From The Australian:

THE next federal election will be held on Saturday, September 14, Julia Gillard has announced.

The Prime Minister told the National Press Club she would visit the Governor-General on August 12 to advise her to dissolve the parliament and issue election writs.

She said she had announced the date to allow a year of ‘cool and reasoned deliberation’, rather than eight months of feverish campaigning.

Very odd but it would not surprise me that yesterday’s AFR story, Voters to send Labor packing: poll, may have tipped her hand. The article shows there has been an average of 4.8% swing against Labor in the 54 most marginal seats. The Coalition would win 91 seats on this reckoning while Labor would be reduced to 54. For all that, she wants to be PM to the bitter end.