Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Feb-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the first official interest rate cut in more than four years will have no impact on the timing of the federal election, and that the budget is still set for 25 March. However, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 25 basis point interest rate cut on Tuesday has provided Albanese with a trigger for an early election. RBA governor ­Michele Bullock has downplayed expectations of further interest rate relief, contending that the central bank’s board will need more evidence that inflation is falling to the middle of its 2-3 per cent target range. The RBA’s preferred measure of underlying inflation fell to 3.2 per cent in the year to December, and the central bank now expects it to fall to 2.7 per cent in June. The election must be held no later than 17 May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA