Canberra [Australia], May 3 (ANI): Australians are set to make a crucial choice this Saturday as they head to the polls in a tightly contested federal election, with the nation's key issues focusing on housing, energy, and the economy, according to Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labour Party holds a slight lead over the conservative Liberal-National Coalition, led by Peter Dutton, in the campaign.

Opinion polls from YouGov suggested Albanese's Labour Party was leading Dutton's coalition by a narrow margin in the two-party preferred vote as of Wednesday. The projected vote share for Labour is 31.4 per cent and for the Coalition 31.1 per cent, Al Jazeera reported.

More than 18 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots at over 7,000 polling stations between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm today. Voting is mandatory for all citizens aged 18 and above, and failure to participate without a valid reason carries a fine of USD 12.75. The election uses Australia's preferential voting system and is held every three years.

With housing affordability and inflation dominating the elections, both major parties have made last-minute pitches to sway the voters. Albanese promised reforms such as reduced student debt, lower taxes, and home ownership support, urging citizens to 'keep building Australia's future together.'

Sharing a post on X, Albanese wrote, 'Vote Labor today for 5% deposits for first home buyers. Vote Labor for 20% off all student debt. Vote Labor for lower taxes. Vote Labor to keep building Australia's future together.'

https://x.com/AlboMP/status/1918463403561238803

In response, Dutton pledged economic recovery and a renewed national direction, emphasising a plan to 'get our economy and our country back on track.'

'With your vote we will deliver a plan that gets our economy and our country back on track,' Dutton wrote on X.

https://x.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1918473319017332898

https://x.com/PeterDutton_MP/status/1918449395798032710

Notably, rising prices have put pressure on households across the nation. Inflation peaked at 7.8 per cent in 2023, prompting the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise interest rates multiple times, reaching a 4.35 per cent high in November.

Housing also remains the central issue. In Sydney, the median house price is now USD 900,000, requiring an annual household income of USD 180,000 to afford it. The city ranks as the world's second least affordable, intensifying voter frustration.

Australian politicians also face growing calls from voters, especially from younger age groups, to do more to transition to clean energy. A 2023 survey by the independent nonprofit Energy Consumers Australia suggested that about half of Australians aged 18 to 34 want Australia to be powered by renewables by 2030. Both major parties agree that the transition is needed, but the methods to achieve this transition are what divides them, Al Jazeera reported.

Just days after a Canadian election shaped by questions over who could best navigate relations with US President Donald Trump, his influence is also set to impact Australia.

Foreign policy and the nation's ties with the United States will also likely play a role in voters' decisions. A preview of the 2025 Lowy Institute Poll indicates that Australians' trust in the United States has fallen significantly since Trump's inauguration as the 47th president.

The Lowy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan international policy think tank located in Sydney, Australia.

Released on April 16, the poll shows Australians' trust in the United States to act responsibly dropped by 20 points since 2024, with only 36 per cent of the public expressing any level of trust -- a new low in the Lowy Institute Poll's two-decade history.

These findings may shape how voters assess the leadership qualities of the candidates. Forty-one per cent of respondents said Albanese would be more competent at handling Australian foreign policy, compared with 29 per cent who said Dutton would be better.

Australians are evenly split on whether Anthony Albanese (34 per cent) or Peter Dutton (35 per cent) would be better at managing the relationship with the United States and President Trump.

The poll also revealed that Australians overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump's policies to annex Greenland (89 per cent disapprove) as well as his use of tariffs to pressure countries to comply with his demands (81 per cent).

Three-quarters of Australians disapprove of the United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change (74 per cent), and Trump's attempts to negotiate a deal on Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin (74 per cent). (ANI)