‘I’ve got work to do’: Scott Morrison says there won’t be an early election this year

Australians shouldn’t expect to go to the polls this year, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisting he’s not about to call an early election.

In an interview with SBS News in Washington, Mr Morrison said he still had work to do and the election remained on schedule for 2022.

When asked if an early election was on the cards in the next few months if the vaccination rollout was successful, Mr Morrison said: “No, why would there be?”

“I never said there would be,” he added.

“The election’s next year. There’s been nothing that has happened that will require an election like that this year. I’ve got work to do.”

Speculation has been mounting that the prime minister could call an early election with projections suggesting Australia could achieve a national 80 per cent double-dose coverage by December.

Australia has fully vaccinated 50.15 per cent of its population aged 16 and above, while almost 75 per cent have received one dose.

Latest polls also show Mr Morrison has clawed back some favour with voters who had downgraded his personal performance during winter, amid criticism of a lack of vaccine supply.

The Resolve Political Monitor earlier this week had voters giving a 49 per cent approval rating for Mr Morrison, with 45 per cent saying it was poor – reportedly his strongest net rating since June.

A separate poll, Newspoll, showed Labor would still win an election if it was called today, but recorded a slight improvement in the Coalition’s two-party preferred vote.

The Coalition went from 46 per cent against Labor’s 54 per cent, to 47 per cent against Labor’s 53 per cent, between August and September.

Mr Morrison said his job was not done.

“The work of government requires you to put those hours in, and we’ve been putting them in and we’ve been getting the results.”

On the Newspoll result, Labor leader Anthony Albanese said it was too early to judge.

“Polls come and go,” he said earlier this week.

“We’ve been ahead for a while, but you’d rather be in that situation than not. But the poll that counts, of course, is the one on polling day. And I’m determined that we’ll put forward a positive alternative talking about jobs.”

Source: sbs.com.au