Canberra, Jan 5 Australia's next federal election is likely to cost the country about an additional A$30 million ($22 million) due to measures in place against the coronavirus pandemic, it was revealed on Tuesday.
In a submission to a Senate budget hearing, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) revealed that the next election would cost taxpayers at least A$400 million, up from A$372 million in 2019, as a result of an expected increase in postal ballots and the hiring of Covid-19 wardens, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Many of the direct cost drivers for a Covid-safe election relate to personal protective equipment, additional security staff for social distancing and hygiene materials," it said.
"Due to the long lead times and storage of many of the sanitizer products, it is unlikely there would be significant reductions in cost as most will be required for readiness for a 2021 event, even if the election does not occur until 2022."
The current three-year term of Parliament is set to end in 2022 but local media reports have said that MPs were preparing for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call for an early election between August and November this year.
The AEC said that the status of the vaccine rollout would have a significant effect on the cost of the election.
"A post-vaccine electoral event may see a reduction in staff costs (compared to a pre-vaccine event) due to the resourcing requirements to manage hygiene and physical distancing," it said.
However, the government is not expecting the vaccine program to be completed until October under a best-case scenario.
On Tuesday, Morrison told local radio station 3AW that there was a lot of work to do over the course of next 12 months and "an election isn't a due till 2022".
"The election is not due until 2022, so I've got enough to do in 2021 and so does the rest of the country," he added.
( With inputs from IANS )
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