Article: Snap poll option sparks division in Labor ranks

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Snap poll option sparks division in Labor ranks

Snap poll option sparks division in Labor ranks
PHILLIP COOREY
June 30, 2010

A split is emerging inside the Labor Party over election timing, with some operatives cautioning against a rush to the polls and saying that Julia Gillard should first spend a little time defining herself as prime minister.

There is fevered speculation in Canberra and within sections of the ALP that Ms Gillard wants to call an election for August, possibly as early as August 14.

This would require her to start the minimum 33-day campaign the weekend after next.

Labor has surged in the polls since Ms Gillard deposed Kevin Rudd as prime minister and the prevailing school of thought is that she should wait just a couple more weeks.

If the polling proves sustainable, she should call the election on the basis she needs her own mandate from the people.

A senior party figure said yesterday, however, that an emerging countervailing view inside the Labor Party was to let the public see Ms Gillard as Prime Minister for a while and call the election for October. It is understood Mr Rudd had been favouring October for his own election plans.

One proponent of the idea said that by waiting, Ms Gillard could allow Parliament to sit again on August 24 as scheduled.

''She could show her superiority and give them more time to have a look at her,'' he said.

By pushing the election into mid-October, Ms Gillard would also be able to display her prime ministerial status by attending the AFL and NRL grand finals.

The opposition tried to fuel speculation about an early election yesterday by accusing Ms Gillard of wanting to escape accountability.

The shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, believed the election would be called this weekend while the shadow finance minister, Andrew Robb, claimed Mr Rudd had been ''hell-bent'' on an August election.

''Now, with the change of jockey, there's a different reason for running early, to try and capitalise on the personality and the honeymoon issue and avoid scrutiny,'' he said.

One Labor figure said that even if Ms Gillard wanted to go to the polls straight away, she would have to wait at least a fortnight for new commercials to be shot, photographs to be taken of her with backbenchers for their own electoral material, and for party literature featuring Ms Gillard to be prepared.

She has outlined a series of priorities to be addressed before calling the election. She has reshuffled her frontbench and today will try to take some of the heat out of the mining tax debate by announcing an agreement with the coal seam gas sector.

Soothing the concerns of minerals giants remains an obstacle.

Ms Gillard is also expected to announce soon changes in asylum seeker policy, including a push for greater regional co-operation against people smuggling. She is also likely to extend the processing freeze on asylum seekers from Sri Lanka.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald