2016 Federal Election July 2

Written on the 9 May 2016

The Prime Minister the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP today announced that he has advised the Governor-General, His Excellency General, the Hon Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), to call a double dissolution election, to be held on Saturday, 2 July, 2016. This will be one of the longest federal election campaigns in recent history, lasting almost 2 months.

This Barton Deakin Brief outlines the key information on the 2016 Federal Election. 

Double Dissolution Constitutional Procedure 
A double dissolution election is a Constitutional mechanism that was designed to break a deadlock between the two houses of Parliament (the House of Representatives and the Senate). Section 57 of the Australian Constitution stated that in the event that a Bill has been passed by the House of Representatives but rejected by the Senate twice in the life of the Parliament with a period of at least three months in lapsing between each attempt, the Governor-General may dissolve Parliament and call an election of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This cannot be done within six months of the date that the House of Representatives' term expires. 
There have been six double dissolution elections called since the first Australian Parliament was elected. This will be the first double dissolution since 1987.

Read more...