Albanese and Dutton face off as Australians vote in election shaped by high prices and shortage of housing - Dutton wants to become the first political leader to oust a first-term government since 1931,

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on track to become the nation’s first leader since 2004 to win consecutive elections, according to opinion polls, with his center-left government extending its lead over the opposition ahead of Saturday’s vote.

The Australian prime minister's first term was hampered by the headwinds of global inflation, but his fortunes rebounded by offering stability against the backdrop of Trump's volatile diplomacy.