The prime minister has left himself the option of calling the election this weekend, as Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on Queensland and northern NSW.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese must call an election to be held by May 17, and this weekend was considered a favoured date to do so.
If he triggered a standard five week campaign it would mean an April 12 polling date — avoiding the need to deliver a federal budget and holding the vote before the Anzac and Easter holidays.
But the development of a category two cyclone off Australia’s east coast has threatened to spoil the opportunity to call an election this weekend.
Mr Albanese has already put off plans to travel to Perth to celebrate the expected Labor victory in this weekend’s WA state election.
But asked repeatedly on Sky whether he would heed calls to delay calling an election, Mr Albanese would not be boxed in.
“I’m focused not on votes, I’m focused on lives, I’m focused on Australians,” Mr Albanese said.
“I’ve been focused on three years for governing. I’ve said the same thing every time I’ve been asked.
“These are questions that have been asked this week, this month, last month, the month before, they have been asked for a period of time.”
If the cyclone makes landfall sometime on Friday as expected, it would leave Mr Albanese with three days to assess the damage and determine whether an election could be called without significant backlash.
If Mr Albanese wants to call an election for April 12, he must do so before 6pm on Monday.
However the prime minister made clear that was not the issue on his mind.
“My thoughts are really with the people who are preparing [in Queensland and northern NSW],” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged the prime minister to delay calling an election in wake of the cyclone, saying doing so would be “tin-eared”.
