July 2 poll firms as Turnbull delivers ultimatum

MALCOLM Turnbull has surprised his opponents with a display of sudden decisiveness, which could finally kill the impression he is a ditherer.

WE ARE heading for a July 2 double dissolution election after Malcolm Turnbull today delivered a non-negotiable demand, which senators are expected to reject.

“The time for playing games is over,” the Prime Minister said as he surprised his opponents and voters with a big electoral gamble and a display of decisiveness.

Mr Turnbull wants to shed the Labor tag he is a ditherer as he aims for an election victory that would legitimise his ousting of Tony Abbott last September.

But his tough guy announcement today will be tested during an unofficial election campaign of four months, during which Parliament will have an extended sitting from April 18.

Labor will launch a running guerilla campaign during those sitting days to disrupt Parliament and depict the government as an administration in chaos.

The untidiness of the Senate last week will be spread to both chambers, for longer.

But there are significant positives available for Mr Turnbull.

He wants the focus of at least the start of an election campaign to be the power of trade unions, the single most unifying debate within the Coalition parties, shared by anti-Turnbull conservatives and his moderate allies.

The Prime Minister also firmly believes ordinary voters “get it” when he accuses unions of operating unchecked and hurting employment and economic growth.

However, he will face a Labor counter campaign based on job protection, fulltime employment and protecting penalty rates, matters which directly related to household finances.

Display of decisiveness: Malcolm Turnbull speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra this morning. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The early election of all positions in both houses would only be prevented by the Senate passing legislation to revive the Australian Building and Construction Commission, and the registered organisations measures.

The ABCC, an industry watchdog, has been rejected once and the registered organisations Bill, which would impose restrictions on union operations, is already an election trigger, having been knocked down twice.

One danger for Mr Turnbull is that voters might consider his manoeuvres too sneaky, and be cynical about his actions, marking him down accordingly.

Another is that his reform of Senate voting last week, making it hugely difficult for micro-party senators to survive an election, could wreck crossbencher support for the ABCC.

He needs the Senate backing of six of the eight crossbenchers and most likely will get just five, with Glenn Lazarus, John Madigan and Jacqui Lambie opposing it with Labor and the Greens.

Family First senator Bob Day was called by Mr Turnbull today, who asked him to back the legislation, and to encourage crossbench colleagues to back it.

Senator Day said he would vote for it but believed it might be hard to get other supporters.

The Prime Minister’s biggest surprise was to recalled both Houses of Parliament on April 18, through a proclamation by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.

And the Budget will be brought forward from May 10 to May 3, despite repeated assurances from senior ministers to would be delivered as scheduled.