Perhaps inspired by the repeated postponements of council elections in New South Wales, some conspiracy theorists’ minds have been turning to a particularly devious proposition: could Scott Morrison, if he’s not keen to go to an election while COVID-19 continues to take its toll, simply put it off?
We know the next federal election has to be held by May 2022, but is there a legal way the prime minister could use COVID as an excuse and delay it?
Thank God, or rather the British Parliament, for our constitution, which sometimes provides definitive answers and cannot be ignored. The short answer is no. The government will be meeting its maker, like it or not.
While much theoretical complexity is thrown up by the fact that the two chambers of federal Parliament — the (lower) House of Representatives and (upper) Senate — run on completely different constitutional timetables for their members’ elections, the political reality is driven by the fact that the government is formed by the party with a majority in the lower house. So that’s where to look.
The constitution dictates that the House of Representatives sits for three years after it first meets, then it ends and it cannot be extended by anyone or anything. The current house first sat on July 2, 2019, so it will expire on July 1, 2022, unless dissolved by the governor-general earlier (which he will do only if asked by Morrison ahead of a general election).
In theory, the last possible date for a lower house election would be September 3, 2022 (the constitution doesn’t mandate that new MPs are elected and ready to go as soon as the old Parliament expires; it just requires writs to be issued within 10 days after the expiry date and then “returned” no more than 100 days after that) — but that won’t happen because there has to be a half-Senate election by mid-May next year (the constitution again).
Although separate election dates for the two houses are constitutionally allowable, that has only happened twice and isn’t in anyone’s interests. Assuming the next election is on a Saturday (not a constitutional requirement, but as traditional as the polling booth sausage sizzle), the last date for a “normal” election of both houses will be May 21, 2022.
Whether you’re longing for the opportunity to reward Morrison with another three years in office, or lying in wait for him with a baseball bat, it’s coming folks.
“… longing for the opportunity to reward Morrison with another three years in office…”
Jeez you’d have to be a masochist.
I agree, but if you counter weasel words from Morrison with weasel words from Albonese, I reckon Morrison will win. And in the end what difference will it make anyway?
Lots.
If you don’t know what difference is there are between Labor nd the coalition then I advise you to start researching
Oh I know the difference alright! At least what the difference should be! As a mostly labor, sometimes green voter (the last couple elections), I look at the last 15 or so years as labor losing its bottle. Their policies are little more than tinkering at the edges. With Mandy Nolan running for the greens in our region, I’ll probably vote for her.
The minor party that has more in common with the Coalition than Labor, is in fact, the Greens. It is why they are known as Liberal Lite.
Only by hack apparatchiks such as yourself.
I think THE PENTECOSTAL may go later this year late October or mid November when a lot of vaccine / vaccinations will be nearly completed and NSW should have less cases also. If by looking overseas at Israel say where the vaccinations are above 80% they are starting to have more cases and deaths after all controls were lifted. If THE PENTECOSTAL waits till next year then that is when an upsurge may happen here.
I agree. I posted a similar comment in another paper early this morning. I’m guessing $cotty will call a November election. I hope I live long enough to vote in a Labor government, $cotty’s mob must be ousted.
I hope that you, and we, do live so long but I fear that the reality is that the next Labor PM is probably still in school, possibly kindie.
I’m thinking he won’t go until the no covid states are back in line after the inevitablly futile war about staying locked down forever that’s coming.
He’ll let them get over themselves first.
The current house first sat on July 2, 2019, so it will expire on July 1, 2022, unless dissolved by the governor-general earlier (which he will do only if asked by Morrison ahead of a general election).
Being a military man he may favour another coup
Military man? Who? Morrison? You have to be joking!
Hurley, the GG.
Again, nobody is being locked down forever. That’s just a trope that you use. Just till we all get an opportunity to get vaccinated.
Can’t wait t see McGowan saying THE “EVIL” PENTECOSTAL has given you the Covid19 virus every hour during the election.
If the Prime Minimal waits until next year it will be time for Australians to receive booster shots – has he had the foresight to order any? If there’s another supply shortage the mob could turn ugly.
Morrison? Foresight? No. He could hope that someone whispers in his ear, but more than likely he will be like that uni student who (after realising that you can’t copy someone’s essay in the era of TurnItIn), hires someone to do it for him at the last minute. Hang on, Morrison’s exactly like that uni student – it’s amazing what you can pay for to keep yourself on track, and if you’re using taxpayer money, who really cares about planning anyway?
More than a few people might ask “How come that lot is having booster shots while I’m still waiting for my first?”.
A colour coded chart might be informative.
Yeah Bloggs, but he has also committed to an in person meeting of the Quad as Biden’s guest, and that will be some time between now and early December, and he really can’t call an election and then be away for part of it (and presumably locked down in quarantine for a fortnight), and he can’t go before it is scheduled because then he might not be PM and couldn’t go, and after gets too close to Xmas, then there’s new year and January torpor and zero politics.
He might like to go earlier but the logistics don’t work out for him. February call for an election in mid-March is about as early as he can go. Methinks.
No Quad meeting, now. The PM of Japan has resigned.
Penultimate para: separate election dates for the two houses “has only happened twice”. I can remember three in my lifetime (1964, 1967, 1970- brought about by Menzies’ opportunistic early House election in 1961) and there was also one in 1953.
Correction: 1961 should have read 1963. That led to further separate House elections in 1966, 1969 and 1972 and the separate Senate elections in 1964, 1967 and 1970.
Scum Morrisin already rules by monarchical decree.
New concerns surround the government’s increased use of legislative powers to bypass the parliament and create laws that cannot be amended or overturned. By Karen Middleton.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/07/04/morrison-ruling-henry-viii-clauses/159378480010053
What does the constitution say should happen between the expiry of the house (on 1 July) and the drop-dead election date (3 September)? Does the governor-general get to rule as a king for the interim? Just leave everything in the hands of the public service? That worked for Belgium a few years ago: they did without a government for 18 months.
It’s only parliament that does not sit in that period. The executive government rolls on and it’s business as usual, with the conventional limitation of ‘caretaker mode’ if the government can be bothered to play fair.