“One of the highlights was up at Townsville with the diggers on Anzac Day, just having a drink with them and playing two-up.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said one of the highlights of the campaign was when he played two-up at the Townsville RSL on Anzac Day. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

Flanked by veterans and revellers, it was a rare moment of genuine voter engagement — undoubtedly Dutton’s best moment in a campaign that has failed to pick up necessary momentum.

Two days before polling day, when asked if he would have done things differently in hindsight — such as release his policies earlier — Dutton said: “We should have called out Labor’s lies earlier on.”

Political rivals offer different approaches

This week, social media feeds lit up with footage of the Coalition’s media bus stuck in the middle of Sydney’s CBD on Monday, and many Instagram users viewed it as a metaphor for the campaign: The wheels hadn’t quite fallen off, but the bus had stalled.

Labor has portrayed Dutton as a “risk” with the slogan “he’ll cut and you’ll pay”, while the Coalition asks voters: “Are you better off now than you were three years ago?”

Whether that’s true will be revealed in just a day.

Preferences from One Nation and Greens could be key

Polling suggests support for the right-wing party will be higher in 2025 than it was in 2022.

Of course, preferencing arrangements do exist between Labor and the Greens, although all parties are at pains to stress the arrangements are not “deals”.

Accountability and media accessibility

He has not unveiled Labor’s proposed permanent migration program for 2025-26.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied falling over after stumbling off the stage during a conference. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

Meanwhile, the . Critical details on how it will achieve key policies like slashing migration, cutting the public service, or building nuclear reactors remain as clear as mud.

In 2022, Labor also released its costings on the Thursday before the last election, leaving little time for voters to digest the details.

Like the Coalition in this election, Labor also released its policy costings on the Thursday before the last election, leaving little time for voters to digest the details. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

Asked on Thursday if he needed a 2019 Scott Morrison-style miracle to secure victory, Dutton was characteristically even-keeled.