Malcolm Turnbull threatens double dissolution, announces May 3 budget
MALCOLM Turnbull has declared he will pull the trigger on a double dissolution election if the Senate fails to pass key trade union laws by his set deadline.
National
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MALCOLM Turnbull has announced he will pull the trigger for a double dissolution election on July 2 if the Senate fails to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission in a specially convened sitting of Parliament.
The Prime Minister this morning announced he had sought Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove to ask him to recall both houses of Parliament on April 18 to sit for three weeks and pass key trade union laws, declaring “the time for playing games is over”.
As well as the Australian Building and Constuction Commission Bill, which was rejected once by the upper house, Mr Turnbull wants the Senate to pass the twice-rejected Registered Organisations Bill imposing tougher governance measures on trade unions.
“If the Senate fails to pass these laws, I will advise the Governor-General to dissolve both Houses of Parliament and issue writs for an election,” he said.
“Because such a double dissolution must be done on or before 11 May, the Government will be bringing the Budget forward to Tuesday, 3 May, so that Mr (Opposition Leader Bill) Shorten will be able to deliver his reply on the Thursday in the usual way.”
He said the election would be on Saturday, July 2 in the case of a double dissolution election, which would be the first since 1987.
He said the Budget would be delivered a week early on May 3 either way — despite just an hour earlier Treasurer Scott Morrison telling Sydney’s 2GB radio the budget would be on May 10.
Mr Morrison later said the decision to bring forward the budget was was made during a cabinet hook-up at 10am.
‘PM IN PANIC MODE’: SHORTEN
In a press conference early this afternoon, Opposition leader Bill Shorten said it was a case of Malcolm Turnbull putting his own future ahead of that of Australia’s.
“Today Australians have seen a PM in full panic mode,” he said.
“There can be no better demonstration at the chaos at the heat of this dysfunctional and divided Government than the fact that the Treasurer of Australia thought that the Budget was going to be on a different day to his PM, only an hour earlier than when the PM told Australia of the new date.”
Mr Shorten declared that he and the Labor Party were ready for the election.
“Australians are sick of the political games,” he said.
“Let me make it clear, we are not afraid of a double dissolution election. Australians are not afraid of a double dissolution election either. They just want people to get on with their interests, rather than playing political games. We are ready to fight the election”
Mr Shorten said that he would be happy for Parliament to sit on April 18.
“But we won’t be districted on behalf of the interests of the Australian people by Mr Turnbull’s gains. Mr Turnbull has a plan for his re-election, he just doesn’t have a plan for Australia.”
Opposed to the legislation, Mr Shorten said Mr Turnbull was “simply anti-union, and ... we will not allow this legislation to be a camouflage from the real issues.”
DEADLOCK DISSOLUTION
Mr Turnbull earlier said the double dissolution trigger would resolve a parliament deadlock.
“The founders of our constitution wisely included, in the constitution, a mechanism for resolving a deadlock between the two Houses,” he said.
“And that is the double dissolution mechanism.
“Its intention is to resolve deadlocks between the House and the Senate.
“That’s what it’s there for, that’s what it’s been used for in the past.”
Mr Turnbull said it was 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,” he said.
“What we are doing here is giving the Senate ample time — this is three weeks — this is plenty of time to consider the bills, and pass them.”
If they didn’t, he said it was then up to the Australian people to decide the way forward.
“If they don’t want to pass the bills then they should resolve to reject them and then the decision will be left to the Australian people.”
“I make no apology for interrupting senators’ seven-week break to bring them back to deal with this legislation.”
The federal government says it will negotiate in good faith on legislation to reinstate the building industry watchdog but won’t cop unnecessary amendments by the Senate.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, who is overseeing the bills, told the ABC she would not tolerate “amendments just for amendments sake”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce denied they were bullying the Senate.
“We have every right to expect that this process, for the ABCC, is expedited,” he said.
“I think the Australian people have just about had enough of the process of government being confounded, being dragged down,” Mr Joyce said, hitting out at “farcical” nearly 40-hour debate on the government’s Senate voting reform bill last week.
He said the Coalition was ready for an early election, saying they were already in campaign mode.
“We’ve been ready for a July 2 election because we’ve been ready for any election this year,” Mr Joyce said.
“The closer you get the more you know you have to prepare for it. We have been basically in campaign mode making sure that people clearly understand our message for quite some time. Everybody knows this is an election year.”
Labor said the prime minister had put politics ahead of policy in moving the budget forward a week to May 3 and threatening a double dissolution election.
“Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to bring forward the budget is all to do with politics and nothing to do with the economy or tax reform,” shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said in a statement.
AUDIO: OUR EXPERT ANALYSIS
CROSSBENCH REACTION
With Labor and the Greens opposed to its union legislation, the government will need the votes of six of the eight Senate crossbenchers in order to pass the laws and avoid a double dissolution election — however so far most are either against or undecided, with only Family First’s Bob Day voicing support.
Many crossbenchers have voiced anger, adamant they would not respond to threats.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said his party would not back the Bill to bring back the building industry watchdog, suggesting instead establishing a broad-based national anti-corruption watchdog.
“We’re seeing Malcolm Turnbull using the issue of the building commission as a bludgeon to try and get his way through the Senate, continuing on the divisive, destructive approach employed by Tony Abbott,” Mr Di Natale said.
He also accused the Turnbull Government of “blackmailing”.
PM Turnbull promised stability and leadership - but calling the Senate back is more of the same Abbott blackmailing tactics. #auspol
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) March 21, 2016
This sentiment was echoed by independent senator Glenn Lazarus.
“I feel as though it is a threat,” Mr Lazarus said.
“But I’m not going to be blackmailed or bullied into making a decision.”
Independent senator Nick Xenophon said federal parliament was about to get a lot uglier in the debate over trade union laws to restore the building and construction watchdog and impose higher penalties for union corruption.
“If last week was pretty ugly, this debate will be even uglier,” Mr Xenophon warned, referring to last week’s marathon debate on electoral laws.
“We should just get on with it,” he said. He supports the re-establishment of the building industry watchdog, but will try to make several amendments to the legislation.
Palmer United Party senator Dio Wang told ABC radio he would be seeking to amend the ABCC bills, but had not yet decided how to vote.
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm said he would vote for the registered organisations bill.
“But I do not intend to make up my mind about the ABCC bill until I hear whether the government is willing to accept amendments and how other senators respond to the government’s ultimatum,” he said.
Family First senator Bob Day said Mr Turnbull had called him earlier on Monday to ask him to support the legislation and try to get other crossbenchers on board.
Senator Day said he almost convinced his colleagues to back the changes last time, but wasn’t confident the angry crossbench could be persuaded to cooperate following last week’s Senate voting changes.
“Had the government been a little bit more patient last year, it perhaps could’ve got them over the line,” he told Sky News.
WHAT IS A DOUBLE DISSOLUTION?
A double dissolution election is one in which both houses of Parliament are dissolved.
The aim is to break the deadlock preventing the passage of one or more Bills passed by the government in the House of Representatives but rejected twice by the Senate.
The governor-general can call a double dissolution election under section 57 of the Constitution when the House of Representatives and the Senate cannot agree on a Bill.
The prime minister of the day can approach the governor general to seek a double dissolution election.
A Bill must be rejected twice, with or without amendments, before a double dissolution is possible.
A double dissolution is the only election in which all senators, normally elected for two electoral cycles, are all put up for election at the same time.
The last double dissolution, in 1987, was called by Prime Minister Bob Hawke after the Senate twice rejected the government’s Australia Card legislation.
There have been six double dissolutions since Federation:
1914 – the government of PM Joseph Cook was defeated by the ALP
1951 – the Coalition under Robert Menzies won the election and gained control of both houses
1974 – Gough Whitlam’s Labor government won the election but failed to wrest control of the Senate from the Coalition, as hoped
1975 – the Whitlam dismissal. Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the government and appointed Malcolm Fraser as caretaker PM on condition that Fraser would then ask Kerr for a double dissolution. The Coalition won the election and controlled both houses
1983 – the Fraser Coalition government lost the election and the Australian Democrats retained their balance of power in the Senate.
1987 – the Australia Card election, won by Labor, but it failed to win control of the Senate from the Democrats
Originally published as Malcolm Turnbull threatens double dissolution, announces May 3 budget
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