Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 7, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleAustralia's PM Albanese delays April election due to Cyclone Alfred, focusing on safety and evacuation efforts in Queensland.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday ruled out calling a national election for April on Sunday or Monday, as had been expected, so his government can focus on an approaching cyclone in Queensland state.
A national election must be held by mid-May, and had been expected for April so the government could avoid delivering a national budget on March 25.
"It is our intention to serve full term," Albanese said in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday evening.
Australia ordered thousands of people in its eastern regions to evacuate before Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall on Saturday, as the storm brought heavy rain, huge waves and strong winds that cut off power, swamped beaches and shut airports.
"I have no intention of doing anything that distracts from what we need to do. And what we need to do is to look after each other at this difficult time," Albanese added.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Alex Richardson)
A national election must be held by mid-May, with expectations for it to occur in April.
Albanese stated, 'It is our intention to serve full term,' indicating no plans to call an election soon.
Australia has ordered thousands of people in its eastern regions to evacuate as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches.
Albanese ruled out an April election to ensure the government can focus on the cyclone's impact and the safety of citizens.
Albanese emphasized the need to look after each other during this difficult time, prioritizing safety over political actions.
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