By Alasdair Pal and Renju Jose
SYDNEY(Reuters) -Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reached the official residence of the country’s Governor-General on Friday where he is expected to seek permission to call a nationwide federal election for May 3, Australian media reported.
Under Australia’s constitution the prime minister must formally seek permission from the Governor-General, who represents the head of state Britain’s King Charles, to call an election.
Albanese said on Thursday he planned to call an election “imminently” as his centre-left government rushed through the parliament a bill on fresh tax cuts in a bid to lift support and win back aggrieved voters.
Three-year term limits mean Australia must go to the polls at least by May 17 to elect a new parliament.
Albanese has announced a slew of measures aimed at pleasing families and businesses in recent months, including the tax cuts in Tuesday’s budget, with the rising cost of living in the country set to dominate the month of campaigning before the polls.
Labor won a majority at the last federal election in 2022, but most recent opinion polls show the party neck-and-neck with the opposition Liberal-National coalition when votes from smaller parties are redistributed.
That could mean no single party or coalition of parties will be able to form a government on its own, instead relying on smaller parties to command a majority in the country’s lower house.
Albanese, a lifelong Labor official and lawmaker who grew up in government housing, came to power on a wave of personal popularity, but has suffered from a rising cost of living and a steep rise in interest rates during his tenure.
Falling inflation and the decision by Australia’s central bank to cut interest rates for the first time in five years at its February meeting have done little to help Albanese’s polling numbers.
After enjoying a healthy lead for much of his term, his personal approval ratings are now close to those of Liberal leader Peter Dutton, a former police officer and the interior minister in the last Liberal-National government.
Dutton has campaigned on law-and-order and a plan to adopt nuclear power in the country, in opposition to Labor’s transition to renewable energy.
Both leaders have promised an extra A$8.5 billion ($5.42 billion) over four years to shore up the country’s public healthcare system.
($1 = 1.5694 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)
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