Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he intends to call for a rare early election on July 2nd. Turnbull announced this after the Senate rejected his government's proposal to re-establish a construction industry watchdog for a second time.

Turnbull said delivering the annual budget on May 3rd was his priority. He will wait till the budget is delivered before calling on the country's Governor-General to dissolve both houses of the parliament to pave the way for the elections. This will be the country's first early election since 1987.