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| Anthony Albanese switches to election footing with blitz of three campaign battlegrounds | Anthony Albanese switches to election footing with blitz of three campaign battlegrounds |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| PM frames federal poll as choice between ‘building Australia’s future’ under Labor or ‘taking Australia backwards’ under Coalition | PM frames federal poll as choice between ‘building Australia’s future’ under Labor or ‘taking Australia backwards’ under Coalition |
| Anthony Albanese will frame this year’s federal election as a choice between “building Australia’s future” under Labor or “taking Australia backwards” under the Coalition as the prime minister opens 2025 with a blitz of three campaign battlegrounds. | Anthony Albanese will frame this year’s federal election as a choice between “building Australia’s future” under Labor or “taking Australia backwards” under the Coalition as the prime minister opens 2025 with a blitz of three campaign battlegrounds. |
| The prime minister will move to an election footing this week, travelling to electorates across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia to signal the unofficial start of the campaign. | The prime minister will move to an election footing this week, travelling to electorates across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia to signal the unofficial start of the campaign. |
| The Labor leader will use his first public appearances of 2025 to cast the upcoming election as a contest between contrasting visions for the country. | The Labor leader will use his first public appearances of 2025 to cast the upcoming election as a contest between contrasting visions for the country. |
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| “This election is a choice between building Australia’s future or taking Australia backwards,” Albanese said. | “This election is a choice between building Australia’s future or taking Australia backwards,” Albanese said. |
| “My government cares about Australians. That’s why we are delivering cost-of-living relief while strengthening Medicare and investing in infrastructure, childcare and dignified aged care. | “My government cares about Australians. That’s why we are delivering cost-of-living relief while strengthening Medicare and investing in infrastructure, childcare and dignified aged care. |
| “Over the next three years we can work together to build on the foundations we have laid.” | “Over the next three years we can work together to build on the foundations we have laid.” |
| Albanese ended 2024 with tumbling personal approval ratings, and most published polls suggesting Labor would struggle to retain majority government. | |
| The Labor leader will start the new year on the offensive, campaigning in Queensland where the government holds just five of 30 lower house seats. | The Labor leader will start the new year on the offensive, campaigning in Queensland where the government holds just five of 30 lower house seats. |
| He is expected to visit the Cairns-based seat of Leichhardt – which Labor hopes to win after the retirement of the veteran Liberal MP Warren Entsch – as well as other Coalition-held electorates on the Sunshine Coast and in Rockhampton. | He is expected to visit the Cairns-based seat of Leichhardt – which Labor hopes to win after the retirement of the veteran Liberal MP Warren Entsch – as well as other Coalition-held electorates on the Sunshine Coast and in Rockhampton. |
| Albanese is expected to stop in the Labor-held seat of Lingiari in outback NT before crossing the border to WA, where Labor picked up four seats in 2022 to secure majority government. | Albanese is expected to stop in the Labor-held seat of Lingiari in outback NT before crossing the border to WA, where Labor picked up four seats in 2022 to secure majority government. |
| Labor is hoping to win the new seat of Bullwinkel in Perth’s outer east but will otherwise be on the defensive. | Labor is hoping to win the new seat of Bullwinkel in Perth’s outer east but will otherwise be on the defensive. |
| The election is due in May but Albanese could send voters to the polls early, particularly if he wants to avoid handing down a federal budget – which will confirm a return to years of deficits – on 25 March. | The election is due in May but Albanese could send voters to the polls early, particularly if he wants to avoid handing down a federal budget – which will confirm a return to years of deficits – on 25 March. |
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| The campaign stops will coincide with the release of the latest monthly inflation figures, the first snapshot of economic data in the lead-up to an election in which the cost of living will be a defining issue. | The campaign stops will coincide with the release of the latest monthly inflation figures, the first snapshot of economic data in the lead-up to an election in which the cost of living will be a defining issue. |
| The consumer price index was at 2.1% in October, while underlying inflation – which the Reserve Bank of Australia is watching closely as it weighs up a possible interest rate cut – rose to 3.5%. | The consumer price index was at 2.1% in October, while underlying inflation – which the Reserve Bank of Australia is watching closely as it weighs up a possible interest rate cut – rose to 3.5%. |
| The markets are expecting headline inflation for the year to November to be between 2.1% and 2.7%, which is within the Reserve Bank’s target band. | The markets are expecting headline inflation for the year to November to be between 2.1% and 2.7%, which is within the Reserve Bank’s target band. |
| In an attempt to set expectations before Wednesday’s figures, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has framed “anything with a two in front of it” as positive news. | In an attempt to set expectations before Wednesday’s figures, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has framed “anything with a two in front of it” as positive news. |
| “The Coalition left us with inflation with a six in front of it but now it has a two in front of it,” he said. | “The Coalition left us with inflation with a six in front of it but now it has a two in front of it,” he said. |
| “Headline inflation, underlying inflation and non-tradeable inflation have all come off significantly since the election thanks to our responsible economic management and were all rising when we came to office.” | “Headline inflation, underlying inflation and non-tradeable inflation have all come off significantly since the election thanks to our responsible economic management and were all rising when we came to office.” |
| The RBA’s first interest rate decision of the year is due on 18 February. | The RBA’s first interest rate decision of the year is due on 18 February. |
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