Are you feeling doubly disillusioned?

Did you like the budget? Hate the budget? A bit half and half? Some think it’s fair, some think it’s unfair, but whatever you or I may feel about it, Joe Hockey’s Tuesday night budget hasn’t gone down well with the opposition party. Opposition leader Bill Shorten has promised to combine the Labor party with the Green party to block the proposals, and it’s raised the question of whether there could be a double dissolution election.

A double dissolution election comes about when Parliament is deadlocked on an issue and moves to dissolve both houses (the Senate and the House of Representatives) and a “complete”, as it were, federal election takes place – with all senators standing for election rather than just the usual half.

Responding to such measures as NewStart and pension age changes, Medicare co-payments and twice-yearly indexation of the fuel excise, among other things, Shorten challenged the government to an election, saying, “If you want an election, try us. If you think Labor is too weak, try us”.

If Labor and the Greens do block the budget, a double dissolution is perfectly possible, and it would seem that Bill Shorten is confident of his party’s ability to win an election. It makes you think – how would this affect Australians?

Double dissolution elections are rare – the last one was in 1987, although the most famous recent one took place in 1975 when, like now, the budget was the cause of the stalemate. Gough Whitlam’s government didn’t want an election, but didn’t have a choice when the then Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the government and the election was called.

Can you remember that election? How about the other double dissolution elections of 1914, 1951, 1974, 1983 and 1987?

Among the kerfuffle of the current budget issue, Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer has stepped in and said that his party members would like to see an election straight away – and he clearly believes he could win, saying: “I think there will be a new change in the dynamic of Australian politics. In the lower house we will be going out to win it.”

So, the budget has certainly stirred up some strong feelings. What do you think? Would a double dissolution election be a good thing for the country, or a bad thing? Are you keen to have a vote right now, or do you think there needs to be a longer settling-in period? And can you remember the previous double dissolution elections? Let us know in the comments below….