Turnbull: crossbenchers must pledge to back ABCC bill before any amendments

Malcolm Turnbull has said the government will only consider amendments to the building and construction industry watchdog legislation – the potential trigger for a double-dissolution election – if it already had the necessary support from at least six of the Senate crossbench.

The condition makes it less likely that the bill will pass given that most of the crossbenchers have already said they want to deal with the government individually.

Turnbull said it was “hard to predict” whether the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill would pass the Senate when it resumes for a special sitting from April 18, but confirmed the government would not be trying to broker a deal with separate talks with the eight crossbenchers but was relying on them to figure out a deal amongst themselves.

“If they come to the [workplace relations] minister Michaelia Cash with an amendment that will secure the support of the six crossbench senators and will therefore secure the passage of the bill and that amendment does not undermine the integrity of the bill and is not in our view inconsistent with its purpose of the bill, then she and the government will consider it,” Turnbull said in an interview on Sky news.

He also confirmed the Coalition would not consider a national Icac-style corruption body. The Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie has demanded a national Icac, the Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus has said he would only support the ABCC “if it is broadened to address misconduct and corruption across all industries”, the Victorian Senator John Madigan said other sectors such as finance and banking also needed tougher oversight and the West Australian senator Dio Wang wants a parliamentary inquiry into a federal Icac.

But Turnbull said: “Whatever the merits of a national Icac maybe …. that is quite separate and distinct from the ABCC legislation ... That is not an amendment to the bill, that is a completely separate proposition. If they want to have a federal ICAC they should move a private member’s bill in the normal way.”

Last week Turnbull asked the Family First senator Bob Day to try to broker a deal with his fellow crossbenchers but most rejected the idea, saying they would only deal with the government on an individual basis.

Turnbull confirmed the lower house would not sit for the entire time from its recall on April 18 until the May 3 budget.

“The lower house will sit for at least the first part of the week beginning Monday April 18 but we don’t anticipate it will sit for the full three weeks,” he said.

Turnbull also confirmed the government would not be releasing the details of its proposed plebiscite on marriage equality before the election.

He said the plebiscite would be held “as soon as practicable after the election … Whether that happens before the end of the year obviously depends on when the election is and at this stage we don’t know that.”

The manager of opposition business in the house of representatives, Tony Burke, said the lower house should sit normally.

“If around 150 MPs are flying to Canberra for Parliament it should be a normal parliamentary sitting week with question time every day beginning Monday,” he said. “Anything less is a pure indulgence on the part of the prime minister and would be treating taxpayers as mugs.

“If parliament is being recalled then members should put in a full week of work in Canberra and Malcolm Turnbull should face the scrutiny of question time.”