Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rules out election call on his birthday - and overlap with WA campaign
Anthony Albanese has joked that if he heads to the Governor-General’s residence in Yarralumla this afternoon, it will only be for a piece of birthday cake.
This effectively rules out him calling an election for April 5 — meaning there will be no overlap of the WA and Federal campaign periods.
The Prime Minister celebrated his 62nd birthday on Sunday by holding a media conference in western Sydney to announce an election promise to build more urgent care clinics, before heading back to Canberra.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.He said he had a “quiet dinner at the Lodge” planned with partner Jodie Haydon and his son Nathan.
But with just five viable Saturdays left to hold an election by the May 17 due date, speculation is intense over when Mr Albanese will call the campaign.
“I am going to Canberra this afternoon. So if you keep your eye on that white car with the little flag on the front, if I dropped by the Governor-General’s this afternoon, it would be for maybe a birthday cake or something like that,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
“I’m not sure if the Governor-General’s aware it’s my birthday today!”
One option is to move next Sunday in the wake of the WA results and send voters to the polls on April 12.
This would mean the Budget pencilled in for March 25 wouldn’t go ahead on that date.
It was reported last week the Government was considering an option for Treasurer Jim Chalmers to deliver an economic update in the near future in lieu of a full Budget, then have the full books laid bare in the independent pre-election fiscal outlook (PEFO).
Dr Chalmers — whose birthday was also on Sunday — said the timing of an election was a decision for the Prime Minister and he was focused on his role as Treasurer in pulling together the Budget.
“Obviously, even on my birthday … in a very charitable mood, I’m not going to go into the private conversations that I have with the Prime Minister and with the senior colleagues in the Cabinet,” he told Sky News.
Mr Albanese said cabinet would meet as usual on Monday.
“We’re continuing to govern. Cabinet will meet tomorrow. We’re continuing to put together a Budget. This week, I’ll be in at least three states. That’s what I do. I work hard each and every day, and I don’t disappear for days or weeks on end,” he said, in a dig at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
The Prime Minister is expected to be in WA later this week, as next Saturday’s State election day nears.
