Australia federal election 2025: Polls open as cost of living, housing top voters’ concerns

Finbar O’Mallon
Reporting from Melbourne

I’m in the seat of Wills, in Melbourne’s inner north. Here, Tash Clough is hosting a garage sale to take advantage of the nearby polling booth.

Clough, 29, said she’s nervous about the election: “Some of the commentary, particularly what the more right-leaning parties are saying, makes me scared, especially after what’s happening in America.”

She’s also concerned about Labor incumbent Peter Khalil’s seeming lack of criticism of Israel in the war in Gaza.

“I just don’t know why they’re [the government] not condemning it, it’s very clear what’s happening there,” Clough said.

Wills candidate for the left-wing party the Greens, Samantha Ratnam, is looking to capitalise on that anger.

At Brunswick East Primary School, where Ratnam’s party got almost one in two votes at the last election, Annie Gehling, 43, was helping raise money for the school by selling jams, plants and baked treats.

The big issues in Wills?

“I would say the big issues include: housing crisis, the cost of living — it’s super important to people,” Gehling said. “And climate action.”