Voters will almost certainly go to the polls on July 2, as Malcolm Turnbull and crossbenchers talked down the prospect of workplace laws passing the Senate.
The prime minister appeared pessimistic about the Australian Building and Construction Commission bills passing, while several crucial independent senators indicated they would not support them.
"Regrettably, they seem to be even less supportive of the bills this year than they were last year," Mr Turnbull said of the crossbenchers.
Independent senator Glenn Lazarus said he suspected Mr Turnbull did not want the laws to pass.
"I think he really wants the double dissolution election on July 2nd," Senator Lazarus said.
Fellow independent John Madigan said he had no confidence the government wanted to negotiate in good faith, while Nick Xenophon says it's possible the Senate might decide when it returns on April 18 to not even debate the bills, let alone get to a vote.
Parliament returns early on April 18 to debate and vote on laws to bring back the building industry watchdog and impose tougher penalties for union corruption.
If the bills fail, creating a double dissolution trigger, an election of the full Senate and lower house will be held on July 2.
The Liberal party has begun setting up its campaign headquarters in Canberra and on Tuesday sought donations via an email to supporters saying "our work to secure Australia's future starts now".
Labor leader Bill Shorten, who campaigned in Brisbane and Gladstone on Tuesday, said Mr Turnbull was either being "chaotic or tricky".
"Mr Turnbull's got a plan to have an election, we've got a plan for Australia," he said.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the crossbenchers have had long enough to consider the bills and they should pass without amendment.
"This is not an ambush, this is not blackmail," he said.
If the bills fail, a seven-week election campaign is expected to start on May 11.
Senator Cormann, who is working with Treasurer Scott Morrison on the budget to be delivered on May 3, said a longer-than-usual election campaign will give voters plenty of time to assess the coalition's tax policy.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Tony Abbott has sparked a debate over whether his achievements in government will be the key to the coalition's re-election hopes.
He says stopping the boats, finalising free trade agreements and a strong national security policy are part of his legacy.
Mr Turnbull said he would campaign on "continuity and change".
"There are a lot of things I've done that either he (Mr Abbott) hadn't done or that he wasn't of a mind to do," he told radio 3AW.
Mr Shorten said 80 per cent of the government's legislation was designed by Mr Abbott.
"It doesn't matter who is in charge of the Liberal Party, be it Mr Abbott, or Mr Turnbull, it is all continuity with no change," he said.
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