Australian prime minister visits governor general in 1st step toward calling August elections

Australian PM poised to announce August elections

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited the country’s governor general Saturday, a procedural step toward calling a general election for late August.

Gillard — who grabbed power in a surprise ruling party coup three weeks ago — must defend her first-term government’s massive spending at the polls, expected to be held on Aug. 21 or Aug. 28.

Gillard was seen Saturday driving through the gates of the official residence of Governor-General Quentin Bryce, who is responsible for authorizing the election on the date the prime minister chooses. Gillard’s office would not comment before she makes an announcement at a press conference later Saturday.

Opinion polls point to her ruling Labor Party winning a second three-year term, but analysts expect a tight contest against a resurgent conservative opposition led by Tony Abbott.

Gillard was former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s deputy. Rudd became a Labor Party hero when he led it to a crushing election victory in November 2007 after 11 years in opposition.

He remained one of the most popular prime ministers in modern Australian history until he made a series of unpopular political moves earlier this year, including shelving a key pledge to make major industries pay for the carbon gas that they emit.