Over the weekend the Prime Minister’s frustration with the distraction of election date speculation was palpable and justifiable as he tried to talk about global issues and the core policies that will be at the heart of the 2025 federal election.
And, on Monday morning Jim Chalmers had to declare he was “working my butt off” to prepare for next year’s election/budget to fend off leadership speculation.
Even in Peru Albanese was being asked about the election date as a matter of great moment when in fact he’s always said it would be “full term” – when it’s due in May – and even if it is before that we are talking about a difference of six to eight weeks at most.
There can be a federal election in March and there has to be one by mid-May but the calendar difference is marginal and Albanese is doing everything he can as Prime Minister to minimise the concentration on the actual date and maximise the focus on the issues.
On Sunday Albanese said: “We have a budget scheduled for March and the election will be in May … that’s when it’s due”.
“I’ve read that the election was going to be August 30th, then it was September, then it was December because journalists are bored and when they’ve got nothing else to write about they write about election speculation,” he said on Sky.
“I think there should be four year fixed terms. I’ve said that very clearly,” he said.
Albanese also showed that no PM will rule out an earlier election – it could be before May he said – because anything can happen which could force a poll.
But, he went as far as he could to tie himself and the government to a May election because he again committed to a March budget. There can’t be a March budget and a March election even if the budget is brought forward from the scheduled March 25.
By pledging a March budget and the Treasurer saying he is working his butt off for the re-election of Labor, the political penalty is magnified for “running away” from a budget and economic management.
Like another pre-Christmas character, Jacob Marley, Albanese creates another link or lock in the chain binding Labor to a March budget – and hence a May election – every time he says it. The timing also locks in the scheduled parliamentary sitting starting in February 2025.
Chalmers and Treasury may face working through another Christmas, like Marley’s partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, to produce a budget of which Scrooge would be proud but that’s the political price for Albanese going “full term”.
Albanese wants to go as long as possible and avoid the imagery of a Dickens’ cooked goose over Christmas.
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