The Big Five Questions: Australia’s priorities for the 2025 Federal Election

As we head towards a Federal Election, we face a range of major national challenges which must be addressed.

From cost-of-living to the housing crisis, our challenges will only be met if we confront the real problems behind them and avoid the distractions of policy placebos.

The Business Council of Australia is proposing policy priorities for action this election. We have identified five critical national questions which must be answered—properly and quickly with federal action—if we are to ensure future national prosperity and maintain our living standards.

1. How do we ease the cost-of-living crisis for Australians?
2. How do we tackle the housing crisis?
3. How do we achieve net zero by 2050 with affordable and reliable energy?
4. How do we develop a skilled workforce for the future?
5. How do we deliver the health and care services Australians need?

Each of these questions is at risk of being highly politicised, and subject to populist policy approaches which will either make little difference or make the challenge even harder. The Business Council has therefore sought to identify the root causes of challenges like the housing crisis, call out populist policy solutions which do not address these root causes, and articulate practical solutions capable of being implemented by the Federal Government.

Our intent is to be unimpeachably non-partisan and show ambition commensurate with the nature of each challenge.

It is our goal to have as many of these recommendations as possible adopted by major political parties and independents as sensible, centrist campaign policy.

Read the full BCA Big Five Questions election platform here.