potentially taking key seats away from the Albanese government.
Crime has not featured prominently in the election campaign to date, but it, alongside a handful of other issues, appears to be simmering below the surface.
Waleed pointed to what he called "the waste in government programs", suggesting both sides needed to cut spending following a campaign full of major cash splashes.
Wayne and Scott, a 39-year-old Victorian expat, meanwhile, highlighted retirees.
"My parents are still in Victoria and so's my sister so as long as it's (the government) helping pensioners," Scott explained.
The 39-year-old was unaware of Labor's plan to increase taxation on superannuation balances over $3 million, but Wayne was.
"Definitely worried about it," he said.
Former Labor MP for Dawson, James Bidgood, who was out canvasing for the party, told SkyNews.com.au many people were concerned about the Coalition's nuclear plans.
"Coming from Queensland, I come from Mackay in Queensland, country people, one thing they really don't want is a nuclear power station in their backyard," he explained.
"They do not want the risk of a one in 50-year accident and nuclear contamination of the countryside for 5,000 years. That is a sleeper issue a lot of people haven't anticipated.
"Cost of living, obvious, interest rates, obvious, work, employment, obvious, housing, obvious, but the sleeper is the nuclear power. I think Peter Dutton has vastly underestimated the resistance in the country to nuclear power."
Mr Bidgood, who served one term during the Rudd government in 2007 after flipping a previously safe National Party seat, added he felt "a Labor swing on", although he conceded: "Obviously I'm a Labor man and I'm going to give the Labor spin on it".
While polling has shown the party pulling ahead in recent weeks, most analysts believe a minority government is still the most likely outcome.
That has been a source of concern for many, but not all, voters.
"I think one of the other issues people need to remember is it's not just two parties, there's multiple parties and minority government's not such a bad thing as well. It gives accountability, and things like that, as long as it's used correctly," Carl says as he and Paula head inside to cast their ballots.
The 2025 Federal Election will be held on May 3.
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