(Recast) Australian PM announces double dissolution election on July 2

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday announced that a double dissolution election would be held on July 2.

Turnbull paid a visit to Governor General Peter Cosgrove who has accepted the prime minister's request of having a double dissolution of the Parliament and holding the federal election on July 2.

This decision officially kick-started the eight-week long election campaign.

"At this election Australians will have a very clear choice; to keep the course, maintain the commitment to our national economic plan for growth and jobs, or go back to Labor, with its higher taxing, higher spending, debt and deficit agenda, which will stop our nation's transition to the new economy dead in its tracks," Turnbull said at a press conference after his visit to the governor general.

Turnbull said he called the double dissolution because the Senate has twice refused to pass legislation relating to the accountability of unions and employer organizations, and has twice refused to pass legislation to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

A double dissolution election will see that both houses of the Parliament dissolved and all of the 150 House of Representatives seats and 76 Senate seats up for grab. Enditem