I can't see what the political advantage of such an early announcement is other than as a last ditch defence from within.
Gillard will ramp it up to a flat out blitz 'em campaign for about 3 months before the date and for most of which the coalition can not claim the costs. When she is so far behind, she needs the longest campaign time she can get. By calling the date now and issuing writs only 33 days from the election, she makes sure that the opposition doesn't have nearly as much of the election funding they need if she called the election and issued the writs say 2 months from the election.
Bligh did the same in Qld by nominating the date early and issuing the writs as late as possible, effectively having a long funded campaign for her but not for the LNP. Didn't help her much either.
Cheers
Country Lad
Same old ALP tricks.
Let's hope the same happens to Gillard.
The ALP should pay for their own TV and campaign ads.
Disgraceful.
gg
The Age said:PRIME Minister John Howard has spent nearly $2 billion on government advertising and information campaigns since coming to power 11 years ago.
A Sunday Age investigation has found that just weeks from calling an election, the Government has 18 advertising campaigns on the air, with a $23 million climate change campaign to air after this week's APEC conference.
"Howard's $2 billion ad splurge"
Why announce it so far ahead?
Because now their excuse for not doing anything will be an election campaign. They get to kick back and not run the country for 8 months while still getting paid. Sounds good to me
Politicians really have it easy don't they...I just couldn't do it though.
All you need is to be able to lie with a poker face, and sleep at night.
CanOz
Why announce it so far ahead? And holding elections right in the middle of footy finals? Baffling.
On the bright side, it should be a great Santa Claus rally this year.
I believe Gillard has an ulterior motive in calling the election in September. Don't be surprised if she changes her mind and still calls it earlier. I would not trust her as far as I could throw her. Remember, " NO CARBON TAX UNDER THE GOVERNMENT I LEAD".
She may think she can draw Abbott out to open up with some costed policies but I believe he is more astute than that and won't release anything until after the budget is announced.
Pales into insignificance when you take into account the advertising of carbon tax, compensation schemes, NBN, pink batts, education revolution, nation building stimulus, schoolkids bonus, mining tax, etc etc etc. Just wait till we tally up the next 7 months.
Cheers
Country Lad
and the mining tax hasn't actually raised any money yet, cost = 0
MATHEW DUNCKLEY
Giving more than 220 days’ notice of a federal election is an unprecedented move of uncertain merit, say political scientists.
Senior political academics told The Australian Financial Review the reasons for Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s announcement could include a desire to smoke out opposition policies, to take advantage of the benefits of incumbency of office while simultaneously campaigning, to focus attention on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, and to stifle ALP leadership speculation.
Monash University senior lecturer in politics, Nick Economou, said he believed the decision, in fact, played to the opposition’s strengths because a campaign environment took the focus off policies and put it onto personalities. “I’m wondering if this is just another example of [the Prime Minister’s] past record of not being very astute when it comes to political strategy,” Dr Economou said. “Abbott proved at the last election that he is a very good campaigner. Gillard is not as good a performer on the hustings.”
Dr Economou said the long campaign would give the electorate eight months to “cogitate” on the performance of the government. “Labor seems to think the more the electorate sees of Abbott, the less they like him. I suggest evidence shows the opposite.”
Just to go back to Ms.Gillard's tactics today.
The good money says it was a mistake.
From the AFR
Interesting.
gg
I think it had everything to do with avoiding a challenge, she consulted almost no one regarding this.
0 cost for the mining tax? Surely there were public servants putting it together that were getting paid wages?
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