Anthony Albanese has hinted that ns will going to the polls in May next year.
The Prime Minister dropped the date during a Sky News interview while in Peru for the APEC 2024 summit before downplaying his comments.
Asked about the possibility of a March election, Mr Albanese gave stated the election would be held in May but then backtracked.
‘We have a budget scheduled for March and the election will be in May,’ Mr Albanese said.
When asked directly if the election would be in May, Mr Albanese was less definite.
‘Well, that’s when it’s due. It could be beforehand,’ he said.
Tuesday’s Newspoll, which is widely regarded as the authoritative survey of voting intentions, showed Mr Albanese’s Labor government trailing the Coalition 49 to 51 per cent on the two party vote.
Labor’s slumping primary vote at 33 per cent badly trailed the Coalition’s 40 per cent.
Compounding the trifecta of bad news for Labor, Mr Albanese’s disapproval rating had soared to a whopping 55 per cent of voters compared to just 40 per cent who were satisfied with how he was performing at Prime Minister.
The one thing that may cheer Labor supporters is that no federal government has been turfed out after only one term since 1931, when the Great Depression saw Labor’s James Scullin handed a then record loss after an equally stunning win only two years before.
Daily Mail Political Editor Peter van Onselen reported this week that Labor MPs feared Mr Albanese was dragging the party’s vote down.
One unnanmed MP told van Onselen that Mr Albanese ‘comes across as a class traitor now’.
The perception Mr Albanese had abandoned with social housing childhood pursue a life of perks and privilege was bolstered by the Prime Minister’s purchase of a $4.3million clifftop mansion and claims he received regular Qantas upgrades.
‘While Albo once declared that he loves fighting Tories, it seems to a growing number of ns that he’s now more interested in emulating their privilege,’ van Onselen wrote.
‘Which is perhaps why Albo’s popularity continues to sink, and Labor’s electoral fortunes continue to fade.’