A former federal Tasmanian MP has said introducing fixed four-year terms for MHRs would not be a cure-all for political instability, after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten floated the idea on Sunday.
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In a television interview, Mr Shorten proposed that a referendum be held to determine whether the public supported such a notion.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull phoned the Labor Leader after the interview, ostensibly to offer his own support for the idea.
Australia has had five prime ministers in the last seven years alone.
In February, federal Liberal backbencher David Coleman introduced a private member’s bill with an eye to bringing about fixed four-year terms.
Sid Sidebottom, formerly the federal Labor member for Braddon, agreed that something needed to change.
He believed that policies were not necessarily being devised with the public good in mind, but, rather, with one eye on the next election.
Mr Sidebottom said policy-making should be driven by good will, not the electoral cycle.
However, he said a “cultural change in the attitude of political participation” was also required.
“Strong leadership” and “clearly articulated policies” were a must, he said.
Politicians, however, were “too scared to lead”, according to Mr Sidebottom.
While he said he was “willing to look” at the proposal, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said he was “conscious” that people would be unlikely to support the idea of a referendum on the issue, given that it would necessitate eight-year terms for senators.
Four-year fixed terms ensconce and preserve incompetent governments, frustrating the public
- Senator Eric Abetz
“Four-year fixed terms ensconce and preserve incompetent governments, frustrating the public and three-year terms frustrate competent governments and annoy the public for having to go the ballot box again,” Senator Abetz said.
Tasmania is the only state in Australia that does not have fixed four-year terms in place for lower house MPs.
Earlier in 2017, the state government indicated it had no plans to introduce fixed four-year terms in Tasmania.
But when he was Opposition Leader in 2006, Premier Will Hodgman tabled the Constitution (Fixed Term Parliament) Amendment Bill, which would suggest he supported the idea.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor has indicated that she would support a move to fixed four-year terms, while state Labor has said it is open to discussing such a change to the constitution.
In 1992, then Premier Ray Groom passed a motion to introduce fixed four-year terms, which Tony Rundle revoked when he came into power in 1996.