Election hint that tells us nothing we didn't already know

Anthony Albanese has finally given us all a clue about the timing of this year’s federal election.

It’s not much of a hint really, so no one should be getting too excited yet.

He’s calling it a big tip, though. He even used those words

“I’ll give you the big tip,” the Prime Minister told a bunch of journalists at a press conference in Gympie on Monday (6 January).

“I’m not going to the Governor-General this Sunday.”

The PM was obviously using the “big tip” phrase facetiously and having a bit of fun with the prying media.

Nevertheless, it’s good to know we won’t be going to the polling booths the first couple of weekends in February.

That’s all it tells us, however, and – really – we knew that already.

(Unless he breaks protocol and pays a visit to Government House today, allowing the second Saturday to just scrape in with the 33-day minimum requirement for an election campaign … laughs all around.)

Parliament is set to resume on 4 February. That’s for both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Albo told the same bunch of journos (also in a smart-alec kind of way) that he’s looking forward to it.

“Federal Parliament is due to sit. I hope to see you there,” he said when asked if parliament would indeed be returning before the federal election is held.

He has started this year the way he ended last year, reassuring everyone that a federal election will be held in 2025.

“I’m planning a 2025 election,” he said while struggling to disguise a smirk.

“But we’re here rolling out the policies that are consistent with building on the foundation that we’ve established during our first two years.

“Cutting inflation from 6 per cent down to something that has a 2 in front of it. Unemployment with a 3 in front of it.

“Making sure we’ve delivered real wage increases four quarters in a row. Delivering tax cuts for every Australian.

“We want the next term to build on the foundations, just as this announcement today is building on the foundations that Catherine King has laid as Infrastructure Minister in the first two years.”

Sound like electioneering? Sure does.

Ms King wasn’t the only Minister the PM took to Queensland on Monday for a big infrastructure announcement.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers was in tow, as was Employment Minister Murray Watt.

That’s four federal ministers enjoying an outing in sunny Queensland to announce a massive injection of funding to upgrade the Bruce Highway.

Did someone say Labor needs to shore up votes in the Sunshine State?

An early federal budget is earmarked for 25 March (usually the second Tuesday of May each year) and speculation continues to rage that it won’t actually be delivered, that the election will be called before then, negating the need for the budget to be handed down before the nation goes back to the polls.

Any questions attempting to link the budget to the election timing are met with the predictable “good try” from the PM.

It’s going to be a rough budget, so calling it off might be a tempting proposition for a government struggling in opinion polls.

There has, however, been a mountain of public sector work preparing for a March budget. That work continues.

And while prime ministers rarely think twice about using the public service as a smokescreen and wasting public servants’ time, expertise and work, there would be more than a few ‘what the?’ moments if this government trashes their work.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will continue to display how prepared he is for what will inevitably be an increasing barrage of questions about the election’s timing.

He’s giving nothing away and he’s enjoying the game and theatre of it all – while it lasts.