So the election will obviously be after the G20. You can't go to the G20 if you're not in government (as is my understanding).
Today (and Monday if everyone gets their act together) sees the chance of a 7 September election. If Rudd does nothing this weekend, then he's set on Gillard's date - which he's pretty much ruled out - or he gets into the footy finals season.
Interesting that Rudd has never called an election. In 2006 he was expected to return from holidays fresh for an early 2007 election. He would have won if he had gone then. Instead he sat on his hands, did nothing and watched as the polls dropped to the point that Gillard declared that his government had lost its way and took over.
That's where Rudd fails as a leader. He doesn't actually do anything much. He talks about things, but he squanders opportunities. Remember when he was elected? He had a massive mandate, huge popular support, every State and Territory government onside. These are the sort of circumstances when everything aligns perfectly that very rarely occur for any Prime Minister. These are the times to bring in bold initiatives, to change the Constitution, to implement reforms.
Gough seized the moment. Hawke likewise. They got things done.
Rudd talked about a lot of stuff but nothing happened. Apart from pink batts, school halls and $900 freebies.
He had Malcolm Turnbull as Opposition Leader for a while. You'd think he would have pushed for a republican change to the Constitution. With bipartisan support and a good model it would have gotten up. But no...
Rudd sits in the big chair, delivers impressive speeches, gets everybody running around, and yet when you check back in a few months, a year, three years, nothing has changed. Apart from the number of foreign junkets. That number keeps on going up. His attention isn't on Australia. It's fixed on the image of Kevin Rudd, world statesman, civilising <people from countries> who laugh at him.