Aus PM threatens early election over Senate deadlock

In a surprise move,Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today threatened to hold early general elections in July if the Senate fails to end a deadlock and pass two key labour bills aimed at curbing union corruption.
The Senate has rejected bills put forward by the lower house aiming to re-establish a construction industry watchdog and regulate union management.
Turnbull, 61, said he had sought Governor-General 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".
"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," Turnbull said, setting the date for July 2 this year.

"The restoration of the ABCC [Australian Building and Construction Commission] is a critical economic reform. The time for playing games is over," he said.
The next election for the House of Representatives must be held on or before January 14 next year.

Media reports said that following the Prime Minister's advice,Cosgrove has used his constitutional powers to recall both houses of parliament next week.
The Senate would nowmeet to discuss a bill for restoringAustralian Building and Industry Commissionand another bill imposing tougher governance measures on trade unions that has been rejected twice.
"The go-slows and obstruction by Labor and the Greens on this key legislation must end," Turnbull said, adding that he would bebringingthe budget forward a week.

He said the decisionwas taken last night and theCabinet were informed this morning.
"The time has come for the Senate to recognise its responsibilities and help advance our economic plans, rather than standing in the way," he said.
Under the existing schedule, the House of Representatives was set for an extended break until May 10, when the budget was due to be handed down.
The ABCC bill seeks to re-establish the ABCC, a watchdog
monitoring the actions of unions. The Registered Organisations bill seeks to hold unions to higher standards of transparency and accountability.
If the bills are rejected by the Senate during the three-week sitting period, Turnbull is expected to call a rare double dissolution election.

The Industrial Relations (IR) laws have been opposed by the Labor and the Greens, statingthe government should notbe singling out one industry and that the building commission's powers go well beyond a court.
The government needs the support of six of the eight crossbench senators to pass the bills.
Australia's upper house (Senate) can reject legislation proposed by its lower house. A double dissolution is a mechanism designed to break deadlocks. The last time it was used was in 1987.
When a bill is repeatedly blocked in the Senate the prime minister can ask for both houses to be dissolved, and an election to take place.