Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten’s revival of the debate on fixed four-year terms for the House of Representatives is timely, and warrants serious consideration.

The issue was last voted on, and soundly defeated, in a referendum in 1988. While circumstances have changed since then, some significant stumbling blocks would still have to be cleared.

Four-year terms have applied in Western Australia since 1989, when Peter Dowding led Labor to a third successive win for his party in a tough contest against Liberal leader Barry MacKinnon. WA now has elections on the second Saturday in March, every fourth year. Similar provisions apply in most other states.

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