PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been handed a double dissolution election trigger after the Senate voted against legislation to restore a building industry watchdog.

Australians are now likely to head to the polls on July 2.

MPs and senators were recalled to Canberra by Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on Monday in a constitutional move not used for 40 years.

The bills were defeated 36-34 in the Senate, with crossbenchers Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus, Ricky Muir and John Madigan siding with Labor and the Greens.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has vowed to use a second rejection of the bills as a trigger for a double-dissolution election.

Voters will be headed to the polling booths in July if Mr Turnbull keeps to his word.

Turnbull gambles everything on double dissolution

Labor previously accused Mr Turnbull of misleading the governor-general over his reasons for proroguing parliament, using “propaganda” to justify restoring the ABCC.

Mr Turnbull’s claim the ABCC would lead to improved productivity was a “complete untruth”, based on discredited reports and figures from “cash for comment” consultancy firms, senior Labor senator Doug Cameron said.

“The prime minister misled the governor-general and he knows it.” The bills robbed construction workers of basic human rights and put their lives in danger, he said, with evidence showing a rise in workplace deaths when the commission was established by the Howard government.

The Senate has also been asked to reconsider the government’s registered organisations bill, which is already an early election trigger having been rejected several times.

The government also wants the Senate to consider legislation abolishing the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and is willing to temporarily adjourn debate on the ABCC to deal with it.