Australia: Voters asked to choose between Labour's Anthony Albanese and Conservative Peter Dutton

Having led the Australian government for three years, Labor's Anthony Albanese will see his future decided by the outcome of the general election taking place this Saturday. Across the Pacific nation, from desert towns to coastal cities, Australians are being asked to choose between the camps of two veterans of national politics: the center-left Prime Minister and his conservative opponent, Peter Dutton. Anthony Albanese's Labor Party appears to be the favorite, according to the latest opinion polls.

Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (midnight in France) and will remain open until 6 p.m. local time in the various time zones across the continent. The goals of the vote: to choose the 150 members of the next legislative term of the lower house and to renew approximately half of the Senate.

Anthony Albanese, 62, has promised to expand renewable energy, tackle the housing crisis, and increase funding for the health system. Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton predicted "a lot of surprises, seat after seat," saying he "hasn't met a single Australian during this campaign who has said they are better off" than in the 2022 general election. The 54-year-old former drug squad officer says he wants to reduce immigration, tackle crime, and get rid of a ban on civil nuclear power in the country.

The election campaign was disrupted from its first days by US President Donald Trump's trade offensive: Australia, a long-time US ally, is subject to 10% US tariffs on a large portion of its goods. Some polls indicate that support for the Conservatives has waned due to the policies of Donald Trump, described as a "great thinker" by Peter Dutton earlier this year. "If I had to fight Donald Trump or any other leader to defend the interests of our nation, I would do it in a heartbeat," Peter Dutton said in April, however, reflecting a change in tone.

Anthony Albanese, for his part, condemned the US surcharges, calling them an act of "economic self-destruction" and an "unworthy gesture on the part of a friendly (country). The economy is a concern for voters, with many Australian households struggling to cope with rising prices for milk, bread, electricity, and even petrol. Both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton point to their working-class backgrounds - without having managed to name the exact price of a dozen eggs during a televised debate.

Voters in Australia, a coal-producing giant, are also deciding between two leaders with contrasting visions on climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Anthony Albanese's Labor government has promised to make Australia a renewable energy superpower, even as it has granted permits for new mining projects and subsidies to polluting industries.

Peter Dutton, on the other hand, proposes building seven nuclear reactors for $200 billion and simultaneously moving away from renewable energy. The election also hinges on whether the winning camp will secure a majority or not, at the risk of having to contend with minority parties. Voters' growing disinterest in the two major parties has emboldened independent parties calling for greater transparency and climate action.