Federal election 2025 debate recap: Albanese, Dutton's strongest and weakest moment in battle for votes

Dutton’s 79-year-old father, Bruce, was bricklayer who inspired the Opposition Leader to get into the property market.

The policeman bought, renovated and sold a dozen properties with his father - including three childcare centres - between 1992 and 2006.

Dutton’s wife Kirilly worked alongside Bruce as a director in the childcare businesses.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has sent his “thoughts and prayers” to the Dutton family moments after news broke that Bruce Dutton had been rushed to hospital.

The medical emergency is understood to have occurred around an hour ahead of the debate.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s father, Bruce, has reportedly suffered a medical incident.

The medical emergency comes just hours before the Liberal leader is due to face off with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the People’s Forum in Western Sydney.

More to come.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s father has reportedly been rushed to hospital moments before the Coalition Leader is set to appear at the first debate of the 2025 Federal election.

It is understood Mr Dutton’s father suffered a medical incident.

We will bring you more details on this breaking news shortly.

Albanese and Dutton have arrived for the debate, with just over half an hour to go until kick-off.

The PM has done a quick set visit ahead of the showdown, which will give voters their first taste of how the leaders perform under pressure.

Who will be quicker on their feet?

The Opposition Leader will have more to prove this debate - and before May 3 - than the Prime Minister.

Peter Dutton’s first week got off to a slow start. It was dogged by his declaration he would prefer to live in Kirribilli house, rather than the Lodge, if he won the top jop, along with lingering questions about detail on his East Coast Gas Reservation Policy.

The week ended with him partially walking back plans to reject flexible work arrangements for public servants and axe 41,000 government jobs, which turned into a full-blown backflip come Monday.

His task will be to convince voters that the Coalition has its house in order and that it’s not making policy on the run. He will need to come prepared, with detail, for the onslaught from Albanese.

We can also expect to hear more about how Dutton would handle Donald Trump - the Opposition Leader has asserted he could have negotiated a deal with the US President to protect Australia from tariffs - and how the PM has failed in that task.

To win Government in his own right, Dutton needs to win a net 18 seats. He will need to show Australians that he is up to that task.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will go head-to-head in their first face-off of the campaign this evening.

At Tuesday night’s live sparring match in Western Sydney, moderated by Sky News chief anchor Kieran Gilbert, Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton will be fielding questions from a “people’s forum” of 100 undecided voters starting from 7.30pm (AEST).

With a future minority government or hung parliament, a widely expected outcome – and every vote crucial - the debate will give both leaders a chance to make their pitches directly to the public away from the press pack and protesters.

This week’s contest will be even more telling, polls show that an unprecedented number of soft and swing voters, disillusioned with what the major parties have to offer, are putting more key seats in play.

Mr Albanese performed solidly in the 2022 debates, but he and Mr Dutton can both be prone to loose remarks.

Let’s see how they fare in their first official showdown.