SCOTT Morrison's self-described "miracle" victory at the 2019 federal election brought longtime Labor favourite Anthony Albanese to the Opposition leadership, as part of an overhaul that also jettisoned a number of controversial policies that were blamed for helping former leader Bill Shorten snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
It remains to be seen how Mr Albanese handles the official election campaign, once Mr Morrison names an election date, but in Newcastle yesterday, the member for Grayndler was sticking tightly to the script of his speech, seemingly as part of a "small target" strategy to be based - as he described it yesterday - on "renewal, not revolution".
Australian summers between the Christmas break and the Australia Day long weekend are traditionally politics-free zones, when the electorate can switch off, at least for a while, and our elected representatives can have a break from what for most of them is an arduous and stressful lifestyle.
But not this time around.
The constant battle against COVID has disrupted the political cycle to the point where obvious times to for the prime minister to call an election - when millions of Australians were feeling their wallets filled by JobKeeper, for example - slipped by as the coronavirus crisis took another turn.
During his speech at Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club yesterday, Mr Albanese mentioned March and May as election possibilities.
The last possible day for a House of Representatives/half Senate election is May 21, which would mean calling an election no later than April 18.
The federal parliamentary library observes there has never been a federal election in February, and in November last year Mr Morrison announced a draft date of March 29 for the annual budget, although this can be changed if the government feels it will gain an edge by going before then.
The all-pervasive nature of the coronavirus pandemic will have a myriad of impacts on the election campaign.
This was clearly evident yesterday, with Mr Albanese an almost anonymous individual behind his COVID mask, socially distanced from the usual handshake meet-and-greet sessions.
If these times suit the incumbents as much as the pundits say, then Labor will need to provide clear reasons for the electorate to support Mr Albanese, rather than simply opposing the Morrison government.
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