Anthony Albanese makes major election call after months of speculation

Anthony Albanese’s office has bungled his federal election call and pulled the trigger too soon before his official announcement which is expected tomorrow.

The PM is set to call the election on Friday after months of speculation about the date when millions will head to the polls.

But the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet jumped the gun and sent out an official social media post claiming the government was now in ‘caretaker’ mode.

That only happens after the election has been called – and the PM is still 24 hours away from confirming the date. 

The post on X was swiftly deleted after the blunder was spotted.

Calling the election on Friday would steal attention from Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s Budget reply speech on Thursday night. 

Labor insiders said the Prime Minister will go to Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s home in Canberra on Friday morning to ask her to dissolve parliament.

Mr Albanese had been due to make the journey to Yarralumla earlier this month to call an election for April 12, but that plan was derailed due to Cyclone Alfred. 

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet jumped the gun and sent out an official social media post claiming the government was now in ‘caretaker’ mode

Mr Dutton’s Budget-in-reply speech in parliament on Thursday was thought likely to reveal the Coalition’s policies on housing, migration and gas supply.

But such policy details would get lost in Friday morning’s online, TV and radio coverage if everyone is talking about the federal election date being announced. 

Mr Albanese is said to favour a five-week campaign, which means Australians are likely to be going to the polls on Saturday, May 3, but the campaign could still stretch to May 10 or May 17.

With pre-polling and postal voting now a major part of Australian elections, some people will be able to vote in just over two weeks from now. 

The Coalition has been on par or ahead of Labor in polling for much of the last year, though its lead has started to narrow. 

That, and the fact that it’s almost 100 years since an Australian government was defeated after one term in power, has made Labor the bookies’ favourites to win. 

A senior Labor cabinet minister told Nine newspapers that Mr Albanese reckoned the government is looking good to retain power. 

‘If we are on 50-50 at the start of the campaign, that’s potentially an election-winning (majority) for a government,’ Mr Albanese reportedly said.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the Budget on Tuesday night with a raft of cost-of-living measures designed to appeal to battling Aussies

Every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut next year and the year after, to top up the stage three tax cuts which began last July

Peter Dutton (pictured) plans to cancel the latest tax cuts if the Coalition wins the election

‘We think there is a chance the wheels will fall off completely for them,’ the source said. 

‘They have nothing out there as policy besides nuclear power and free lunches and they’re doing nothing to expand their base.’

In Tuesday’s federal Budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that every taxpayer will get a tax cut in 2026 and 2027, to top up the stage three tax cuts which began last July. 

If Labor retains power, from 1 July 2026, the 16 per cent tax rate (applicable to taxable income between $18,201 and $45,000) will be reduced to 15 per cent, saving up to $268.

From 1 July 2027, this rate will drop further to 14 per cent, saving up to $536.

Combined with the stage three tax cuts, a worker earning $72,592 will see a total tax cut of $1,762 in 2026–27 and $2,030 per year from 2027–28. 

But Peter Dutton plans to cancel the latest tax cuts if the Coalition wins the election. 

The Government also announced that very Australian household and around one million small businesses will get an additional $150 energy bill rebate.

The rebate will be automatically applied to electricity bills in quarterly instalments until December 31, 2025.