Anthony Albanese hoses down election speculation as Labor insiders nominate the likely date

Labor insiders have nominated their predictions for the date Australia will head to the polls. Read when you're likely to get your next democracy sausage.

Anthony Albanese has declared that “people need to chill a bit” amid growing speculation of when Australia will head to the polls.

With the Reserve Bank dangling prospects of a much-needed rate cut in March, some Labor sources raised the possibility of the Prime Minister calling the election as soon as this weekend.

Mr Albanese refused to rule out a “cuppa with the Governor-General this weekend”, but said he was “intent on governing”.

“ I’ve said repeatedly that in my view, three years is too short a term … so people need to chill a bit,” he said on radio on Friday.

“I’m intent on governing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

“The last time a Prime Minister in advance said when the election date would be received enormous criticism from every commentator in the Federal Press Gallery, if not at the time, certainly in retrospect.

“So, I’ll take the good advice … but it is a pity that we don’t have four-year terms in Australia.”

Labor operatives maintained the most likely date for a federal election is April 12, which would allow parliament to return in February but save the government from fronting up to an embarrassing budget in March.

April 12 would also maximise the chances of a potential rate cut, which would help Labor’s chances in the mortgage-belt electorates where voters are furious over the high cost of living.

Australians will have to wait to find out when they next get a democracy sausage. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“He wants a short campaign … the shorter the better,” one Labor source said about why April 12 remained the favourite.

“He’s trying for a rate cut.”

An April 12 election could mean the Prime Minister has a very short campaign, with insiders saying it’s unlikely he would want a campaign to overlap with the West Australian election which is on March 15: “You don’t mess with WA.”

Another senior Labor figure said the party was not ready to call an election for another month, with some preselections still to be decided.

“The cold, hard truth is we aren’t ready and we won’t be ready for another month,” they said.

“We aren’t ready logistically.”

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Originally published as Anthony Albanese hoses down election speculation as Labor insiders nominate the likely date