And that's it from me for the day. What happened?
- Australia is headed to the polls on July 2 (only 75 days to go);
- the Senate rejected the government's building watchdog legislation;
- this gives Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull the trigger he needs for a double dissolution election;
- the House of Representatives voted to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal; and
- and, for a bit of light, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce achieved closure in the delicate matter of Pistol and Boo.
My thanks to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares for their magic and to you for reading and commenting.
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Alex, Andrew and I will be back in the morning. Until then, good night.
Scotch that (see 7.24 pm post).
After a bit of umming and ahhing Mr Turnbull's office says he will not be making any appearances tonight.
Also embracing the active wear trend was independent MP Andrew Wilkie.
Mr Turnbull has left the chamber.
There was some suggestion he would make a statement while he was in there but it now seems more likely he will hold a quick door stop.
Many MPs have been caught on the hop, so to speak, by the vote. #activewearmonday
Back to topMr Burke succeeds and so the vote is being taken again.
The cynic in me says this is a way to prevent Mr Turnbull from speaking in time to make it into the ABC's national news bulletin.
The house has voted to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal.
But the manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, is on his feet disputing the numbers in the vote.
The leader of the house, Christopher Pyne, is cross. He dismisses it as a "juvenile, pathetic debating" trick.
Still waiting for the results of the division in the House of Representatives.
Look who has popped in.
Surely it would be a brave government that interrupted Mother's Day (May 8) to call an election?
Greens leader Richard Di Natale says he expects the Senate to sit this week but that it is "highly unlikely" it will return next week.
He says "the only question" is whether the government calls the election on the weekend after the budget (May 7 and 8) or waits until the following week.
His money is on a weekend trip to Government House by Mr Turnbull.
Back to topThe government has until May 11 to call an election for July 2.
The budget is on May 3 and the opposition has said it will not block supply so it's safe to assume Mr Turnbull will be looking at May 6, 7 and 8 as possible dates to visit Government House.
There is a lot of shouting and gesticulating and breaches of the standing order over in the House of Representatives which is technically about the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal legislation but is really a reaction to what just hates in the Senate.
The opposition is calling for a lengthy debate while the government is trying to bring it to a debate tonight.
Mr Turnbull brought Parliament back for three weeks.
It took the Senate one day to knock back the legislation.
Senators Day, Leyonhjelm, Xenophon and Wang voted with the government.
Senators Muir, Lambie, Lazarus and Madigan voted with Labor and the Greens.
The Senate has now adjourned so people can have dinner.
Back to topThe legislation is defeated 36 votes to 34.
The Senate has handed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull his desire for a July 2 double dissolution election.
Here we go folks.
The bells are ringing to call senators to the chamber to vote on the government's building watchdog legislation.
"The Parliament can choose whether it stands for thuggery or fairness," Senator Cash says.
She surprises everyone by using less than five of her 20 minutes.
He makes good on his promise.
Senator Cash begins the final speech of the debate.
"The measures contained in these bills are vital," she says.
The Senate can either bury its head in the sand and reject the legislation or to "face the facts and accept the reality" that new legislation is needed.
Senator Lazarus rises and promises to be brief since everyone already knows what he thinks.
He throws a bit of shade on the way, however, saying many of his colleagues "don't deserve to be here because they see politics as a game".
"I don't want to be remembered for being a politician because I am not one," he says.
"I do not like the bill."
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