John Howard supports PM’s call for four year terms

John Howard has backed Anthony Albanese’s calls for four-year federal parliamentary terms, but says a referendum should be held at a general-election

Former Prime Minister John Howard speaking at his John Howard Lecture for the Menzies Research Centre. Jane Dempster/The Australian.

John Howard has backed Anthony Albanese’s calls for four-year federal parliamentary terms but said a referendum would have to be held at a general election and would need to be a “stand-alone” proposition or risk being rejected by voters.

The former Liberal Prime Minister told The Australian that, as a principle, he was in favour of four-year terms.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has said he would also support such a proposal but warned that it would be difficult to convince the electorate as it would require a referendum to change the constitution.

“As a matter of principle, I am in favour of four year terms,” Mr Howard told The Australian.

“Both as opposition leader and prime minister I was involved in discussions with my opposite number about it.

“The experience from that is the only hope of it getting up is as a stand-alone, constitutional amendment, overwhelmingly desirably in conjunction with a general election.

“And if carried, to take effect at the election after next.”

Mr Howard said as opposition leader in 1988 he raised it with then Labor prime minister Bob Hawke but the proposal fell over following a dispute over Labor’s condition that the terms of Senators be reduced from six years to four years.

“When I was in government, I approached Mark Latham. We couldn’t reach an agreement,” Mr Howard said.

“He said he would support it but only if federal elections and state elections were to be held on the same day.

“Anyway, it never materialised.

“I am very strongly in favour of four-year terms.”

But Mr Howard questioned how enthusiastic voters would be, with a strong feeling in the community that they liked federal governments to be frequently accountable.

He said this was countered with the desire for regular elections and longer terms that encouraged longer term policy thinking from governments.

“I don’t think there is any prospect of it winning, unless it was bipartisan, stand alone and conducted alongside a general election.”