They're some of the most powerful men in Australian politics, but how much do you actually know about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton?
Both of them are vying for the top job this election and while the major parties are sometimes criticised for being too similar, there are big differences between them.
This week we'll bring you more on the two men leading the biggest minor parties: David Littleproud (leader of the Nationals) and Adam Bandt (leader of the Greens.)
Meet Anthony Albanese
Fast facts:
- He's 62
- He's represented the Sydney seat of Grayndler for almost 30 years
- He was raised by his mum Maryanne in Sydney
- He's the first prime minister to get engaged in office
- He's currently leader of the Labor party and PM
Anthony Albanese was the first person in his family to finish high school and has a bachelor of economics from the University of Sydney.
Uni was where he began getting involved in student politics and the Labor party.
Once that was done, he was a staffer for a number of Labor politicians before becoming an MP himself in 1996.
At the time he said: "I will be satisfied if I can be remembered as someone who will stand up for the interests of my electorate, for working-class people."
He went on to become infrastructure minister and deputy PM, before challenging Bill Shorten for the leadership of the party.
It didn't work out.
But it DID work out later, after they lost the 2019 election.
He's the most senior member of Labor's left faction, backing socially progressive policies like welfare, LGBT+ rights, climate action and doing more to support those least well off.
Though on all of these he does have his critics, both from the opposite side of politics and those on the left who say he hasn't done enough to advance change in these areas.
He's been criticised over his support for Palestine, which he's been pretty vocal about over the years, including in 2002 when he gave a speech in parliament saying "self defence is not a blank cheque" for Israel.
But he and the government have also been heavily criticised for not doing enough to stand up to Israel's invasions of Gaza and Lebanon, and its restricting of aid to those areas where death tolls are in the tens of thousands.
But that's something he firmly disagrees with, regularly answering questions by reiterating that Australia supports a two state solution.
Albanese is staunchly pro-union, but he doesn't see eye to eye with every unionist, having recently cracked down on the CFMEU after reports of corruption and organised crime in some branches.
Since 2022, the Albanese government has prioritised policies like cost-of-living relief, increasing childcare availability and changes to the NDIS among a number of other issues.
This election he and Labor are promising to: improve bulk billing access, cut HECs debts by 20 per cent, make contraception and menopause treatment cheaper and to fund cheaper medicines on the PBS.
Meet Peter Dutton
Fast facts:
- He's 54
- He grew up in Brisbane
- He was a police officer and then ran a construction business
- He's represented the Queensland seat of Dickson since 2001
- He's got a wife and three kids
- He's currently opposition leader and leader of the Liberals
Peter Dutton joined the Liberals as a teenager in 1988 and it wasn't long after that he had his first tilt at politics, running for the seat Lytton at the Queensland state election.
It didn't work out.
Fast forward a couple of years and he joined the Queensland police force and worked there for almost a decade, including with the sex offenders squad and national crime authority.
He still talks about this time in his life and says it informs a lot of his views, telling the ABC in 2023 it had scarred him.
After leaving the police force and running a construction company for a few years, in 2001 he made it into federal politics.
"I had always had an interest in politics," he said in his first speech to parliament.
"And to me the Liberal Party was a party founded in many ways on the principles of individualism and reward for achievement."
In 2007, the Liberals and Nationals lost government and were in opposition until 2013.
Once they were back in power, Peter Dutton was made health minister for a year before being appointed to be minister for immigration and later home affairs.
His hardline immigration policies are what he has become most known for.
Opponents like Education Minister Jason Clare have described him as a long-time racist and xenophobe following these policies as well as other things he has said regarding race and migration.
Mr Dutton drew criticism when he said the Fraser government made a "mistake" in the 1970's taking in Lebanese refugees, that people in Melbourne were afraid to go out to restaurants because of "African gangs" and that refugees were "trying it on" by claiming they had been raped as a ploy so they could come to Australia for an abortion.
He rejects critics' descriptions of him as a racist, particularly when it comes to criticism of his immigration policies.
After holding these high-profile portfolios, challenging for the prime ministership in 2018, losing to Scott Morrison and eventually losing the election in 2022, Mr Dutton is now opposition leader.
On the policy side of things, if he and the Coalition win government, the opposition wants to establish nuclear power plants, rein in spending it claims is inflationary, cut the public service and do more to encourage construction of houses in the suburbs. The opposition has also matched Labor policies on bulk billing and cheaper medicines.
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