With the 2025 Australian federal election campaign well and truly underway, there are two upcoming televised debates between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton fast approaching in April.
This month, ahead of Australians going to the polls on 3 May, the Labor and Coalition leaders will answer questions from a crowd of 100 undecided voters, before facing off against one another in a more conventional debate.
Here’s what you need to know.
When will the Albanese v Dutton events be held?
Albanese and Dutton will first present their competing visions for Australia’s future on the evening of Tuesday, 8 April, from 7:30pm.
As they did during the 2022 campaign, the prime minister and Opposition leader will participate in a ‘people’s forum’, hosted by Sky News and The Daily Telegraph.
Held in Western Sydney, the two leaders will face questions from 100 undecided New South Wales voters. It will be moderated by Sky News’ chief news anchor Kieran Gilbert.
The event will be broadcast live on the Sky News channel, Sky News website or Daily Telegraph website. To watch, audiences will require a subscription to either Sky News or the Daily Telegraph.
SBS News will also be live-blogging the debate on Tuesday night.
Just over a week later, the ABC will host the first free-to-air leaders’ debate from its studios in Parramatta on the evening of Wednesday, 16 April at 8pm.
For that one, the ABC will be choosing the topics and questions, and it will be moderated by Insiders host David Speers. Each leader will make opening and closing statements and will have equal time to respond to questions.
That debate will be broadcast live on ABC TV, iview and ABC radio.
Are any other debates planned?
On 9 April — the day after Albanese and Dutton’s first debate — Sky News will host a debate between Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Opposition treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor.
As for Albanese and Dutton, the Labor and Liberal campaigns are reportedly in discussions for multiple additional debates. Dutton has said the Coalition offered Labor four debates in the lead-up to the 3 May election.
There were three leader debates held during the 2022 federal election.
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