NZ First supports a four-year Parliament term, if it has public's backing

October 1, 2020

ACT and NZ First announced policies while National's Paul Goldsmith delivering a special welcome for Winston Peters at a finance debate.

New Zealand First says it supports implementing a four-year Parliamentary term - if the change has public backing. 

Both Labour leader Jacinda Ardern and National leader Judith Collins said they supported increasing the Parliamentary term by a year in the Newshub leaders' debate last night. 

"New Zealand First has always supported the concept of a Parliamentary four-year term provided it is presented in a way where political bias does not affect the result of the public’s wish," Winston Peters said.

Peters said a referendum outright "would be bound to fail because every frightened voter on the left of the right winning will vote for a three-year term continuing and vice versa"

"For there to be a practical outcome in the next midterm Parliamentarians would have to agree to a four year term for whichever government won the 2023 election.

"And then put that as a referendum to the public in the midterm for their final choice."

Last year, a report was released suggesting Parliament should extend the term to four years

"We're an outlier by international standards with a very short parliamentary term, most countries have either a four or a five-year term, and in many cases they are fixed-term so you can't have an early election," Professor Jonathon Boston from Victoria University said on TVNZ1's Breakfast at the time. 

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