Australian voters won't be going to the polls until at least May 18, as Scott Morrison buys himself more time to sell his economic and national security messages.
SBS World News understands Scott Morrison will not be calling the election tomorrow as previously anticipated.
Instead it's more likely to happen next weekend, with the election date to be May 18.
"All these guys (reporters) think I'm going to Canberra in the morning," Mr Morrison told onlookers at the first grade rugby union season opener in his Sydney seat of Cook on Saturday afternoon.
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Voters will instead continue to be bombarded with government advertising, with 15 campaigns approved by an independent board since January at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of $47 million.
The delay will also allow candidates to roll out taxpayer-funded material promoting tax cuts, road and rail spending and a one-off payment covering power bills of pensioners and welfare recipients.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says Labor is ready for whenever Mr Morrison calls the election.
The Labor leader told reporters in Launceston the government had given up governing.
"If the prime minister wants to play games about when he calls the election, I'm just not interested," the opposition leader said.
Mr Morrison's most likely option is May 18, but May 25 and June 1 are also possibilities if the Australian Electoral Commission is granted extra funding to expedite counting, ABC election analyst Antony Green says.
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A delayed election announcement would advantage the government by stretching out their access to taxpayer funds for advertising policies and programs.
Since January, an independent committee has approved 15 major government advertising campaigns covering energy, health, roads and schools.
It would also allow MPs, who have already left Canberra, to spend more time spruiking last Tuesday's budget in their electorates.
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On the downside, the Senate is scheduled to continue with budget estimates this week, hearings that could potentially be damaging for the government.
Nationals members and conservative Liberals are hoping for a conclusion to the environmental assessment on the proposed Adani Carmichael mine in Queensland, which they can take to the election as a win for jobs and the economy.
Despite the delay, Liberal strategists and staff have begun arriving at their campaign headquarters in Brisbane while Labor staffers are setting up their base in Parramatta in western Sydney.
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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Saturday told at a press conference "the timing of the election is the prime minister's decision and his decision alone".
"It will be made in due course. An election will soon be upon us, but the contest will be very clear," he said.
Coalition election strategists and staff have begun arriving at their campaign headquarters in Brisbane while Labor staffers are setting up their base in Parramatta in western Sydney.
A delayed election announcement would advantage the government by stretching out their access to taxpayer funds for campaigning while starving Labor of these entitlements.
It would also allow MPs, who have already left Canberra, to spend more time spruiking the budget in their electorates.
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Mr Morrison is attending an NRL match on Saturday night between the Cronulla Sharks and the Parramatta Eels.
He's also expected to attend church in Sydney on Sunday.
An average of opinion polls puts Labor ahead of the coalition 53-47 on a two-party preferred basis, which would deliver Mr Shorten a comfortable majority.
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