2.30pm – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is flying from Brisbane to Canberra this afternoon and is expected to announce a September 7 election in the next few hours.
The last election was held on August 21, 2010. The Parliament first met on September 28, 2010 and will expire on September 27, after which an election must be held by November 30.
A September 7 election will be the fifth September election since Federation in 1901. September elections were held in 1914, 1934, 1940 and 1946.
The ALP goes into the election with a nominal 72 seats. It needs to win 4 more to be returned with a majority of 1.
Media idiocy will reach new heights during this election. With Rudd in the air and no announcement likely for a few hours, Sky News has been tracking his plane’s movements:
2.48pm – Kevin Rudd and his wife, Therese Rein, have disembarked in Canberra.
3.09pm – Kevin Rudd has arrived at Government House, Yarralumla, to see the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce.
3.23pm – Kevin Rudd has left Government House after a 10-minute meeting with the Governor-General to advise the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament.
3.29pm – The ALP has sent an email to supporters confirming that the election will be held on September 7.
