PM pushes for fixed terms amid election date talk

Constant speculation about the federal election date has reinforced the need for fixed parliamentary terms, the prime minister says, as Tropical Cyclone Alfred casts doubt on when Australians will go to the polls.

Anthony Albanese was widely tipped to visit the governor-general in the coming days to call the election for April 12.

The category two system is expected to cross the southeast Queensland coast late Friday or early Saturday, bringing dangerous winds and flash flooding that could impact millions of homes.

The prime minister rejected suggestions he was looking at the election timing in response to the cyclone, saying he was "focused on lives" and not votes.

But he said repeated questions on the election, which must be held by May 17, reinforced the need for certainty on when Australians go to the polls in the future.

"These are questions that have been asked this week, this month, last month, the month before," he told Sky News on Thursday.

"They've been asked for a long period of time.

"This is why we need four-year fixed terms to provide certainty."

April 12 was firming as the most likely date for this year's election, ahead of a Monday deadline for Mr Albanese to make the call.

If the election is not called for April 12, Australians are likely to head to the ballot box in May.

This is because the only other Saturdays in April, the 19th and 26th, have been ruled out because of the Easter holidays and the Anzac Day long weekend.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says preparations are still being made for the 2025/26 federal budget, which is slated for March 25.

"We've been having meetings for hours and hours on end in the cabinet room to put that budget together," he told Sky News.

"If that budget is necessary, that's certainly been our expectation, we'll be ready to hand it down on the 25th."

The formal budget is expected to be scrapped if an election is called before March 25.

Regardless of when Australians will go to the polls, the federal government's standing amongst voters isn't overly positive, and many have grown increasingly disillusioned with the major parties.

Younger Australians are becoming a bigger part of the voting public, with the number of Gen Z and Millennials outnumbering Baby Boomers and many turning to the Greens and minor parties, according to data from Compare Club.

As the cost of living dominates political discussion, housing affordability remains a key financial pain point for voters.

Labor has continued to court Australians across a range of issues, announcing it will ensure any organisations hoping to win federal government contracts are actually Australian.

For a company to identify as an official "Australian business" it must be at least 50 per cent or more Australian-owned or be principally traded on an Australian equities market, have Australian tax residency and its principal place of business in Australia.

"When we say we want Australian companies to have a chance to provide goods and services to government, we want genuine, true-blue Australian businesses to do so," federal Industry Minister Ed Husic said.

"These changes help smaller Australian businesses have a fair crack, providing genuine competition against big multinational firms for government contracts."

Commonwealth procurement averages about $70 billion across 80,000 contracts committed to every year.