On Saturday, someone started a rumour Anthony Albanese was going to call the election later that day. It took such a hold that the Prime Minister’s office was inundated with calls just to check whether it was rubbish. Which it was.

As Albanese said before Christmas, and again afterwards in an interview with the ABC, he is determined for parliament to come back for the two scheduled sitting weeks in February so he can try to secure the passage of legislation for production tax credits for critical minerals.