Scott Morrison drops 2021 election year hint

A Scott Morrison reference in the first partyroom meeting of the year strengthens belief an election is looming.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

A Scott Morrison reference to “winning the election this year” in the first Liberal partyroom meeting of the 2021 Parliamentary year strengthened the belief among Liberal MPs that there will be an election this year.

Coupled with a warning from Josh Frydenberg for Liberal MPs to “prudently” organise their funding and offices for a campaign, the Prime Minister’s remarks have heightened expectations of a poll at the end of 2021.

Mr Morrison told his colleagues that governments had to “win the election every day from the last election until the day of the next election”.

When Mr Morrison said that would mean winning the election this year, Liberal MPs took it to confirm there would be an election after August.

But Mr Morrison and the Treasurer and deputy Liberal leader are both trying to prevent speculation getting out of hand and overconfidence about victory.

Mr Morrison’s remarks were in the context of his National Press Club speech on Monday which set out a wide agenda to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and a range of other challenges including climate change, energy, aged care and indigenous affairs.

He said the speech was designed to give an agenda that could help win the election this year.

But, he also said the election “is not due until 2022” and they had to work to win every day between now and the election.

Mr Frydenberg, while warning MPs to “get their affairs in order” as far as funding and organisation were concerned, also warned against complacency and overconfidence.

The Deputy Liberal leader told the Liberal Party room meeting on Tuesday that before the 2001 election a number of journalists predicted John Howard could not win.

He also said commentators had also predicted the Coalition could not win in 2019, but Mr Howard and Mr Morrison had both won.

Mr Frydenberg said the predictions of certain victory over Anthony Albanese were a “honey pot” which could build a dangerous sense of complacency within Liberal ranks and that redistributions in Victoria and Western Australia could cost the Coalition two or three seats.