Anthony Albanese will not call an election this weekend as his government dedicates all its resources towards dealing with Cyclone Alfred.
The Prime Minister confirmed the news during an interview on ABC’s 7.30 on Friday night where he categorically ruled out the option.
He told host Sarah Ferguson that he would not announce the election on Saturday or Sunday while the government focused on the incoming cyclone.
Mr Albanese was initially set to call the election directly after the West Australian state election on Saturday.
He said it will not be called until at least after Monday next week.
‘I have no intention of doing anything that distracts from what we need to do,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘This is not a time for looking at politics.
‘My sole focus is not calling an election, my sole focus is on the needs of Australians, that is my sole focus.’
Anthony Albanese has ruled out calling the election this weekend while his government works to respond to Cyclone Alfred
Alfred is expected to make landfall in Brisbane midmorning on Saturday
Mr Albanese had dodged the question of whether he would delay calling the election, due to Alfred, all week.
His decision to put it off means the federal budget would be handed down as scheduled on March 25.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers had already confirmed the government was working on the budget despite rumours swirling that the election would be called for April 12.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton previously predicted that Mr Albanese would delay calling the election.
Mr Dutton said the Prime Minister would ‘have to have a tin ear’ to begin campaigning during a natural disaster.
‘There will be people waiting for waters to recede, there will be swift water rescues, there will be people cleaning out their houses or their businesses, and some people will have lost everything,’ Mr Dutton told Brisbane radio station 4BC on Wednesday.
‘That’s the reality of these weather events, and to go to election at that stage, at that time, I think the Prime Minister would have a tin ear to do that.’
Mr Dutton’s outer northern Brisbane electorate of Dickson is expected to be hit by the cyclone and its 130km/h winds as early as Saturday.
Mr Albanese said the situation was ‘very serious’ while talking to Sarah Ferguson
Extreme weather conditions are being reported along Australia’s upper east coast (pictured, record breaking waves caused by Alfred in Point Danger, Coolangatta)
Two upcoming long weekends, Easter and Anzac Day, have also ruled out April 19 and April 26 as potential election dates for Mr Albanese.
Now he has just three dates to choose from: May 3, May 10 or May 17.
The third option is the very latest day his government can hold the general election.
Cyclone Alfred is expected to impact the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast and northern NSW beginning midmorning on Saturday.
High winds are already being felt in areas along the coast and torrential downpours have already led to flash flooding in regional NSW.
Mr Albanese said the risk posed by Alfred was ‘very serious’.
‘When you speak about a tropical cyclone crossing over and hitting land where over four million Australians live, then that’s pretty serious,’ he said.
‘That’s why we’re doing everything possible and mobilising every level of support that we can, both civil and military.’
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of YorkAnthony Albanese
