Australian PM Expected to Announce Federal Election on May 3: Media

CANBERRA – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the date of the federal election on May 3, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday, as reported by Xinhua.

According to the report, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Governor-General Sam Mostyn in the nation’s capital, Canberra, to advise her on the dissolution of Parliament and the announcement of the federal election on May 3. This will trigger “a five-week campaign to convince voters whether the Labor Party under Anthony Albanese or the Coalition led by Peter Dutton is better suited to lead the country.”

The report also stated that the cost of living issue is expected to be a major focus of the campaign, and both parties will need to campaign aggressively to secure enough seats to form a government, with at least 76 seats required for an absolute majority.

With only three seats needed for Labor to lose its majority and 19 seats for the Coalition to form a government on its own, poll analysts are predicting a hung Parliament as the most likely outcome based on current levels of support.

The report also noted that several polls have found a larger-than-usual bloc of undecided voters, and the fiercest contests are expected in the suburban areas of Melbourne and Sydney—considered among the most likely to swing and ultimately determine the election outcome.

— Xinhua