Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday launched a five-week campaign to be re-elected by ruling out deals to stay in office, vowing to serve a full term and promoting his policies while criticising the Opposition.
The Labor leader earlier drove to Government House to ask Governor-General Sam Mostyn to dissolve the House of Representatives and issue writs for a general election.
“My fellow Australians, this morning, I visited the Governor-General, and Her Excellency has accepted my advice that an election be held on Saturday 3 May 2025,” Albanese told reporters after returning to Parliament House.
The election ended the three-year term of Labor, which holds 78 of the 151 seats in the lower house in Canberra but is running neck and neck with the Liberal/National Party (LNP) Opposition in the opinion polls.
Political analysts believe a hung parliament is possible with minor parties and independents holding the balance of power.
The events came at the end of a week in which Labor delivered its fourth Budget and the LNP responded with its own revenue and spending plans for the next 12 months if elected.
On the offensive
During his news conference, Albanese promoted Labor’s surprise tax cuts, which were quickly approved before the election was called, promises of cheaper doctors’ visits and medicine, rebates to bring down energy bills and other measures announced in its Budget on Tuesday.
He also criticised the Opposition’s plans to build nuclear power stations and reserve some gas supplies for the domestic market to lower energy bills, claimed that if elected the LNP would cut government services including Medicare, and hinted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would follow the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“At this election, I'm asking for the support of the Australian people to keep building on the hard work that we have done and the strong foundations that we have laid,” the Prime Minister said.
Answering questions, Albanese said he would not do any deals to win a government if Labor was reduced to a minority in the House of Representatives.
“Yes, I tend to lead a majority government,” he said.
He also confirmed he intended to serve a full term as Prime Minister if Labor was returned to power.
The campaign is likely to be fought over the cost of living with Australians struggling with rising grocery, fuel, energy and rental prices caused by high inflation.
Surprise personal tax cuts costing A$17.1 billion (US$10.7 billion) were among the measures announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers in his Budget on Tuesday while Dutton promised to lower petrol prices and force gas producers to reserve some supplies for the domestic market to lower energy bills.
Both parties have committed to more than $10 billion in health spending including measures to boost bulk-billing rates and cut the cost of medicines, a $150 energy bill rebate to be paid from July and a two-year ban on foreign investors from purchasing homes.
The two new rounds of tax cuts, worth A$268 in the fiscal year ending June 2027 and A$536 in the next year to a worker on average earnings, were passed in the Senate on Thursday with the support of the Greens and independents but the Opposition has threatened to repeal them if it wins office.
Speculation about the election date was sparked on Thursday when Albanese told a radio station that an election would be called “pretty imminently”.
"I'm not calling it today but I will call it soon. I think that Australians want to get on with it," he said on Triple M Hobart.
The Prime Minister visited Government House because, as the representative of the King, the Governor General has the constitutional authority to dissolve Parliament and issue writs for a general election.
