Election 2016: Malcolm Turnbull names a date

Okay - end of the day for me. What happened?

• Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the Senate's bluff;
• the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, accepted the government's advice and recalled Parliament for three weeks from April 18;
• to debate the government's building watchdog legislation;
• if it is not passed Mr Turnbull will call a double dissolution election for July 2;
• this seems likely with many of the members of the Senate crossbench interpreting Mr Turnbull's move as a threat;
• the budget will be held on May 3;
• Labor says it is ready for the election.

My thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their work and to you for reading and commenting on the pop up effort. Surprise!

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Andrew, Alex and I will be back on April 18. We hope to see you then. Go well.

We are still to hear from Jacqui Lambie but senators Muir, Madigan and Lazarus appear not to be for turning which means the government does not have the numbers to get the legislation passed.

Senators Xenophon and Leyonhjelm are more coy with talk of amendments.

Senator Day does support the legislation and Senator Wang seems to be inclined to.

Senator Dio Wang is open to the idea of voting for the legislation and in its current form.

He welcomes Mr Turnbull's "decisive action" after "months of uncertainty and threats".

The remaining Palmer United Palmer senator told Sky News he could support the legislation and not because of the threat of double dissolution. He will also make up his own mind regardless of the thoughts of PUP leader Clive Palmer.

In case you would like to catch up on the legislation that is causing all the fuss you can do so in this handy explainer by The Age's workplace reporter, Nick Toscano.

It is an interesting existential crisis the crossbench finds itself confronting.

Most of them are almost certainly gone from the Senate thanks to the changes to upper house voting passed last week. Only Nick Xenophon is confident of being returned. There has been an interesting current of support for Senator Ricky Muir who has become a bit of favourite on the crossbench for his straight talking and down to earth manner. Which is fine but a separate issue from the system that got him elected in the first place.

The senators are contemplating being unemployed in a few months' time (and I don't see senators Muir, Day or Madigan moving on to plush careers as corporate lobbyists do you?).

What is the saying about always back the horse called self interest because at least you know it's trying?

And it is now well and truly time for the unique take on the day's story by The Age's national affairs editor, Tony Wright.

Tony has interviewed Dudley Junket, the head of the Federated Airline Travel and Corporate Annual Tripsters (FATCATs) agency.

"This has completely buggered up our forecasts for business and first-class seat loadings to France, Italy and Spain," Mr Junket told Tony.

Labor is going all "I told you so" to the crossbench and Greens:

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

The Victorian government has announced it will also bring its budget forward by a week so it will no longer clash with the federal budget.

The Victorian state budget will now be delivered on April 27.

Senator Muir says he will stand again but "the reality" is that the new upper house voting rules will make it harder for minor parties.

He has not discussed either the legislation or the likelihood of an election with his fellow crossbenchers.

"It would be a sad day for Australian democracy if we all folded because they, essentially, put a gun to our head," Senator Muir says.

Moving on to the Motoring Enthusiasts senator Ricky Muir.

"Would this make me vote for the ABCC legislation? No," Senator Muir says.

"I stand tall and proud that I was elected under the system that was in place at the time."