Anthony Albanese has at last called the federal election for May 3 after a long false election campaign since Christmas. I'm not interested in who you think will win the election, but I am interested in what issues you think are most important and who is in the best position to address them.

Labor is running on increases of spending in a number of areas, particularly medicine, and a tax cut as well as addressing cost of living pressures through energy subsidies. They also cite their economic credentials.

Liberals are running on making energy cheaper without subsidies, and a promise to be fiscally more responsible.

We also need to assess the Greens and the Teals because either or both of these may in effect be part of the new government as a minority government looks to be the most likely. Two teals - Allegra Spender and Kate Chaney - have actually called for tax reform.

The Greens want a complete phaseout of fossil fuels.

My list of important issues are:

Housing affordability
Immigration
Productivity
Defence
Rebuilding our finances
Free speech and an open society
Education

I'm concerned that no political party has had the balls to truthfully address the tax structure in our country. Any attempt at any meaningful reform is jumped upon by the opposing party and painted as a disaster of almost biblical proportions.

I'm deeply, deeply concerned by the behavior of politicians. All of them are liars and hypocrites. No wonder so many people disengage from politics and say "They're all the same. Whoever you vote for, a politician gets elected. And ... How can you tell they're lying? Their lips are moving."

And I'm concerned that none of our politicians have called out the absurdity of the AUKUS deal And none of our politicians have directly called out the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Netanyahu government. I'm sick of how they have allowed criticism of Zionism to be equated with antisemitism.

Well Graham your question on our opinion of what are the major points
opens a real can of worms.

I think this saying I have heard a number of times is just too true;

" Electricity IS the Economy !"
If we do not get this right in the next couple of years then
our economy will take an unmanageable dive.
Labour has made some tentative changes such as paying the coal station
owners to keep on line.
That whole plan of wind and solar has no chance of success.
The Green hydrogen projects have all been abandoned for the reasons
given when it was first proposed in the 19th century.
Labour has abandoned the 2030 emission target.
The big bite they just have to make is to sack Chris Bowen and his
plan for a 100% renewables system. I see no signs of this.
I doubt the Greens will allow a big increase in gas.

Immigration of course plays a significant role, but must be reduced.
Can't think of more important factors.

Hi Aries54

"And I'm concerned that none of our politicians have called out the absurdity of the AUKUS deal And none of our politicians have directly called out the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Netanyahu government. I'm sick of how they have allowed criticism of Zionism to be equated with antisemitism." THE GREENS are the only political party doing what you have called for.

Everyone has their own "issue" they believe the government should be solving, just for them. All any government can do is work within the confines of the established political system, and tinker around the edges to effect some kind of minimal change. Wake up May 4th and nothing meaningful will have changed, there will be some rearrangement of the deck chairs, but the ship will still be slowly sinking.

Hi Paul

I’m disappointed but I must agree with you. We will all wake up on 4th May and no matter what, nothing will have changed. All the issues GY lists (and I’m sure everyone else’s list of issues too) are simply tinkering around the edges. The fundamental mess politics has descended into, will remain unchanged.

On Housing affordability, Immigration, Productivity ,Rebuilding our finances - economic matters - the big killer of the economy is the cost of government in Australia, no matter which of the two major parties is in power.

On Defence: well, that's a joke in Australia.

On free speech and an open society : another joke.

On education: that's been replaced with indoctrination.

I don't think much will change irrespective of which party gets to screw us over after May 3rd.

Morrison and Turnbull wrecked the Coalition, converting it to Labor-lite, and the only thing going for them is the dreadful Anthony Albanese, who for three years has been an absolute idiot, and has deliberately fomented dissent and division right from the time of his racist Voice referendum.

While we don't know what Dutton would be like, we do know what Albanese has been like. As someone said, “If you're better off than you were three years ago after Albanese, you're probably an illegal immigrant from Gaza".