‘Shouldn’t be scared of an election’: Tony Abbott opposes four-year federal terms

Tony Abbott declares his opposition to any proposal to extend federal parliamentary terms from three to four years, saying for ‘a bad government’ an election can’t come soon enough.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come out against extending federal parliament terms from three to four years. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Tony Abbott has declared his opposition to any proposal to extend federal parliamentary terms from three to four years, arguing that for “a bad government” an election can’t come soon enough.

The former Liberal Prime Minister has put himself at odds with Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton and his former leader and mentor, John Howard, who have all recently voiced support for four-year federal parliamentary terms.

Mr Abbott believes Australia “needs more democracy, not less democracy” to provide more public engagement in politics.

“I’ve always taken the view that if there’s a bad government an election can’t come soon enough, and if it’s a good government, it shouldn’t be scared of an election,” he said in an Institute of Public Affairs podcast interview.

“I think that if the public were more engaged, we would have a much better polity, and I think it would be good for the citizenry as well,” he said.

In January the Prime Minister said the current three-year terms were too short to allow for real reforms and backed the idea of four-year terms to bring federal parliament into line with all Australia’s states and territories which have fixed four-year terms.

This week the Opposition Leader said he supported the idea of four-year terms and would be prepared to speak to Mr Albanese about the idea if the Prime Minister was serious.

But Mr Dutton warned there was public cynicism towards making life easier for politicians and that a referendum would be required.

Mr Dutton also warned that it was unlikely there would be another referendum put to the people in the near future.

“I think there is a level of cynicism in the public’s mind. Generally, there is a reluctance to do anything that makes the life of a politician easier,” he said.

Former Liberal Prime Minister, John Howard, is a long-term supporter of four-year terms and this week lent his support to the idea of extending the current maximum from three years to four years.

As Opposition Leader in 1988, Mr Howard supported Bob Hawke’s referendum proposal for four-year terms but it was defeated in all six states and only got just over 32 per cent of the popular vote.

At the time Mr Howard said he believed Labor’s added proposal in the referendum question to reduce the term of senators from six years to four contributed to the referendum failure.

On Friday Mr Howard told The Weekend Australian he supported in principle a simple extension of the maximum period for a parliamentary term from three years to four years.

Mr Howard’s support for a four-year term does not extend to a four-year fixed term federally but would rely on the ability of the prime minister to call an election within the maximum four years.

There is still concern within the Coalition about fixed four-year terms and no appetite for another referendum after the bruising debate over the indigenous voice to parliament poll last year.

Mr Abbott also said: “I certainly would not be in favour of any change towards four-year fixed terms”.