Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has set the stage for early elections on 2 July, despite signs his popularity is sagging, by recalling parliament in the boldest gamble of his leadership.
Parliament will be recalled from its seven-week recess to sit on 18 April, Mr Turnbull has said, to vote on labour reform bills that are likely to be blocked in the upper house Senate by smaller parties such as the influential Greens and the main centre-left opposition Labor Party, enabling Mr Turnbulll to trigger an early election.
“The time for playing games is over,” Mr Turnbull said in a televised news conference. “This is an opportunity for the Senate to do its job of legislating rather than filibustering. The go-slows and obstruction by Labor and the Greens on this key legislation must end.”
The wheels were set in motion for an early poll when the Senate passed voting reforms on Friday after a marathon session.
An election is due by January 2017 but had been widely expected by political pundits to be called later this year.
Mr Turnbull has consistently led opinion polls since he came to power last year, but there are signs his honeymoon period may be ending.
A new Newspoll showed Mr Turnbull’s popularity falling into negative territory for the first time. The poll of 2,049 voters, taken from Thursday to Sunday, showed satisfaction with his performance fell to 39 per cent, while dissatisfaction rose to 43 per cent.
Labor Party leader Bill Shorten welcomed the announcement, calling it a sign of a government in “full panic mode”.
“Mr Turnbull has a plan for his re-election, he just doesn’t have a plan for Australia,” Shorten told reporters.
If Mr Turnbull was to lose the election, Australia would have its sixth prime minister since 2010.
Reuters
