Leaders' debate: Albanese wins as cost of living dominates forum — as it happened

Thanks for joining us for another day on the election campaign and the first leaders' debate.

We will be back tomorrow to bring you all the latest as the leaders hit the road for another day on the hustings.

In the meantime, you can check out the rest of today's online coverage at our Australia Votes page and you can try out the ABC's Vote Compass tool, to see how you align with the political parties.

Catch ya on the flip side!

• Cost of living was a key theme. When asked to consider adopting the Coalition's 50 per cent fuel excise, Anthony Albanese said the opposition's policy was only a temporary measure lasting for 12 months. Peter Dutton said a Coalition government would reassess whether to extend its promised fuel excise after 12 months.

• The pair were also asked about the rising cost of visiting a GP. Albanese whipped out his Medicare card (insisting it's the only card Aussies should need) while Dutton questioned the audience member if she also had to use her credit card. She responded yes. 

• Dutton was asked how he will ensure discussion about migration avoided "demonising migrants". He said migrants make Australia a "greater country", and but says we need a "well-managed" immigration program.

• Asked about foreign buyers, Dutton spruiked the Coalition plan to ban foreign buyers. Albanese responded by saying that was already in place.

• In response to a question about improving solar panel rebates, Albanese launches into a spiel about Labor's plan to subsidise home batteries for rooftop solar. Dutton said the Coalition "strongly supported" rooftop solar, then criticises Labor's plan as a "subsidy for people on higher incomes".

• Dutton blamed a Labor scare campaign as the reason why the Coalition dumped its plan to force public servants back into the office. He says the Coalition never had a problem with flexible working arrangements in the private sector.

• When asked why Labor promised tax cuts for everyone instead of those struggling the most, Albanese said Labor will lower the bottom marginal tax rate by a cent over the next term if re-elected.

Dutton wins, but just. He showed he isn't the thug portrayed by the Labor party. He has a vision for Australia including nuclear power.

- Mark

Dutton never really told people how he was going to help with cost of living or any of his policies, like all coalition governments, all talk no action. I reckon Albo got this one.

- Callan

I thought Dutton was articulate in his responses and made sense. Albanese’s answers were stories about nothing and he didn’t make any cohesive points.

- Steve

Peter Dutton's father was taken to hospital, just hours before the opposition leader was due to face-off against Anthony Albanese in the first leaders' debate of the election campaign.

Bruce Dutton suffered a medical emergency earlier today and is in hospital in stable condition.

Dutton went into partnership with his father on business and property investments, and has often cited him as a guiding light behind his values on hard-work, which ultimately led the Liberal leader into a career in politics.

I think Albanese won the debate, was more convincing and found Dutton tried to blame Labour rather than tell what Liberals would do to change current status if elected.

- Ian

Dutton was well spoken but really did not say much about what he plans to do. Really felt like he spent more time talking and was given longer to answer than Albanese was. Be good to compare the total time allowed for each candidate.

- Greg

Albo wins this one and pointed to his actions whilst in office and his plan for the future. Dutton spoke a lot about the current problems but couldn't offer any tangible policies to fix them.

- Peter

... but we want to know who you think won the debate. Let us know by using the big yellow button at the top of the blog.

The debate is over and Sky has declared Anthony Albanese the winner of the first leaders debate.

The undecided voters are now getting up from their seats — in a moment they will walk out and cast a vote on who they found most convincing, or whether they remain undecided.

A few are standing in small circles chatting, while Dutton and Albanese continue to move through the crowd speaking to them.

Albanese spent some time speaking to a young woman who asked about solar rebates, and then taking selfies with audience members who approached.

Dutton shook the hands of a number of audience members and spoke with them briefly, with some also approaching for selfies.

The mood is generally pretty positive and friendly.

If there was a sound emanating from the end of the debate, it was likely the collective sigh of relief from Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.

Both landed their respective planes without neither any major stumbles.

The debate largely played out on well-worn political territory for both leaders.

But there was a noticeable omission from the debate — Donald Trump.

While the US president has dominated the first week of the campaign, besides the first question, he didn't get another reference.

It was a largely polite debate in tone but there were no shortage of accusations of lying.

Albanese accused Dutton of lying by suggesting Labor was the biggest spending government in four decades.

The opposition leader levelled the same accusations at the prime minister over his accusations the former Coalition government implemented cuts to health and education funding.

Without any major knockout blows, the campaign carries on in largely the same state as it was before the debate.

Anthony Albanese thanks attendees for their questions this evening. He concludes by reminding voters of Labor's cost-of-living measures.

But he acknowledges there is still "more to do".

"I know that in this uncertain time with what's going on in the world, now's not the time to make cuts," he says.

Peter Dutton begins by making mention to those in the audience who put their hand up when asked if they were struggling with the cost-of-living.

"It was confronting to see," he says.

He argues voters should return the Coalition to the government benches because it can "deal with the cost-of-living crisis more effectively".

We're almost there folks. But what is a debate without a lightening round?

On health: Peter Dutton says there will be no cuts.

Asked about AUKUS, Anthony Albanese says he's always been on board.

Dutton is given one last chance on work-from-home. He rules out any changes.

Will Albanese legislate the Voice after the failed referendum? "No, we respect the decision".

But what about the Greens? Both leaders ruled out a deal with the minor party.

We are up to our final question of the night!

The questioner has asked why are there tax cuts for everyone and not just targeted to those who need it more, for a better cost of living.

"To put really clearly, there were tax cuts legislated under the former government, they went primarily, I would've got $9,000, so would Peter, instead we got $4,500 and we gave it to everyone, by lowering that bottom marginal tax rate," Anthony Albanese says.

"What we have done is we will lower it by a cent and then a further cent over the next term of government.

Anthony Albanese has also been given a chance to respond. He makes reference to a visit to a family yesterday who had benefited from working from home policies.

"The truth is that public sector work conditions often then flow through to the private sector," he says.

"The truth is as well, that every public servant isn't in Canberra, they're all around Australia, helping people in Centrelink officers around here helping people with assistance right around the entire country."

Kieran Gilbert interjects to asks Peter Dutton why he dumped his plan to force public servants back into the office.

ICYMI: The opposition leader walked away from the policy yesterday and fronted up to morning television to apologise for the proposal and admit he'd made a mistake.

Dutton says a Labor scare-campaign resulted in the policy being junked.

"[He] wanted people to believe that it was applied across the economy and it was going to affect every workplace, which was never the policy at all," he says.

He says that the Coalition never had any issue with flexible working arrangements in the private sector -- just for Canberra based workers.

It begins with a reminder from moderator Kieran Gilbert for the leaders to keep their answers tight.

Anthony Albanese answers this one. It's basically a list of Labor's measures that apply to people no matter where they live (childcare, Medicare, schools funding deal) but he points to the money funneled into a program to help local councils fix up roads.

Peter Dutton is up next. He's says the Coalition has "strongly supported" rooftop solar, noting people have installed the panels as a way of lowering their power bills.

The opposition leader pivots to focusing in on Labor's $2.3b promise to discount the cost of a home battery. Dutton takes aim at how the policy is set up.

"He's asking you to provide a subsidy, or to support a subsidy for people on higher incomes, like me, to buy a battery at a subsidized price. And I don't believe that's fair," he says.

Anthony Albanese says the perception that solar panels are an "inner-city thing" is "completely wrong".

He says the rate of solar panels on roofs in Blacktown, in Sydney's west, is "10 times the rate in Bondi".

"What we don't have enough of is batteries to make sure that the power can be absorbed, if you like, when the sun's shining and then it can roll out and be used during peak periods," he says.

The PM then launches into a spiel about Labor's plan for home batters, which if you're interest in reading more about Tom Lowrey has you covered at the link below.

Albanese is up now to answer the question.

He says the two year ban on foreign buyers purchasing existing house stock is already in place under his government.

"In order to ensure homes are available for Australians."

"We want to increase the supply of homes, that is absolutely central to a range of policies we have put in place, whether that be private rentals, whether that be public and social housing where I grew up or whether it be home ownership as well."

The next questioner has asked what both the federal government and the Coalition will do to make sure that Australians are able to be buy homes, before people who aren't from Australia do.

Dutton is up first to answer this.

"We have announced as part of our housing policy, not just the $5 billion to create the 500,000 new homes, not just a cut to migration so we can get Australian kids into housing but also a two year ban on foreign buyers from purchasing existing house stock here."

"That's because I don't want foreign buyers competing against young Australians at auctions or at the sale of the house that they got their mind on."