PRIME Minister John Howard will today announce a federal election for November 24.
Mr Howard flew from his Sydney residence Kirribilli to Canberra last night and will meet Governor-General Michael Jeffery at Government House and ask him to dissolve Parliament.
Piers Akerman: Why Rudd is unfit to rule
The election announcement will end months of speculation about the poll date and allow politicians to abandon plans to travel to Canberra for a parliamentary sitting.
It will signal the start of what could be a spiteful six-week campaign.
Gillard angered by muck-racking
The official kick-off has been marked by claims from deputy Labor leader Julia Gillard of muck-raking over allegations about her partner's behaviour.
Hair products salesman Tim Mathieson has defended himself against claims police investigated nuisance calls to a Victorian woman last year, that he fathered a child in his teens and that he walked out on a family business.
Ms Gillard said the claims represented a "new low" in politics.
Trailing Labor in opinion polls, Mr Howard remains confident he can eliminate Labor's lead.
Labor needs to win 16 seats to form government.
Howard's hopes pinned to economy
Mr Howard is pinning his hopes on a booming economy, record low unemployment and the Government's economic management.
But another interest rate rise looms as a threat to the Government's re-election.
The next inflation figure is due on October 24, followed by a Reserve Bank Board meeting on November 6.
Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens has warned he will not shy from a rate rise during the campaign.
Mr Rudd is hoping a backlash against the Coalition's Work Choices reforms and his commitment to sign the Kyoto Protocol and implement a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 will deliver him victory.
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John Howard
Le Premier ministre australien, John Howard, a annoncé que les élections fédérales australiennes de 2007 se tiendront le 24 novembre 2007. John Howard s'était rendu chez le Gouverneur général d'Australie Michael Jeffery plus tôt dans la journée puis a annoncé la nouvelle.

John Howard, Premier ministre australien depuis plus de 10 ans maintenant, a indiqué que les  pour le pays, mais seulement si la  est au pouvoir.

 s'est interrogé John Howard. .

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John Howard a aussi précisé que si son parti, le Parti libéral est reconduit au Gouvernement, Peter Costello deviendra Trésorier d'Australie (ministre de l'Économie) et Alexander Downer continuera à assurer les fonctions de ministre des Affaires étrangères.

Le Premier ministre a annoncé que les arrêts seront publiés le 17 octobre. Ainsi, suivant les modifications récentes du code électoral, les Australiens auront jusqu'à jusqu'à cette date pour vérifier qu'ils sont sur les listes électorales et capables de voter. Voter est obligatoire dans les élections fédérales australiennes.