18 April 2016•Update: 22 April 2016
By Jill Fraser
MELBOURNE, Australia
An early election is looming in Australia after the country's federal parliament rejected the government’s industrial relations legislation for a second time Monday, providing a trigger for the prime minister to dissolve both Houses.
Malcolm Turnbull had previously made it clear that if the bill was again turned down, he would call a "double-dissolution election" -- the dissolving of both houses of Parliament and the calling of an election to resolve a deadlock.
Voting Monday saw Parliament recalled three weeks early for a "special sitting" to debate two pieces of legislation: reintroduction of the anti-union construction watchdog the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), and the Registered Organisations bill.
The ABCC was subsequently blocked for a second time by the Senate (36 votes to 34), propelling it towards a July 2 vote.
The election will likely not be called until after the federal budget on May 3, but Monday’s result effectively delivers a 75-day election cycle.
Turnbull must visit Governor General Peter Cosgrove no later than May 11 to formally issue the writs and announce the poll.
Monday’s electoral polls show the government and opposition neck and neck, with the government’s previous sizeable lead fading fast.
Turnbull has been trying to get momentum back into the government and gain the "right to rule" upper hand over conservative colleagues who supported – and still support -- former prime minister Tony Abbott, who Turnbull ousted in September of last year.
