Cyclone Alfred Delays Federal Election Plans

Mencari News Team

Mar 07, 2025

Transcript

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Weather Update: Alfred Makes Its Slow Approach

Miriam Bradbury, senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, provided an update to ABC confirming that ex-tropical cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the Queensland coast in the next couple of hours. Despite being downgraded to a tropical low with sustained winds of 55km/h and gusts up to 85km/h, the system remains a serious threat.

"It's still slow moving, but the more slow moving it is the more of an opportunity it actually has to bring in that heavy rain and continue to direct it along the coast."

The bureau's 6am AEST update noted that the ex-cyclone is currently positioned off Bribie Island and moving slowly northward. While the wind threat has diminished, the rainfall situation remains critical with some areas already recording:

Widespread rainfall of 120-130mm overnight
Isolated totals exceeding 200-250mm
Accumulations above half a meter in parts of north-east NSW

Angus Hines from the bureau emphasized that Alfred's downgrade is "almost irrelevant" since the categorization only relates to wind speed. The rainfall and flooding potential remains significant regardless of classification.

Political Fallout: Election Plans On Hold

In a significant political development, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed during last night's ABC 7.30 interview that the federal government will proceed with handing down its budget on March 25th as previously planned.

This announcement effectively shelves what many political observers expected - an election announcement this weekend for an April 12 poll. The PM made it clear that the cyclone situation takes priority:

"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. This is not a time for looking at politics."

With the April 12 option now off the table (Albanese had until Monday to call for that date), the election will almost certainly be held on May 3, May 10, or May 17 - the latest possible date for the 2025 poll.

Budget Before Ballot

This decision means Treasurer Jim Chalmers will deliver the budget as scheduled, which is expected to confirm the commonwealth's finances have returned to deficit after consecutive surpluses. The budget will likely serve as the launch pad for Labor's re-election campaign.

Chalmers, who has been preparing for Cyclone Alfred in his Brisbane-area electorate, supported the PM's decision:

"This is the right call and very important. Our focus is on millions of Australians in harm's way in Queensland and northern NSW, not on the election. We'll be ready to deliver our fourth responsible budget on 25 March."

Western Australia's Election Goes Ahead

Meanwhile, in contrast to the federal delay, Western Australia is proceeding with its state election this weekend. Premier Roger Cook is widely expected to secure a third term for Labor, with polls showing his approval rating at 55% compared to Liberal leader Libby Mettam's 43%.

The WA Liberals are hoping to recover from their devastating 2021 loss, where they were reduced to just two seats. Analysts predict they might gain about 11 additional seats - still far from threatening Labor's majority.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue tracking both Cyclone Alfred's impact and Australia's evolving political landscape. As always, safety first for those in affected areas! 🇦🇺

Audio source: ABC 7.30 interview with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, aired last night

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