Will this be the cost-of-living election?
You have probably heard the term 'cost-of-living election'. An ANU expert explains what this means.
Article by:
Hannah Dixon
Contributing writer
Elections are often described using one defining issue. Dr Jill Sheppard from the ANU School of Politics and International Relations is confident that 2025 will be about cost of living.
“Once you start thinking about cost-of-living, it’s confirmed for you everywhere,” she says.
“Everything feels more expensive. And no matter how much data you get shown that tells you otherwise, it’s already in your brain and you can’t turn off that connection.”
So, will we keep hearing politicians talking about your rising grocery bills? And will it change the results at the ballot box?
Both major parties have a campaigning sweet spot that mean talking about cost-of-living works in their interest. After all, it’s the economy, stupid.
Top image: Cost-of-living pressures at the grocery till may influence this election. Photo: Pormezz/stock.adobe
You may also like
Understanding national security through the eyes of Australians
National security is inseparable from the unique character and identity of the nation being secured. So what does Australian national security look like?
Democracy Sausage: Fifty years on from the Dismissal
In this special live recording from the 2025 Whitlam Symposium, Mark hosts a star-studded panel discussing the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal.
Democracy Sausage: The vista of the new
Political journalist and author Troy Bramston joins Democracy Sausage to discuss his new biography of Gough Whitlam and asks how a government could be so transformative yet so chaotic.