Federal Elections 2025
We at Eastsider News have set up this page in the hope we can contribute to an informed debate around the issues that will influence how electors vote in the upcoming Federal election. We see an informed vote as basic to the health and vibrancy of our democracy. On this page, we give general information about the election.
The linked page here contains articles on a variety of topics of relevance to the election.
The following linked pages here will give information about the candidates that have nominated for:
Please note that views expressed here or elsewhere in Eastsider News by individual writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors, Independent Community News Group Incorporated, or any other organisation.
To follow the discussion on policies go here.
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The 2025 Australian federal election must be held on or before 17 May 2025.
All seats of the House of Representatives (150 compared to 151 in the previous election) and 40 of the 76 seats in the Senate will be contested.
Victoria underwent a redistribution because the number of members of the House of Representatives it was entitled to decreased from 39 to 38. The boundaries of 34 federal electoral divisions have been altered and the former Division of Higgins has been abolished. Voters who previously lived in the Division of Higgins have been allocated to the surrounding Divisions of Chisholm, Hotham, Kooyong, Macnamara and Melbourne
Australian federal elections use a preferential voting system where voters are required to mark a preference for every candidate on the green ballot paper (House of Representatives); or mark a preference for a designated number of preferences on the white ballot paper (Senate).
Recent electoral reforms
Electoral reforms recently passed in the Federal Parliament include changes in the Electoral Legislation Amendment Act with respect to funding and disclosure and modernisation of some election processes.
The changes with respect to funding and disclosure will not come into effect until 1 July 2026. They include reducing the disclosure threshold to $5,000; introducing expedited disclosure of donations; and introducing donation and expenditure caps.
Amendments to provide improvements for voters with a disability, strengthen the appropriate regulation of conduct at polling places, and modernise the availability of public inspection documents related to elections and referendums commenced on 21 February 2025.
A Special Edition of Eastsider News
The team at Eastsider News is planning to publish a Special Edition devoted to the 2025 Federal Election. This will be posted on our website later in April and will include statements from candidates and articles on political issues of relevance to the election. We plan to send invitation to all candidates who have nominated with the Australian Electoral Commission.
We hope that all candidates who nominate for the Deakin, Kooyong, Chisholm and Menzies electorates will take up our offer to be part of the special April edition. The information we would ask each candidate to provide includes
- details about their nomination including full name, the name and address that has been registered with and authorised by the Australian Electoral Commission, the electorate for which they have nominated and their political affiliation or status;
- a contribution of 250 to 400 words that gives responses to the three questions listed below and a brief comment on the matters our readers have nominated as important; and
- a stand alone jpeg head shot photo.
The three questions we ask the candidates to address are:
- Why are you standing for Federal parliament?
- How will you make a difference?
- What are your key interests or issues?
Disclaimer
Eastsider News is a means by which people in Whitehorse, Boroondara and adjacent areas including Manningham and Monash can share information, opinions and experiences. A spread of interests and views that reflects the diversity of people in the area is encouraged, but views expressed in Eastsider News by individual writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors, Independent Community News Group Incorporated, or any other organisation.
Copyright © 2024. Copyright rests equally with the named authors and Independent Community News Group Incorporated. All rights are reserved but, consistent with the community spirit of the venture, a Commons approach to reproducing material is taken on the understanding that it is accompanied by an attribution which refers to both Eastsider News and the author, and a copy of the reproduction is sent to eastsidernews1@gmail.com.
Responsibility for material related to elections is taken by named authors and Independent Community News Group Incorporated. We accept advertising in good faith, but readers need to apply caveat emptor.