Aussie PM should ensure that exports of services get a boost in the Budget

SIX months into his job, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is facing headwinds as his rivals in the Liberal Party seek to destablise his administration. When he deposed the former leader, Tony Abbott, his party's fortunes rose dramatically in opinion polls. But then Mr Abbott was so unpopular with voters that his fellow MPs did not need much persuasion to dump him as leader. Now, Mr Turnbull's own popularity is waning and he seems to be casting about for a strategy to revive his fortunes.

There is speculation that he may move to force a double dissolution of Parliament, a manoeuvre that will see every seat in both chambers contested, unlike a normal election when all the seats in the House of Representatives but only half the Senate seats are contested. Such an election can only be triggered when there is a deadlock between the chambers of Parliament. The Australian charter gives almost identical powers to the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill must be agreed to by both houses in order to become law. Perhaps he hopes to win a majority in both chambers in his own right.

There have been several triggers since the Liberal-National Party coalition swept into office in the 2013 general election, including when some of its first budget measures were rejected by the Senate. But his predecessor did not want to take a chance as those measures - deregulation of university fees and co-payments for its universal healthcare system - were unpopular and he feared losing office.