Week 5: The Final Week
April 30, 2025
As we head into the final days of the 2025 federal election campaign the momentum is building. Anne-Marie Sparrow provides expert commentary in the penultimate Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA) Pulse Report.
With only 3 days left until Election Day, last week’s news and social media certainly provided a whirlwind of activity, both on the international stage and here at home. From the passing of Pope Francis and ANZAC Day ceremonies, to Welcome to Country protests and the heartbreaking murder of Audrey Griffin, the news cycle was saturated with stories. The campaign teams would have been busy, aligning with this active news environment, making both planned and rapid-response announcements. Not surprisingly, Defence and Domestic Violence emerged as priority issues, joining the underlying concerns of cost of living and the economy. Discussions also moved to Election Day itself and preference votes for One Nation and the Greens gained momentum. The layering of topics and accelerated pace of news was certainly not for the fainthearted!
On the health front, the Medicare Card was front and centre again. Prime Minister Albanese announced a $200 million commitment to 1800 Medicare, which will introduce free health advice and after-hours GP telehealth services. This forms another component of Labour’s broader healthcare vision, which includes reducing the cost of essential medicines, expanding bulk billing with GPs, and establishing more Urgent Care Clinics. Meanwhile, the Coalition’s health focus was muted – with a focus on bringing forward a $90 million initiative to combat domestic violence, which includes funding for a national offender register.
When it comes to share of voice, the reports once again demonstrated Labour’s domination with earned news media, while the Coalition has ramped up its presence across social channels. As both sides now push hard towards the weekend, will any last-minute surprises shake things up?
And will the Canadian Federal Election result possibly play out here – with Mark Carney securing a 4th term for his Liberal party on Monday? Our Polls clearly state NO. With this final commentary – one of my biggest take outs from this media analysis has been Trump’s firm grip on the news cycle! Not even the Pope could knock him off his media throne!
Happy Polling Day Everyone!
