Many commentators have observed that it has become increasingly difficult for governments in Australia to pursue reforms that are in the community’s long-term interests. This has prompted calls for Australia to extend the length of the term of the Commonwealth House of Representatives from three to four years to give governments additional time and stability to support governing in the long-term public interest, to adopt and implement policies needed for Australia to continue to prosper, and to provide certainty to citizens and the community.   

McKinnon has released a discussion paper about four-year terms for the Commonwealth House of Representatives. The discussion paper is intended to provide an overview of the key issues related to moving to four-year terms for the Commonwealth House of Representatives, including the history of the proposal, a comparison with other jurisdictions, arguments for and against the change, key design choices if four-year terms were implemented, and matters for further consideration.   

The term of the Commonwealth House of Representatives is a key element of Australia’s democratic architecture and whether or not three-year terms remain fit-for-purpose in a contemporary context is a debate that Australia should welcome, and the discussion paper is intended to support an informed debate on the issue.