Forward, march: Rival election campaign war rooms raring to go

Labor will move to a campaign war footing before Christmas as its election machine is brought to life and dozens of key staff are picked to work on next year’s poll, in which Anthony Albanese will try to become the first prime minister to be re-elected since John Howard.

Labor MPs in Canberra are speculating about an election being called for March, avoiding the need to deliver a pre-election budget deficit after two rare surpluses. MPs including Bill Shorten gave retirement speeches in recent days before next week’s final sitting of the year.

Anthony Albanese at the Adelaide rally in November.

While a vote in April or May – the last month it can be held – remains a real possibility, Labor will set up its national campaign office near Surry Hills in Sydney next month, showing the party is prepared for a poll in early 2025.

Labor’s campaign committee will start meeting more regularly as the party gears up for a full trial run of its headquarters in December.

Before the 2022 election, hundreds of staffers and party officials from around the country did a test run of a scenario in which the Queen died – before her death later that year – to simulate a major news event that would test the various functions of the headquarters including policy, communications, digital, legal, quality control and rapid response teams.

The Liberal and National parties have leased a campaign office in Parramatta, a location partly reflective of the Coalition’s focus on outer-suburban electorates after being based in Brisbane in 2022. Its operatives, which will number more than 100, are ready to move in once an election is called.

Despite the looming poll, the parties are still scrambling to tick off important items. For example, Labor has not yet preselected candidates in the important Victorian seats of Menzies and Deakin. This masthead has confirmed Labor will soon announce Higgins MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah, whose seat will be abolished at the next election under a revamp of electoral boundaries, will run in the third spot on the Victorian Senate ticket.

On the Coalition side, candidates in NSW are rushing to submit requests for local funding promises for things such as sports shed upgrades, according to senior Coalition sources who, like those on the Labor side, sought anonymity to talk about changing election plans.

Labor’s campaign operations testing will coincide with an expected speech from Albanese outlining another plank of his election agenda, similar to the student debt cut announced at a campaign-style rally this month. Ministers have sharpened their attacks on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and spent more time this sitting week, the second last of the year, talking about the contrast between the two parties as Labor seeks to frame the story of the election.

Before Christmas, the Coalition is likely to reveal more information about the financial and energy market implications of its nuclear power plan. Policies on housing and immigration, which party strategists see as linked, will follow next year.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah at her valedictory speech in the House of Representatives.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Dutton has moved slightly ahead of Labor on a two-party measure, according to this masthead’s Resolve Political Monitor, but core support for the Coalition does not appear high enough for it to jump from 55 seats to the 76 required to form government. Labor MPs are confident their party can use a well-run campaign to win back voters lost during the cost-of-living crisis.

Labor national secretary Paul Erickson and his assistant Jennifer Light will lead Labor’s election team. Adam Gartrell, a former journalist with this masthead who works for Immigration Minister Tony Burke, will run the communications team. Albanese staffer Chloe Bennett will be responsible for policy.

Travelling with Albanese will be his chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, head of media Fiona Sugden, principal private secretary David Epstein, and policy adviser Sam Trobe.

Credit: Matt Golding

Polling will be conducted by Pyxis, run by Campbell White who oversees Newspoll, and qualitative data from focus groups will be run by Talbot Mills, run by Kiwis David Talbot and Stephen Mills.

The Liberal campaign will be run by experienced federal director Andrew Hirst, his deputy, Simon Berger, and Nationals director Lincoln Folo. Former minister Jamie Briggs will help with strategy. Mike Turner, of Freshwater polling and previously Crosby Textor, will present daily research at 5am and 7.30pm hook-ups for his second consecutive campaign.

Also attending will be chiefs of staff to the Liberal and Nationals leaders, Alex Dalgleish and Ben Hindmarsh, and the chief of staff to the duty senator, likely to be Jane Hume’s staffer John Harris.

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