WHAT WAS CLAIMED
The prime minister was not standing in front of an Australian flag when he called the election.
OUR VERDICT
False. Photos show two Australian flags behind him during the announcement.
AAP FACTCHECK - The prime minister was standing in front of two Australian flags when he announced the election date, contrary to claims online.
Anthony Albanese made the announcement at parliament house on March 28, 2025, after asking the governor-general to issue the writs for the May 3 election.
The claim appears in a Facebook post featuring an image of the PM's press conference with only the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags visible behind him.
"Calls the Australian election but not in front of our national flag," the caption says.
However, various other photos from the announcement show that the claim is false.
While some angles only show the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags behind Mr Albanese, multiple wider shots taken by AAP photographers reveal an Australian flag on each side of the prime minister, beside the two Indigenous flags.
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