Australian Democrats
See how we've assessed them for all policy statements included in the Build a Ballot tool. Want to suggest a revision? Send us an email at tool@buildaballot.org.au
Statement
Evidence
Score
Introduce a tax on the excess profits of large corporations (e.g. on banks, gas companies)
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support introducing “a 20% super profits tax on non-renewable resource extraction” and using “the revenue to transition the national power grid to renewable energy.”
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/cost-of-living-and-a-fair-economy/
Introduce short-term price caps (e.g. on rent and gas prices)
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being unsupportive of short-term price caps, stating: “The Australian Democrats argue that the evidence is not clear on how this would work.”
Support a significant reduction of individuals employed by the public service
Type: Website / Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being unsupportive of cutting public service jobs, noting that successive Federal Governments have pushed for “efficiency dividends” from the public service, but this has primarily resulted in more work being outsourced to the Big Four consulting and auditing firms.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/consultants-return-on-donation-investment/
Prevent big companies from controlling the market and limiting consumer choice (e.g. supermarkets)
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support reforming regulations around corporate competition, with their policy platform outlining a plan to adopt Allan Fels’ recommendations to empower the ACCC, and the development of a mandatory grocery code of conduct for the food and grocery sector and a price register for farmers.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/cost-of-living-and-a-fair-economy/
Phase out tax concessions for property investors (e.g. negative gearing or capital gains tax discount)
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support reducing the capital gains tax discount from 50% to 25%.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/cost-of-living-and-a-fair-economy/
Incentivise state/territory government to increase renter rights and protections
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support incentivising state and territory governments to increase renter rights and protections, including: “Reforming tenants’ rights, ending unfair evictions and rent increases tied to increases in the median wage” and plans to “Raise rent assistance by 40%, indexed in future to changes in rents so its value is maintained, as recommended by the Henry Tax Review.”
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/more-affordable-housing/
Increase investment in public and community housing
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing investments in public and community housing, with their policy platform outlining a plan to “Invest in social housing for people at greatest risk of long-term homelessness”, “Invest in safe, permanent, and supported housing, for people who have been homeless, medium to long term”, and “Fund transition housing for people in crisis situations such as family violence”. In addition, they plan to work with state governments to reform building regulations and incentivise land use and development around medium-density housing.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/more-affordable-housing/
Allow first home-buyers to access their super to help purchase their first home
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being unsupportive of allowing first-home buyers to access their super to help purchase their first home.
Incentivise state/territory governments to increase housing supply
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of expanding federal incentives for state and territory-led reforms to increase housing supply, with plans including: “working with state governments to set building regulations that can lower building costs but meet higher standards for net-zero emissions”, “incentivising supply of housing in inner and middle suburbs and increasing density and diversity of housing types, with measures including land use planning amendments”, “encouraging consolidation of land parcels”, and “the states to audit existing urban areas for potential medium-density housing opportunities”.
Help first-home buyers with shared equity programs that would allow participants to co-purchase a home with the government
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as having no platform on shared equity programs, stating: “State and federal governments are already doing this.”
Introduce energy bill rebates
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being unsupportive of energy bill rebates, stating: “It would be more useful to encourage renewable energy which will have longstanding energy bill benefits”.
Increase financial support for energy efficiency upgrades
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing federal incentives for home and business electrification, solar, battery storage, and energy efficiency upgrades, with details around solar and battery storage for schools, social housing, and battery incentives for households, along with other policies, available on their website.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/adapting-to-climate-change-2/
Increase funding for community batteries that increase access to solar
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing federal incentives for community batteries and battery deployment at strategic substations and locations.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/adapting-to-climate-change-2/
Strengthen regulations to prevent price-gouging by energy companies
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support giving regulators more power to prevent price-gouging, with their policy platform outlining a plan to adopt Allan Fels’ recommendations to empower the ACCC.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/cost-of-living-and-a-fair-economy/
Make university free
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats do not support wiping all student debt and making university free, though they do support other amendments to higher education, including university funding levels and reducing tuition fees.
Cut a portion of existing student debt
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of cutting a portion of existing student debt (at least 15%).
Support more fee-free TAFE places
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of increasing funding for states and territories to provide additional fee-free TAFE places.
Increase funding for public schools
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing federal funding towards the Schooling Resource Standard, with their policy platform outlining a plan to: “Deliver 100 percent of the Schooling Resource Standard funding”.
Increase funding for and access to childcare subsidies
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing funding for and access to childcare subsidies, with their policy platform outlining a plan to fund a model delivering “universal access to quality, culturally safe and inclusive early childhood education and care”.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/early-childhood-education-and-care/
Stop fossil fuel project approvals and expansions
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support strengthening national environment laws to stop fossil fuel projects and expansions, outlining a plan to “Stop subsidising the fossil fuel industry and stop authorising new coal and gas mines”.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/2025-platforms/climate-environment-waste/the-environment/
Accelerate the rollout of renewable energy projects
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of a renewable energy target of 80-94% by 2030.
Strengthen policies that ensure Australia’s biggest polluters genuinely cut their emissions
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of strengthening existing policies to reduce emissions from Australia’s polluters.
Increase investment in preventative health programs
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support investing in health prevention programs, with their policy platform outlining a plan to: “Invest in public health interventions to reduce chronic diseases caused by smoking, poor nutrition, low levels of physical activity, and obesity.“
Make GP visits free or more affordable by increasing bulk billing incentives
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of an increase to bulk-billing incentives of between $5-15bn.
Increase funding to train, attract, and retain more healthcare professionals, especially in regional areas
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing funding for training, attracting, and retaining healthcare professionals, with their policy platform outlining a plan to: “Address medical workforce shortages, especially GPs and doctors in rural areas, and increase rebates for longer consultations to improve the quality of care.”
Increase funding for dental and mental health
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing funding for dental care, with their policy platform outlining a plan to: “Extend the dental health programs for pensioners and children, starting with universal preventative dental care and incrementally moving towards universal dental health services.”
Expand subsidies to make more prescription medicines cheaper
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as not having a position on PBS subsidies, stating: “We don't have a position on this, but the government has frozen payments and is providing some patients with 60 day prescriptions.”
Increase investment in large-scale renewable energy and storage
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support increasing public and incentivising private investments in large scale renewable energy, storage, and grid infrastructure, with their policy platform outlining a plan to: reduce emissions by 55% by 2030, decarbonise this decade, stop fossil fuel subsidies, and electrify everything.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/adapting-to-climate-change-2/
Require multinational gas companies to prioritise domestic supply, without supporting the approval of new gas projects
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of a gas reservation scheme in principle, stating though that “the effort must be on electrification for the long term”.
Invest in nuclear power as a future energy source, while extending the life of coal power and increasing gas use in the interim
Type: Website / Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being unsupportive of nuclear power, noting that “The Democrats were successful in legislating a ban on nuclear power in Australia, part of the EPBC legislation in 1999.”
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/nuclear-weapons-and-power/
Improve access to government-held information about government policies and decisions
Type: Statement / Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of increasing funding for the FOI system and introducing statutory timeframes for review, alongside a host of other reforms to the FOI system which can be found on their website.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/freedom-of-information/
Protect the ABC and SBS’s independence and funding
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of increasing or maintaining funding, as well as implementing reforms for funding certainty, stating: “The Australian Democrats have always stood up for the independence and integrity of the ABC and will continue to advocate for the protection and proper funding of this national icon.”
Require all lobbyists that meet with politicians to be publicly disclosed
Type: Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of banning all in-person lobbying at Parliament House, limiting lobbying to non-sitting times and forcing lobbyists to register and be escorted throughout Parliament House. They also support imposing significant penalties for ministers and government representatives who become lobbyists within three years after leaving Parliament.
Make public transport more frequent and reliable
Type: Statement / Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of incentivising state and territory governments to improve shared and public transport options, including by investing in public transport systems, electric buses, inter-city trains, and electric-hybrid aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/2025-platforms/science-technology/transport/
Improve bike paths and footpaths to encourage active transport
Type: Website
Summary: The Australian Democrats support incentivising state and territory governments to improve bike paths and footpaths, with their policy platform supporting “the 2-wheel strategy with more off-road bike lanes and shared walkways”.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/2025-platforms/science-technology/transport/
Increase access and affordability of electric and low-emissions vehicles
Type: Website / Statement
Summary: The Australian Democrats responded to our survey as being supportive of strengthening the effectiveness of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard.
Source: https://www.democrats.org.au/at-last-some-action-on-evs-but-still-too-slow/
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