Opposition Leader Peter Dutton welcomes delay on upcoming federal election

Speculation over an early election looks to be over with the Albanese government tentatively looking at a May 2025 deadline.

While not set in stone, the release of next year's parliamentary sitting calendar and the government locking in March 25 as budget day, many see this as a hint the budget will set out the serving prime minister's election agenda and then call voters to the ballot box come May.

But while these dates can change at any moment, Peter Dutton, who once advocated for an early election, welcomed the delay.

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"To be honest, watching the Albanese government at the moment, I'm happy to see it go longer," the opposition leader told Today.

"I think they are contorting into a knot at the moment, the prime minister hasn't got a clue what he's doing and I think Bill Shorten might be thinking about delaying his retirement, because whilst he's going in February, there could be an opportunity still left."

Shorten, the minister for government services and the NDIS, said he was confident the election would be favourable for the government but refused to respond to Dutton's suggestion he might throw his hat back in the ring, instead of stepping down from politics as planned.

"Whether it's March or May, I'm watching a slow motion train wreck with the prime minister and here you are still lurking in the background,' Dutton quipped.

Hear the full chat with Dutton and Shorten in the video above