Malcolm Turnbull says the rejection of his government’s proposed industrial relations laws would justify a double dissolution election, which remains a “clear option” ahead of the last sitting week before parliament rises for a pre-budget break.
But the bill to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), widely assumed to be the government’s preferred trigger for a double dissolution, could only be used if the government calls an early budget, a prospect the prime minister is refusing to confirm.
Turnbull said on Friday his government was still considering whether to use two bills – one proposing to beef up accountability measures for unions, the other to re-introduce the construction industry watchdog – as triggers to dismiss the House and Senate.
“What I’m saying to the senators and particularly to the crossbenchers, and indeed to the Labor party and Greens, is vote for this bill,” Turnbull told ABC radio.
“They vote for those bills, then there would be no question, we wouldn’t even be talking about the possibility of a double dissolution.
“But look, it is clearly an option and is something the government considers. But the way to take that option away is for the senators to pass those bills,” he said.
But the bill to reintroduce the ABCC has been left off the list of bills the government is insisting be passed next week, when the Senate resumes for its final sitting before the May budget.
Should the government use the ABCC to call a double dissolution it would need to recall parliament early for a budget in the first week of May, instead of the second Tuesday, in order to have enough time to call a double dissolution within the constitutionally permissible time frame.
According to the constitution, the dissolution of the Senate cannot take place within six months of the end of the term of the House of Representatives – meaning no double dissolution could be called after 11 May, just one day after the scheduled budget date.
The ABCC bill was first rejected by the Senate in August last year but re-introduced to parliament this month.
Next week is also likely to see new Senate voting rules passed, allowing them to be in place early enough for a possible 2 July election.
.png?w=600)
