I was told the date of the federal election, but I forgot to write it down

I hang around Canberra a fair bit. As I work there, its literally and figuratively an occupational hazard!

Anyway, last week, before Jerlia became PM, a Canberra insider, in a fit of unexpected candour, told me when the next election would be held. This is where I should have been concentrating more closely, or had a dictaphone handy (negative to both) - and I can't for the life of me remember whether he said it would be August 21 or October 16. It was definitely one of those.

Apparently dates for these things are decided months in advance, and even so-called 'snap election' dates are decided on well before they are announced.

Either way, I expect the next Conservative federal government to be sworn in by a dispirited-looking Governor General well before the first Tuesday in November.

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