Anthony Albanese has hit back at speculation he could call an early election, after a leaked text message sent by his chief of staff referenced entering “an election year”.
The Prime Minister cleaned up rumours on Wednesday that he could send Australians to the polls a year earlier than expected.
“This is a bit of a beat up,” he told ABC Radio Sydney.
“If you look at the memo that came from my Chief of Staff, it’s about someone joining my staff, in March.
“And the term ends in May next year.”
The leaked message was from Mr Albanese’s top advisor, Tim Gartrell, to all the staff in the Prime Minister’s office and welcomed a new senior staff member “as we enter an election year”.
Labor veteran David Epstein, Kevin Rudd’s former chief of staff, will start next month as a principal private secretary to Mr Albanese.
Mr Gartrell told staff the job was an “important role as we enter the election year and David is well-qualified for the role, having worked for Labor in a range of senior roles over five successive governments and opposition”.
The timing of a federal election is up to the Prime Minister.
Mr Albanese has repeatedly said he intends to stay the course until May 2025, the latest date an election can be held, suggesting Labor could hand down an early budget in March next year.
He said that in his view, once the government hands down the budget in May, the election year will have begun.
But if it were up to Mr Albanese, he’d be able to stay in the job an extra 12 months.
“I’ve said that three year terms are too short,” the Prime Minister said on Wednesday.
“To talk about an election year, essentially post post budget, we will be in the year leading up to an election.
“That’s part of the problem in this country, I think, is that you have the first year after an election and then you have that middle year. And then you’re in election year.”
Describing four year terms as “common sense,” Mr Albanese would not commit to another referendum to adjust the length between federal polls in line with the states and territories.
“We know referendums are hard to carry in this country,” he said, referring to the twice-failed attempt to become a republic.
“Just like some of the misinformation that was around (in the Voice) there was misinformation about, ‘oh it will be terrible’, ‘politicians will be here for even longer and grab to power’.
“It’s actually common sense. Every state and territory has four year terms. But we don’t federally.”
The earliest date a federal election can be called is August this year.