Too Early to Discuss Replacing Peter Dutton With Angus Taylor: Coalition Shadow Minister

The election will be held on May 3, but 7 million Australians have already voted.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaks as he and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attend the 7NEWS "The Final Showdown" leaders' debate in Sydney, Australia on April 27, 2025. Lukas Coch-Pool/Getty Images

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume has refused to speculate on who might replace Peter Dutton if the Coalition loses the federal election.

The Australian election will be held on May 3, but more than 7 million Australians have already cast their ballots in early voting, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.

Hume expressed it was too soon to consider leadership changes when asked if she sees Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor as a future leader of the Liberal Party.

“But I can tell you this, we are going to be working for every single vote right up until 6 o'clock on election day because we simply can’t afford three more years of Labor,” she said on ABC News Breakfast.

Minister Hume also indicated she would like to remain in the finance portfolio, but said the decision would ultimately lie with the Prime Minister.

“I would hope so, I have very much enjoyed the finance portfolio, she said.”

On a lighter note, Hume also expressed her affection for the election day staple known as the “democracy sausage.”

“Democracy sausages are my favourite—a sausage in bread with onion and tomato sauce,” she said.

Final Polls Suggest Tight Outcome

The final YouGov poll before election day predicts Labor will win with 84 seats, enough to form a majority.

However, the final Freshwater Strategy/AFR poll shows Labor on track for a minority government, with a majority in reach.

Hume said by 6 p.m. on polling day, she said her focus will be on the candidates.

“I think by that stage the nerves are done and dusted. You spend a day at booths talking to voters—that’s always really encouraging. You spend a lot of time working with candidates as well,” she said.

“If you’ve got nerves, it’s for them, because they really have put their lives on hold, they’ve been working so hard.

I’ve loved working with our candidates. We’ve got some amazing people running.”

Hume also said Australians’ standard of living and quality of life had gone down by around 8 percent in the last three years because of high inflation, high interest rates, and higher taxes.

‘Fire in My Belly’

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Peter Dutton talked up his age when asked if he would continue to stay on as leader after the election.

“I look much older. I’m only 54, so I feel okay,” Dutton today the Today Show on May 2.

“I’ve got a fire in my belly. I want to win his election because I really care deeply for our country.

I’m a patriotic person, I love this country, and I really believe it’s under bad management at the moment.”

While campaigning in Perth later that day, Dutton said he was confident of victory and pledged to visit Western Australia at least 10 times a year if elected.

“I have no doubt in my mind we can win the election and get our country back on track,” Dutton reiterated while expressing hope the Coalition could win multiple seats in the state.

“People know this is a federal election, it’s not a state election, it’s fought on federal issues,” he said.

Albanese Not Making Deals with Greens and Teals, Confident of Majority Government

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on the other hand, insisted he is aiming for a majority and has not made any deals with the Teals or Greens.

“We’re striving for a majority government. My job is to maximise Labor’s vote in the next 48 hours,” Albanese told reporters.

When asked again to confirm he had struck “no deals,” Albanese replied: “I’ve made that clear. I refer to my previous 57 comments, to the 57 times I’ve been asked that question.”

Albanese spent the final day of campaigning in Queensland, in Dutton’s seat of Dickson and the seat of Longman, before flying to Tasmania later in the day.