Australian prime minister Turnbull says election likely on July 2

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks during a media conference in Sydney, Australia, Marh 23, 2016. REUTERS/David Gray

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday gambled his political fate on a budget that he hopes will shore up his dwindling appeal with voters without blowing out the country's budget deficit.

With an early election in July a near certainty, Turnbull also hopes to silence increasingly loud accusations of dithering after his government suggested several new revenue-raising measures only to rule them out later.