Bigger parliament, longer terms in PM’s sights

2 weeks ago 3

Australia could have fixed four-year parliamentary terms and an increase in the number of federal MPs under a major shake-up of the political system put on the agenda by Special Minister of State Don Farrell.

After Labor’s record election victory, the Albanese government will examine rolling out once-in-generation changes to the democratic process that have been avoided previously because the proposals have proved controversial in the past.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with his Special Minister of State Don Farrell.

Albanese is the first Labor prime minister since Bob Hawke to command such a large parliamentary majority and would follow in his footsteps if Labor again pursues fixed terms, which exist in many other countries and Australian states. A referendum would be required to extend the length of parliamentary terms but their dates could be fixed via a regular law.

Increasing the number of electorates would only require legislation, though it could trigger accusations the government was trying to give itself more MPs.

This could be countered by the government by phasing in the new electorates over a longer time-frame.

Farrell’s request for the inquiry was confirmed by multiple sources familiar with the proposal unable to speak publicly. The inquiry will also look at growing violence at polling booths and the funding of groups who mobilise to campaign.

As special minister of state, Farrell decides which issues the committee explores. This year he has written to the committee to put the size of the parliament and fixed terms on the agenda. The last major move Farrell proposed, regulating political donations, passed last term.

The prime minister has repeatedly expressed support for moving to four-year terms on a fixed date, rather than three-year terms that are not locked in and may fuel instability.

Hawke sought to increase the length of electoral terms to four years at a referendum in 1988 but it was soundly defeated with just 33 per cent of voters backing the idea.

The Coalition campaigned then against moving to four-year terms, in part due to how it would affect the length of terms for senators.

The former opposition leader Peter Dutton said before the last election he supported four-year terms, although neither he nor Albanese were open to holding another referendum in the wake of the unsuccessful 2023 Voice vote.

The inquiry will consider creating more electorates to reflect population growth since the last time the parliament was expanded by Hawke, a move that Albanese and other Labor and Coalition MPs are known to be open to in private.

All of these reform proposals will be examined by the influential Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which reviews the electoral system after every election.

Australian MPs represent some of the most populous electorates in the world and MPs are finding it increasingly difficult to get around to the schools, churches and community groups around their seats, putting pressure on the government to employ more staffers for MPs.

The average population per lower house member is now more than 177,000 compared to 105,000 after the last expansion in 1984 and 50,000 at the time of Federation, according to election analyst Ben Raue. Adding more seats would likely result in having more MPs who reflect the demographics of smaller pockets of the population but would also lead to more taxpayer funds spent on salaries.

As at the end of July, the Queensland seat of Longman was the nation’s largest with 143,527 people on the electoral roll. That does not include non-citizens and children. At the 2021 census, Longman was home to more than 186,000 people.

More than a third of the nation’s 150 electorates have at least 120,000 electors. Some, such as the outer-suburban Melbourne seat of Bruce, are estimated to have more than 200,000 residents.

By contrast, Britain’s House of Commons has 650 members who each represent about 72,500 people, Canada’s House of Commons has 338 members who each represent about 81,000 voters. In New Zealand, 120 MPs answer to about 30,000 voters per politician.

All are dwarfed by the United States where the average Congressional district is home to almost 800,000 people.

When federal parliament was created in 1901, there were 75 seats in the House and 36 Senate positions.

It has gone through two substantial increases since: in 1949 and most recently in 1984 when Hawke’s Labor government took the House from 125 members to 148 and the Senate from 64 to 76. John Howard’s government increased the House to 150 in 2001, from which it has not grown.

Committee chair Jerome Laxale said the 2025 election was “was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed”.

“Our committee will be responsible for safeguarding the integrity and future of Australia’s democracy,” he said on Facebook last month.