Election result must be a decisive one: Ai Group

Employer representative the Australian Industry Group has said the best outcome “would undoubtedly be a clear election result”, following the prime minister’s announcement on Friday morning of a May 3 election date.

Following the budget on Tuesday and the opposition’s reply last night, prime minister Anthony Albanese asked the governor general to dissolve parliament this morning, setting off a five-week election campaign.

According to the Ai Group, the result will ideally be decisive, “rather than pitching the country into a protracted period of government by negotiation” as the nation is affected by “a stagnating national economy, flatlining productivity, a wildly volatile international environment and once-in-a-generation national security challenges.”

“On the economy, it is critical to address the rising costs on the private sector, improve fiscal sustainability, strengthen labour market resilience, address low productivity clusters and tackle real tax reform,” Chief Executive Innes Willox said.

“Industry, which is key to the nation reaching net zero and addressing the housing crisis, is in recession-like conditions and needs urgent attention to make it more internationally competitive and resilient.”

Polls have suggested some possibility of a hung parliament, where neither the Coalition or Labor win the 76 of 150 house of representatives seats required to form government in their own right.

Albanese’s government currently holds 78 seats, and achieved government with 52.1 per cent to 47.9 per cent of votes in two-party preferred terms in 2022. 

It has struggled in polls since the defeated October 2023 Voice referendum.

A new Redbridge poll published this morning shows the government ahead 51 to 49 per cent after preferences.

Picture: credit Australian government (CC-BY-4.0)

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