Gillard sets an example for future PMs It should become compulsory for future prime ministers to announce the election date at their first major speech of the election year. While that will not happen, Julia Gillard's example will certainly put enormous pressure on future leaders to follow suit. After all, the dates for polling day in spring are limited, curtailed by football and international conferences, so why not get it over with early, rather than follow John Howard's example of guessing games all year. The Prime Minister's decisive action means the day of reckoning for federal public servants approaches. They now know when it is likely - if current polling is accurate - that Tony Abbott will begin to severely prune their ranks. He will appear at the National Press Club on Thursday to follow Gillard's appearance, where he is expected to confirm a Coalition Government would reduce the federal public service by 12,000 through natural attrition. So there will be fewer personnel to do more, if the Coalition wins and begins swingeing changes to existing policy and implementing its suite of promises. However, another financial blow for public servants will come earlier than the election; the May Budget means they are in for a double whammy this year, from both sides of politics. That's because Gillard is promising to cut middle-class welfare to fund her signature policies, such as disability insurance. That means Canberra, with the nation's highest-paid workforce, will suffer disproportionately. Gillard has shown no mercy with single-parents payments and can be expected to clamp down further on parenting payments for higher paid workers. Superannuation breaks for the rich will be in the firing line, although the last reduction in the amount workers can salary sacrifice to super - the new ceiling is $25,000 - was extremely shortsighted for a nation facing a huge bill to pay for the health care needs of ageing baby boomers. Since the May 14 Budget portends cuts to programs, it could mean further lay-offs and dislocation to the public service. Gillard wants voters to focus on her government's actions rather than believing Australia is suffering a very long election campaign. Good luck with that. In the ACT the person who will now begin to do some hard strategic thinking is Zed Seselja. Will the ACT Opposition Leader jump into federal politics? Poll: What does the long lead time before the September 14 election mean for the economy in Canberra? It's good. The certainty of a date means people can get on with business without worrying about an election being called any minute. It's bad. There is effectively going to be an eight-month long election campaign, and business stops in Canberra in election campaigns. I think elections don't affect Canberra business anymore. Total votes: 817. Poll closes in 31 days.