Across the country, cost-of-living pressures were mentioned by every voter Guardian Australia spoke to. Top row (left to right): Amelia Makin, Ann-Marie Thomas, Chantelle Campbell and Federico Canas Velasco. Middle row (left to right): Holli Brunckhorst, John Sparrow, Ed Bryant and Todd Boorer. Bottom row (left to right): Brent Daylight, Lilly Wright, Ali El Kheir and Irfan Syed. Composite: Guardian designView image in fullscreenAcross the country, cost-of-living pressures were mentioned by every voter Guardian Australia spoke to. Top row (left to right): Amelia Makin, Ann-Marie Thomas, Chantelle Campbell and Federico Canas Velasco. Middle row (left to right): Holli Brunckhorst, John Sparrow, Ed Bryant and Todd Boorer. Bottom row (left to right): Brent Daylight, Lilly Wright, Ali El Kheir and Irfan Syed. Composite: Guardian designAnywhere but CanberraAustralian election 2025Anywhere but Canberra: meet some of the voters who will decide Australia’s 2025 federal electionGuardian Australia spoke to a range of people all across the country to ask about their lives and perspectives ahead of Saturday’s ballot
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Rafqa ToumaFri 2 May 2025 16.00 BSTLast modified on Fri 2 May 2025 16.02 BSTShareOver the past three months, Guardian Australia has been speaking to ordinary people about their everyday lives – their families, work, hobbies, stressors and hopes.These interviews have formed our Anywhere But Canberra series – a portrait of what different people across the country are dealing with in the lead up to the federal election. We wanted to see how people’s lives and perspectives shaped their votes.And while we spoke to a range of Australians – teachers and students in metropolitan areas, farmers and small business owners in the regions, young and old voters across Labor, Liberal and Green seats in all six states – what they had to say wasn’t as diverse.In fact, many of their experiences and stressors were very much the same. Cost-of-living pressures were mentioned by every person we spoke to, with an overwhelming feeling of stress about the lack of affordable housing, the price of groceries, the cost of healthcare and Hecs debt among the younger voters.Here, you can find each person we interviewed and read what they had to say.Ali El KheirRuns a cafe and manages a wrestling gym in western Sydney, NSWView image in fullscreen‘I don’t think any of the politicians truly represent us’ … Ali El Kheir. Composite: Mostafa Rachwani/Guardian Design
… mostly, especially in the past 18 months, we’ve been focused on what is happening in Gaza, in Lebanon, where I have family, in Yemen and in Sudan. These things, they weigh heavy on me and the community here.
Read more herePaul TripodiRuns a restaurant in Adelaide, South AustraliaView image in fullscreen‘We’re sort of getting by, which is stressful,’ says Paul Tripodi, a small business owner. Composite: Guardian design/Getty Images
Right now I’m probably doing 65-70 hours a week, which is a bit excessive. Yeah, I don’t really want to work like that.
Read more hereLilly WrightRuns a Malaysian and Indonesian cafe in Ballarat, VictoriaView image in fullscreen‘You never know what’s going to happen in the next six months or year,’ … Lily Wright. Composite: Guardian design
I’m always thinking about what the [Ballarat] council can do to help small businesses. A lot of people say the first year is the hardest and then it’s going to get easier but so far that’s not the case.
Read more hereBrent DaylightRuns his own business and works a second job in Perth, Western AustraliaView image in fullscreen‘Do I keep grinding through 12-hour days?’ … Brent Daylight. Composite: Guardian design/The Guardian
Indigenous Australians face such harsh stereotypes but there are plenty of successful First Nation businesses and I want to be one of them.
Read more hereTodd BoorerWorks six days a week running a mowing business in Lake Macquarie, NSWView image in fullscreen‘If everyone puts in and does their bit then everyone benefits from it, but it starts with you doing your bit,’ … Todd Boorer. Composite: Guardian design/Getty Images
One of the things that bugs people a lot [is] when politicians try to kind of be one of us, pretend they are just like the man on the street, because they’re not.
Read more hereEd BryantTeacher and soccer coach in Melbourne, VictoriaView image in fullscreen‘For future generations, as an educator, I’m concerned about environmental factors more than anything,’ … Ed Bryant. Composite: Guardian Design/The Guardian
Hecs debt, that’s a big problem. It’s indexing more than what I pay off working full-time on a graduate teacher’s salary.
Read more hereJohn SparrowRetired farmer in Tailem Bend, South AustraliaView image in fullscreen‘How is this younger generation going to get their own home?’ … John Sparrow. Composite: Guardian Design/The Guardian
You used to have prime ministers showing the way and making things work but I think the last good prime minister was before my time, when they were building the Snowy Mountains Scheme …
Read more hereHolli BrunckhorstNanny and speech therapy assistant in Brisbane, QueenslandView image in fullscreen‘Everything, even the mainstream media, you can’t 100% trust all the time. Everyone’s got an agenda,’ … Holli Brunkhorst. Composite: Guardian Design/The Guardian
… They are upping my rent from the end of the month by $50. It was $260 a week when I moved in four years ago and now it will be $400, which is a lot.
Read more hereFederico Canas VelascoStudent and part-time worker in Sydney, NSWView image in fullscreen‘ … with housing, it does not seem like it is going to get any better at all,’ says Federico Canas Velasco. Composite: Guardian Design/The Guardian
Things like groceries are absolutely ridiculous. The price of eggs! Medicare, too. I recently just hurt my finger and it was so hard to find any GPs that were bulk-billing in my area.
Read more hereChantelle CampbellOwns a clothing store in Exeter and lives in Bishopsbourne, TasmaniaView image in fullscreen‘I don’t feel confident when I vote that it’s going to change anything,’ … Chantelle Campbell. Composite: Guardian Design/The Guardian
Don’t let the supermarkets get away with what they’re getting away with. A box of tacos are on special this week for $9 when the standard price always used to be $5.
Read more hereWill GromadzkiLandscaper from Adelaide, South AustraliaView image in fullscreen‘There’s not a lot of housing going around. We take what we can get,’ says Will Gromadzki. Composite: Guardian Design/The Guardian
We’re not slack, we’re not a lazy generation. We cop a little bit of flak from the older generation, but I work my bum off.
Read more hereIrfan SyedIT worker from Melbourne, VictoriaView image in fullscreen‘Australia is one of the few countries with such a good support system for children with special needs,’ … Irfan Syed. Composite: Shadi Khan/The Guardian
My biggest stress is supporting my special-needs kids as much as I can – that’s a big challenge for us. Thankfully, we have NDIS and government support. Without that, it’s really an impossible task for anybody.
Read more hereAnn-Marie ThomasNurse in Toomelah, QueenslandView image in fullscreen‘We struggle to do anything together as a family because of the cost,’ … Ann-Marie Thomas. Composite: Guardian design/The Guardian
I’m so angry with all the politicians. Every time you turn the TV on, the first thing you hear are all these things like ‘let’s abolish welcome to country’. Why? I don’t understand what it’s costing. I think it’s beautiful. Is it only me that sees the beauty in it because I’m Aboriginal?
Read more hereAmelia MakinStudent and cafe worker in Melbourne, VICView image in fullscreen‘They’re talking about cutting down Hecs. I’m really looking forward to seeing if that happens,’ … Amelia Makin. Composite: Guardian design/The Guardian
I don’t trust anyone, but I get all my information from Instagram or YouTube.
Read more hereExplore more on these topicsAustralian election 2025Anywhere but CanberraAustralian politicsCost of living crisisnewsShareReuse this content
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