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Currently, while there is a term limit on Parliament, Parliament does not dissolve on a specific day, and there is no requirement to set elections in a speedy manner after Parliament is dissolved.
This allows the Prime Minister extraordinary latitude in instructing the Governor General when the writ for election day should apply, and often polling day is politicised by occurring after the implementation of some important pre-election legislation.
Setting a maximum date for Parliament to be in session and a mandated general election date when parliament has been through its full term should greatly limit the politicisation of election day by limiting control of the election date to calling early elections.
Electoral (Establishment of Fixed Election Dates) Amendment Bill






I think giving the incumbent Prime Minister tactical discretion in calling elections is outrageous. It's anti-democratic. I agree there should be fixed election dates with the proviso that elections can be called when a government falls on a confidence vote. Parties should be prepared to go into the House and publicly explain why they're lacking confidence in the current administration. If there is a lack of confidence in the House (by vote) then I think the Governor General must then invite the Opposition parties to consider whether they can serve out the remainder of the term in coalition. If not, then and only then will the GG call an early election.
Lewis Holden had a bill to codify this sort of arrangement; maybe he'll stick it here.