Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will face off for the second time as the election campaign reaches its halfway point.
The ABC will host the leaders’ debate on Wednesday evening with the event to be moderated by Insiders host David Speers.
Both the prime minister and opposition leader will give opening and closing remarks and will receive equal time to respond to questions.
Debates will also be hosted by the Nine Network and Seven Network closer to the May 3 election.
ANU political scientist Jill Sheppard said while debates tended not to shift the dial for any leader or party, they could turn into massive traps for candidates who perform badly.
“It’s not so much that they say or do something particularly stupid, but that they have to be on the ball for a whole hour, and that’s really tough,” she said.
“What we find is that leaders tend to come through unscathed, but it takes a heap of preparation and a heap of co-ordination and strategy to make sure that they do come through unscathed.
“At the end of all that, you haven’t necessarily won votes, but you haven’t lost votes, and them not losing votes is the most important.”
Dr Sheppard said the most important members of the debate tended to be journalists who later disseminated what happened to a wider audience.
“If someone makes a mistake in the debate, it can derail the next couple of days of coverage,” she said.
The coalition will promise $6 million for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to keep kids safe online if it is elected.
The foundation’s tools include age-appropriate teaching and learning resources and digital and media literacy skills for children aged four to 16.
“We need to ensure parents and children are equipped with the knowledge and skills that will help them safely navigate the online world,” Mr Dutton said.
The Liberal and Labor parties announced policies to target housing affordability at their official campaign launches.
Experts have labelled the plans inflationary and said neither tackled the supply aspect of the crisis.
Labor has pledged to allow first homebuyers the opportunity to purchase properties with a five per cent deposit.
The coalition has promised to make interest payments made by first-time buyers on new homes tax deductible for five years.
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil and her opposition counterpart Michael Sukkar will go head-to-head in a debate at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.
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