The Australian media worked itself up into a major lather today at the news that Labor and The Greens have dared Tony Abbott to call an early election. In rejecting his bill to abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation for the second time, the senate has handed the government its first double dissolution trigger.
Tony Abbott is never going to pull said double dissolution trigger. This early election is never going to happen. To paraphrase Ms
Nicki Minaj, talk of an early election is getting hotter and hotter, sexy and hotter, and it’s time to shut it down.
Let’s look at this logically. The threat of a double dissolution – in which the government ask the Governor General to dissolve both houses and call an election – looms over the government every time they face a hostile senate. Numerous Prime Ministers have faced the threat, but the last one to actually follow through was
Bob Hawke way back in 1987.
Given that Abbott is currently trailing in the polls, it would be madness for him to call an election right now. Not only that, but Abbott only has to wait until next month, when the balance of power shifts to the independents in the Senate, before reintroducing the bill. He’ll then have to contend with various Palmer United lunatics to secure the abolition of the CEFC, but he’s already declared he’s pretty confident that will work out.
In summary, then, Abbott will not rise to this dare from Labor and The Greens and he is not about to call a double dissolution because of what the Senate did today. Everyone go about your business.
Photo: Stefan Postles via Getty Images
