Anthony Albanese begins pre-Christmas campaign push as election looms

Most Australians have mentally checked out for the year, but with a federal election on the horizon, there is no rest for the nation’s politicians.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will spend three days in West Australia spruiking $21 million in clean energy incentives for the state’s critical minerals sector and will start his trip in Perth on Friday.

The state has always been a mining powerhouse and even minor changes to the industry can reverberate through West Australia’s economy.

WA was also key to Labor’s victory at the 2022 federal election, with the party winning a total of nine seats in the state after gaining an extra four.

But with the federal government’s approval rate continuing to drop and several marginal electorates in play, the prime minister is hoping to shore up support in the resource-rich state.

He has not yet announced a polling date, however the federal election will have to be held before the end of May.

Mr Albanese’s grants are part of his government’s signature initiative called the Future Made in Australia, a manufacturing package aimed at funding clean energy projects and creating jobs in the decarbonisation transition.

Though he is making the announcement from WA, the grants have been allocated to companies in Queensland and SA as well, and are expected to create almost 400 new jobs.

“A strong resources sector means a healthy economy and good, well paid local jobs,” Mr Albanese said.

It was revealed in late November the prime minister had overruled his environment minister to kill a political deal on key nature reforms after he had spoken with WA Premier Roger Cook.

Tanya Plibersek had reached an agreement with the Greens to pass a bill that would have helped establish an environment watchdog.

But Mr Cook said the changes would have disadvantaged industry in his state, risking local jobs and picked up the phone to Mr Albanese the day he received word of the deal.

The legislation is now dead in the water.