AUSTRALIANS could be voting in their first winter federal election for more than 20 years as speculation mounts that Kevin Rudd will call an early poll.
Ministers are curtailing their overseas travel, while retiring Labor and Liberal MPs yesterday confirmed they have been told to make their farewell speech in the final two sitting weeks in June, before Parliament's winter recess. Further fuelling speculation, Mr Rudd's department yesterday issued new caretaker government guidelines to public servants for during the campaign.
With opinion polls showing Mr Rudd's popularity collapsing and Labor and the Coalition neck-and-neck, it has been suggested the government could go to an early election because of fears it could slide back further. The most likely window is for an election in late August or early September, to fit in with constitutional requirements and avoid clashing with state polls and school holidays. Mr Rudd has signalled repeatedly his intention to serve a full term.
Meanwhile, a letter obtained by The West Australian suggests ministers have had their wings clipped to focus on campaigning. The Australia China Natural Gas Technology Partnership Fund said Resources Minister Martin Ferguson had declined an invitation to visit China in July, saying he was ''unlikely to be able to attend the Shanghai Expo due to Australia's electoral cycle and, as a consequence, the Australian Prime Minister is limiting Ministerial travel during this period''.
However, Labor insiders played down the significance of the no-travel and speechmaking instructions.
The last time an election was held in winter was in July 1987, when Bob Hawke defeated John Howard.
