The government’s bill aimed to bring back the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), scrapped by the former Labor government and loathed by union leaders.
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“There have been too many troubling incidents over recent times for them simply to be dismissed”, MP Shorten said during an address at WestPac’s 199th birthday earlier this month.
Labor accused Mr Turnbull of misleading the governor-general over his reasons for proroguing parliament, using “propaganda” to justify restoring the ABCC.
The Turnbull government will reportedly spruik $16 billion in savings over four years in the federal budget, as it prepares for an all-but-certain double dissolution election on July 2.
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 previous year.
“They know where we stand and what we stand for”. Well known to Australians through his prominent public life as a barrister and advocate for the republic movement, he maintains a handy lead over Mr Shorten as preferred prime minister.
In the wake of the news of an early election, LGBTI rights organisations have called for members of the queer community to ensure they are enrolled to vote.
Should Malcolm Turnbull be re-elected he will likely make good on his threat to hold a joint sitting of parliament to pass controversial legislation to reinstate the building unions watchdog. All 150 seats in the House of Representatives and all 76 Senate seats are up for grabs in such a ballot.
On Monday, Turnbull said it was imperative the bill was passed, and was more than happy to gamble on a double dissolution election to help it pass.
“We have until the 10th or 11th of May to decide to have a double dissolution election”, Bishop said on The Project.
Fresh from getting the trigger for a double-dissolution July 2 election from the Senate, Malcolm Turnbull headed out to a multi-storey construction site in Canberra.
The Prime Minister’s office said Mr Turnbull would not be making a statement about the ABCC bills or a double dissolution on Monday evening. Although ostensibly created to resolve political deadlocks, in practice it has largely been used opportunistically by governments who see an advantage in going to the polls early.
If the legislation is defeated, voters will be headed to the polling booths in July – provided Mr Turnbull keeps to his word.
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The Liberal-National coalition will seek a vote on the legislation in the upper house as it has planned, George Brandis, Australia’s attorney-general and leader of the government in the Senate, said in a separate AM Agenda interview.
