Scott Morrison expected to announce election date on Sunday

Key seats in NSW could win or lose the election for either side in the upcoming election. It is expected the PM will announce the poll date this weekend.

After a pre-campaign blitz covering eight key NSW seats in just three days, the stage is now set for Scott Morrison to call the next election this weekend.

Despite a pending High Court appeal involving the preselection of candidates, senior Liberal sources firmly believe Sunday will be the day the Prime Minister calls the mid-May poll, with NSW expected to be the focus of Labor and the Coalition’s battle over multiple marginal seats.

On Thursday Mr Morrison visited the Central Coast seats of Dobell, held by Labor, and Robertson, held by the Liberals, to promote the government’s $1 billion fast rail investment to speed up the commute between Newcastle and Sydney.

The Central Coast is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, with both major parties vowing to address its increasing infrastructure and service needs.

“More and more people every year are choosing to live and increasingly are able to work here on the Central Coast, they need the infrastructure that supports their quality of life, but also supports their economic opportunities,” Mr Morrison said. “We have further increased the size of our infrastructure pipeline to make sure that we can be supporting regional communities all around the country.”

Scott Morrison (left) and Liberal candidate for Dobell Michael Feneley at Wyong. Picture: AAP Image

The PM also addressed his “frosty” reception at the Edgeworth Tavern south of Newcastle where an angry pensioner named Ray, who aired a range of grievances with him.

“I did understand that he was very upset about some ­really significant issues that have happened in his life,” the PM said.

“I believe it is a complicated case and we’ll see how we might be assist him.”

A government spokesman said Services Australia had since reached out to Ray and was helping him with his ­concerns.

Mr Morrison spent most of the last week of the unofficial campaign trail in NSW, visiting Hughes and Banks in Sydney’s south on Tuesday, followed by Lindsay and Parramatta in the west, then on to Shortland and the Hunter on Wednesday, and the Central Coast seats of Dobell and Robertson on Thursday.

The state is shaping up as a crucial battleground where Labor and the Coalition must both defend a large number of seats while also attempting to gain ground.

For Mr Morrison, the state offers an opportunity to offset losses expected in Western Australia and Victoria, in part due to a redistribution of seats.

For Labor leader Anthony Albanese, picking up one or two extra electorates in the greater Sydney area would help get the party to the 76 seats needed to form ­majority government. On the Central Coast, Liberal Robertson MP Lucy Wicks, who has a 4.2 per cent margin, said she was focusing on supporting small businesses, increasing apprenticeships and investing in the development of the ­region.

“The federal government’s record infrastructure investment pipeline continues to deliver better outcomes for residents on the Central Coast, giving locals the roads, rail and parking services they need,” she said.

Ms Wicks visited local manufacturer Crossmuller with Mr Morrison, where she said the government’s existing investment in apprentices was having a positive impact.

MP Lucy Wicks MP (l to r), Dr Feneley and the PM talk about the fast rail plan. Picture: Adam Taylor

Liberal party candidate for Dobell Dr Michael Feneley also joined Mr Morrison on Thursday, visiting a section of the rail at Wyong where the dedicated passenger line to speed up commutes will be built.

“The rail project in particular is going to be a great ­efficiency measure in moving transport from Newcastle through,” Dr Feneley said.

“So faster roads, safer roads, faster rail and safer rail, and a great efficiency measure for the state.”

Labor’s Dobell MP Emma McBride, who holds her seat with a 1.5 per cent margin, said there was a “critical GP shortage” on the Central Coast, which had only gone from “bad to worse” under the Coalition.

She also honed in on infrastructure as a key issue.

“The Central Coast has one of the worst road backlogs in NSW and the last major infrastructure project on the Coast was the M1 ­upgrade when Anthony Albanese was Infrastructure Minister,” she said.

Labor’s candidate for Robertson, Gordon Reid said as a local emergency department doctor he ­believed the GP shortage was also a crucial issue for the Coast community.

Originally published as Scott Morrison expected to announce election date on Sunday