National Party
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)
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Introduce short-term price caps (e.g. on rent and gas prices)
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Support a significant reduction of individuals employed by the public service
Type: Website / Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan for a reduction of 41,000 public service jobs, via a combination of a hiring freeze and “natural attrition”. After five years’ time, this will represent an estimated saving of $7 billion per year. No details exist on which jobs will be lost.
Source: https://www.liberal.org.au/2025/03/27/budget-in-reply
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-06/coalition-abandon-work-from-home-41000-jobs/105144090
Prevent big companies from controlling the market and limiting consumer choice (e.g. supermarkets)
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan to provide the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with the power to divest major supermarket and hardware chains when anti-competitive behaviour occurs.
Phase out tax concessions for property investors (e.g. negative gearing or capital gains tax discount)
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) do not support changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax concession.
Incentivise state/territory government to increase renter rights and protections
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Increase investment in public and community housing
Type: Media Quote / Website
Summary: No policy or media statements related to public and community housing could be found. The Nationals (Coalition) have promised to repeal Labor’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund if elected, noting this in their budget reply.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-14/labor-social-housing-fund-makes-investment-return/104934262
Allow first home-buyers to access their super to help purchase their first home
Type: Website
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) support a plan to allow first-home buyers to access up to $50,000 of their super. This money will need to be returned to their individual’s super when the house is sold.
Source: https://www.nationalsplan.org.au/our-plan/affordable-housing
Incentivise state/territory governments to increase housing supply
Type: Website / Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan to invest $5 billion to fund water, power, access roads, and sewerage infrastructure at housing development sites.
Master Builders Australia support the policy, saying it will positively impact build times and costs.
Source: https://www.nationalsplan.org.au/our-plan/affordable-housing
Help first-home buyers with shared equity programs that would allow participants to co-purchase a home with the government
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Introduce energy bill rebates
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan to match the current Labor Government’s commitment to an electricity bill rebate of $150 per quarter from July 2025 until the end of the year.
Increase financial support for energy efficiency upgrades
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Increase funding for community batteries that increase access to solar
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Strengthen regulations to prevent price-gouging by energy companies
Notes: Though the Nationals (Coalition) plan to provide the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with powers to prevent anti-competitive behaviour (like price-gouging), this has been noted in the context of supermarkets and hardware chains – not energy companies.
Make university free
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Cut a portion of existing student debt
Type: Media Quote
The Nationals (Coalition) have opposed Labor’s plan of a 20% reduction of existing student debts.
Support more fee-free TAFE places
Type: Voting Record
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) do not support fee-free TAFE places.
Source: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd2425/25bd032
Increase funding for public schools
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) have agreed to match Labor’s school funding agreements “dollar for dollar”.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/24/australia-school-funding-deal-srs-2034
Increase funding for and access to childcare subsidies
Type: Website / Voting Record
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) did not support Labor’s subsidised childcare legislation when it was passed in February, 2025. Details on proposed improvements to childcare in the Nationals’ policy plan do not have any funding commitments attached to them.
Stop fossil fuel project approvals and expansions
Type: Website / Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals’ (Coalition) plan involves “ramping-up domestic gas production”. They plan to “Unlock more Australian gas…”, with Peter Dutton saying “A Dutton coalition government will be the best friend that the mining and resources sector in Australia will ever have.”
Source: https://www.nationalsplan.org.au/our-plan/cheaper-energy
Accelerate the rollout of renewable energy projects
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals’ (Coalition) energy plan would cap renewable energy at 54% of the grid by 2050. This would see coal-fired power stations running for longer into the future.
Strengthen policies that ensure Australia’s biggest polluters genuinely cut their emissions
Type: Media Quote / Website
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan to include gas in the Capacity Investment Scheme to support new gas capacity, which will weaken a renewable energy policy and increase emissions.
Source:
Increase investment in preventative health programs
Type: Website
Summary: While the Nationals (Coalition) plan to permanently double the number of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20, and also plan to assign $400 million of additional funding for youth mental health services, their policies for health prevention programs do not go beyond mental health - as we would expect from a major party.
Source: https://www.liberal.org.au/2025/03/27/budget-in-reply
Make GP visits free or more affordable by increasing bulk billing incentives
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) have promised to match Labor’s announcement of $8.5 billion in Medicare funding to increase bulk billing rates until 2030.
Increase funding to train, attract, and retain more healthcare professionals, especially in regional areas
Type: Website
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan to "support regional health worker attraction, recruitment and retention initiatives” and introduce incentive payments, entitlements, and training support to increase the number of GPs.
Source: https://www.nationalsplan.org.au
Increase funding for dental and mental health
Type: Website
Summary: There is no mention of dental care in the Nationals’ (Coalition) policies, however they have committed to permanently double the number of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20.
Source: https://www.nationalsplan.org.au
Expand subsidies to make more prescription medicines cheaper
Type: Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) have committed to match Labor’s cut to the PBS co-payment, bringing it down to $25.
Increase investment in large-scale renewable energy and storage
Type: Website
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) have no policy on battery storage or grid infrastructure investment. They intend to “deliver a balanced energy mix, with more renewables” but no funding commitment is provided, and given the Coalition expect renewables to be capped at 54% by 2050, this policy is not considered to constitute a meaningful increase or investment.
Require multinational gas companies to prioritise domestic supply, without supporting the approval of new gas projects
Type: Website / Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) have announced a gas reservation policy, but are in support of enabling new gas projects.
Source: https://www.liberal.org.au/2025/03/27/budget-in-reply
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 / Media Quote
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) plan to invest in nuclear power, with seven nuclear plants planned for construction. This policy will extend the life of existing coal power plants.
Source:
Improve access to government-held information about government policies and decisions
Type: Media Quote
Summary: Reporting suggests that the Nationals (Coalition) are aligned with Labor, with no announced policy or evidence suggesting plans to reform the FOI system.
Protect the ABC and SBS’s independence and funding
Type: Media Quote
Summary: Peter Dutton has said he will not rule out funding cuts to the ABC. The Nationals (Coalition) have made no public commitment to maintaining existing funding for both broadcasters.
Require all lobbyists that meet with politicians to be publicly disclosed
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Make public transport more frequent and reliable
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Improve bike paths and footpaths to encourage active transport
We could not find evidence to suggest The Nationals support this policy.
Increase access and affordability of electric and low-emissions vehicles
Type: Media Quote / Voting Record
Summary: The Nationals (Coalition) voted against the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. When asked whether the Liberals would repeal the policy, Peter Dutton responded: “We’ve stated our position in relation to it already, and I believe it’s the wrong policy for our country.”
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