Malcolm Turnbull has announced both houses of parliament will be recalled on April 18 to discuss the Australia Building and Construction Commission legislation.
He said if the senate fails to pass the legislation in the three sitting weeks he has called, there will be a double dissolution election. Mr Turnbull announced the move in a press conference in Canberra on Monday morning.
The budget has been moved forward to May 3 to allow for the potential double dissolution election.
If there is a double dissolution election it will be on July 2.
PM @TurnbullMalcolm announces he's bringing back both houses of parliament in April to deal with ABCC bill https://t.co/yRPCNHHXjJ — ABC News (@abcnews) March 20, 2016
"I make no apology for interrupting senators' seven-week break to bring them back to deal with this legislation," Mr Turnbull said.
If the Senate passed the ABCC bill and another imposing tougher governance measures on trade unions, there would be no double-dissolution election, Mr Turnbull 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," he said.
"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."
