Good decision? Bad decision? What do you think?
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called a general election for 14 September.
Ms Gillard said that she would ask Governor-General Quentin Bryce to order parliament be dissolved on 12 August.
She said the announcement – fully (and historically – this has never been seen before) – eight months in advance – was “not to start the nation’s longest election campaign – but to help businesses and individuals plan their year.”
Ms Gillard leads a minority government – in itself an historical anomaly in Australia – that relies on independents to survive.
Speculation will be rife as to why Gillard has made this bold and unheard of move. Wellthisiswhatithink will bring you the best of the coverage – and our own thoughts – when we have had a chance to digest this most unexpected news.
Well, This Is What I Think 
Bad decision. Now we have to put up with 8 months of electioneering. Boring, boring , boring. I guess she’s hoping Abbott will shoot himself in the foot before then.
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But would it have been any different if she hadn’t named a date? The election has to be sometime around then. I feel it’s just a clever grab for the media spotlight. Don’t you think we would have had eight months of non stop campaigning anyway?
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I think maybe not a bad idea for Julia. Tony can’t stall for the next 5 months before he announces his policies. For the rest of us, switch off, unless something real is said!!
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Look, I really think we were going to be in election mode until then anyway – this just makes it “official”.
I guess it does make Gillard look PM-ish, too, which can’t hurt her. I still think it’s Abbott’s election to lose … people are thoroughly sick of Labor, whether that is fair or unfair. “Non political” people haven’t forgiven her for the Rudd thing, because he was popular with non-political people. Everyone else thought he was a power mad control freak, but everyone else isn’t, er, everybody.
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