Tropical Cyclone Alfred could complicate Anthony Albanese’s April election announcement plans

Anthony Albanese marked a major item off his to-do list on Tuesday, further clearing the decks ahead of an expected April 12 election — but the tropical cyclone heading for southeast Queensland and northern NSW could complicate the Prime Minister firing the starting gun this weekend.

Before he travelled to Brisbane on Tuesday night to be on the ground before Tropical Cyclone Alfred crosses the coast, Mr Albanese struck a landmark deal with the NSW Government for a 10-year public school funding agreement.

He lauded the Commonwealth’s $4.8 billion injection as the “largest ever” injection of its type, which both governments hope will bolster flailing education outcomes in the state.

It was the latest in an increasingly fervent, multi-billion-dollar announcement blitz — coinciding with a slight improvement in the polls — that had heightened expectations an election would be imminent.

Staffers on both sides have begun relocating to Sydney ahead of a prospective PM visit to Government House on Sunday or Monday, but the potential impact of the category 2 cyclone will now enter the equation.

But when asked if mother nature would impact his election plans, Mr Albanese seemed unphased.

“We’re governing. I know there’s others who are interested in election timing, what I’m interested in is getting things done on behalf of the country,” he said.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, on the frontline in southern Brisbane, said the timing of the election “couldn’t be further from my mind this morning”, and wouldn’t go into the private conversations he and the PM may or may not have had about when the election might be called.

If the PM does call the election on Sunday or Monday for April 12, there would be no March 25 budget.

If he holds off, either because of the cyclone, a worse-than-expected result in the WA state election, or because he believes more time will improve his chances, or for any other reason, Dr Chalmers would hand down that budget and the election could be held on May 3, 10, or 17 at a push.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was in Brisbane on Tuesday, receiving a cyclone briefing by the Premier and the state police at the emergency management centre.

Asked if he thought the cyclone should push back a prospective April 12 election, Mr Dutton said the PM should stick to the timetable, return to parliament and hand down a budget.

“If the Prime Minister doesn’t have good news in the budget which it would seem to be the case, than he is likely to run to an election early. Perhaps April 12. I think Australians would see that as a sign the Prime Minister doesn’t want to tell the Australian public the true dire picture of what the economic outlook is for our country,” he said.

The cyclone may be front of mind for southeast Queenslanders and northern NSW residents, but both the Government and the Opposition are forging ahead with their respective pre-election announcements.

For the PM, there was a sense of accomplishment as he stood beside NSW Premier Chris Minns at a school on Tuesday, watching their respective Education Ministers sign a landmark funding deal years in the making.

In exchange for handing over $4.8 billion over the next 10 years — equivalent to 25 per cent of the minimum funding standard – the NSW Government will stump up the rest, which will result in lifting education results and outcomes across the largest state.

“What today represents is the values of who we are, not just as the Labor Party, but in my firm view, the values we have as Australians,” Mr Albanese said, invoking his pre-2022 election promise of “no one held back, no one left behind”.

It follows similar deals struck with Victoria and SA in January, with the ACT last November, WA and Tasmania last September, and the NT last March.

Queensland is now the sole outlier to sign up to a national pact, first recommended more than a decade ago by the Gonski Review.

Tuesday’s announcement is the latest in a deck-clearing Labor policy blitz, after unveiling a $2.6 billion package to boost wages for aged care workers on Monday night, after promising more urgent care clinics on Sunday and last week’s $8.5 billion Medicare announcement.

The Coalition has also been rolling out announcements. On Tuesday, it was a plan to end work-from-home arrangements for public servants, which shadow finance minister Jane Hume says will improve productivity, and Mr Dutton says will bring the bureaucracy in line with the private sector.

It follows Sunday’s $3 billion announcement to acquire fighter jets.