Election costings come too late for millions of early voters
Labor and Coalition policy costings were released after more than 31% of Australians had already voted. Economists and transparency advocates want the rules changed.
Millions of Australians cast their votes in the 2025 federal election without having seen the full costings of election promises from either Labor or the Coalition.
By the close of Monday 28 April — the day Labor released its costings — 17.3% of the population had already voted via pre-poll. When the Coalition released its figures on Thursday that same week, 31.4% had voted.
“The current timing and process for releasing political party costings leave many Australians voting — especially with record numbers of pre-poll voters — without a clear understanding of the budget implications of the policies they are being asked to vote on,” Transparency International Australia CEO Clancy Moore told Capital Brief.
“With the increases and impact of misinformation and disinformation in elections, Australians deserve timely and transparent access to policy costings — before they cast their vote,” he said.
