Productivity should begin at home for Parliamentary Inquiry
A new Parliamentary Inquiry is searching across Australia to boost our productivity. Luckily, they don’t have to go very far to find one major solution is already in the building: fixing our parliamentary terms.
4 Year Terms Australia has made a submission to the Inquiry with 3 entirely predictable recommendations:
Follow New Zealand’s lead and give at least 6 months notice of the election date.
Formally recognise the productivity benefits of fixed, four-year parliamentary terms.
Work with the Committee on Electoral Matters to develop the legislation to extend terms to four years and a dedicated election date.
Australia has one of the world’s shortest election cycles. Our Prime Ministers can also call early elections for any reason at any time. When combined, this is a huge productivity handbrake, costing our economy over $60 billion.
The Select Committee on Productivity in Australia is being led by Senators Andrew Bragg, Karen Grogan, Michelle Ananda-Rajah and Bridget McKenzie. A final report is due 30 September 2026.
In parallel, the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Matters chaired and co-chaired by Jerome Laxale and Senator Richard Colbeck is looking at Parliamentary term lengths and the prospect of a fixed election date. Submissions have closed and it will report back by the end of 2026.
Extending parliamentary terms can only happen with broad support across parties. That is why these Committees are so important, because they allow politicians from all sides to work together with a common aim of making Australia’s government more productive.
4 Year Terms Australia's submission can be downloaded on Parliament’s website (number 121). Also check out our recent appearances on The Dispatch Box and The Pub Test podcasts.
