Australian PM calls for July 2 polls amid economic slowdown, instability

Sydney

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull fired the starting gun on Sunday on one of the longest election campaigns in Australia's history, against the backdrop of a flagging economy and heated debate over sensitive political issues like asylum seekers.

Mr Turnbull officially called federal elections for July 2, several months earlier than originally planned, using rarely invoked powers to dissolve both houses of parliament after the upper house Senate repeatedly blocked government legislation.

The federal poll throws up the spectre of more political instability in Australia, where infighting among the leading parties has resulted in a revolving door to the top job at a time when Australia is trying to rebalance its economy away from a once-in-a-generation mining…