Anthony Albanese is facing questions on whether he will be calling for an early election, as his recent Budget has been viewed as a clear attempt to appeal to the general public.
Although the Prime Minister is required to have a public vote by May 2025, there is speculation that due to an expected shift in the economic outlook next year, the election might be held earlier, possibly later this year, while the benefits from the Budget are still fresh in voters’ minds.
The Budget revealed on Tuesday night included various measures such as a $300 energy bill credit for each household, an increase in rent assistance, and the waiving of $3 billion in student debt indexation.
The new relief is in addition to the Stage Three tax cut changes announced in January. The average household will receive an annual tax cut of $1,888, or $36 a week.Â
Sky News political analyst Andrew Clennell was quick to note the Budget looked like an election pitch.
‘There’s a case for an early election in this document,’ he said after coming out of lockup – a six-hour window where Press Gallery journalists were offered early access to the Budget documents.
‘To deliver another Budget before an election, when it’s due next May, risks announcing a big deficit.
‘For the first time in a long time, an early election makes a bit of sense. That election, whenever it occurs, Labor wants to make it a choice between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton as opposed to a referendum on the Albanese government.’Â
Mr Albanese was asked directly if he was expecting to head to the polls sooner than 2025.
The PM is known to promote serving full terms. In fact, he supports extending the federal MP terms to four years, having repeatedly argued three years simply is not enough both from government and opposition.
The Budget is setting aside $90.6million to boost the number of skilled workers in the construction sector (pictured are construction workers at Parramatta in Sydney’s west)
Tuesday night’s Budget handed a $300 energy bill credit for every household, increased rent assistance and waiving $3billion in student debt indexation
In spite of this, he swatted away questions about calling an early election.
He told Peter Stefanovic: ‘We’re focused on the economy and getting all of the settings right.
‘I’ll leave the obsession with politics to the other side. That’s what they did last night.’
Pressed to answer the question directly, the PM again did not rule out an early election.
‘We’re not focused on politics,’ he said.Â
‘What we’re focused on – the election is due in 2025 – what we’re focused on is getting the settings right and turning things around, making a difference to people.
‘That’s what our focus was in this Budget. A difficult task to provide cost of living relief whilst continuing to put that downward pressure, so we see, on inflation continuing to moderate.
‘It was a difficult task. I think we’ve landed it.’
The new relief is in addition to the Stage Three tax cut changes announced in January. The average household will receive an annual tax cut of $1,888, or $36 a week
But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it was apparent the Albanese government was ‘setting themselves up for an election this year’.
He said: ‘I think they’re worried about the economy deteriorating.
‘As we know, we’re already in a per capita recession, we know that families are going backwards because their real wages just aren’t keeping up with inflation and there are a lot of families at the moment who are drowning in a sea of red.
‘They’ve got difficulties for insurance – premiums that continue to go up. They’ve got high grocery prices – everything is just going up and up under this government.’
Despite recording a $9.3billion surplus this year – the second consecutively – Treasurer Jim Chalmers said there would be deficits in the following years and employment would drop off.
The Coalition’s finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said the Budget ‘certainly’ had the ‘sugar hits’ Australians could expect in the lead-up to an election.
Dr Chalmers denied the assertion the cost-of-living package was about getting voters in a ‘good mood’ before the next election.
Mr Albanese did not definitively rule out an early election. He attended the National Press Club on Wednesday to watch Treasurer Jim Chalmers deliver his post-Budget speech
‘That’s not our motivation. Our motivation here is understanding that people are doing it tough, and that we need to provide substantial cost-of-living relief in a responsible way. That’s what the Budget does,’ he said.
Asked whether there would be another Budget before the next election, Dr Chalmers said that ‘remains to be seen’.
‘I will certainly be ready to deliver another Budget next year,’ he said.
‘Our intention, our inclination, is to go full term. But that decision is taken by the Prime Minister.
‘If I need to do a fourth Budget before we go to the people, I would be happy to do that, be ready to do that, but that is not a decision I take on my own.’
Dr Chalmers doubled down during his National Press Club speech on Wednesday afternoon, saying that both he and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher are ‘happy to do another’ Budget.
‘I don’t see this Budget in political terms. A lot of you have asked me – is this the last Budget of the Parliamentary term. My answer to that is – I’m expecting to do another one.Â
‘I’m happy to do another one, Katy and I are ready and raring to go for another one. But that’s in the hands of Prime Minister.Â
‘We know our place in these kinds of considerations and I will hand down a Budget on the day that my Prime Minister tells me to. I’m anticipating that it will be on this side of an election, but that is for him to decide.’
