Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The government has scrapped plans to put a four-year Parliamentary term to a referendum in favour of progressing other legislation.
It introduced a bill last year with a caveat that the term would only extend to four years if there were greater checks and balances on the government of the day.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said both coalition agreements secured support to get the bill to select committee but no further.
"We've fulfilled those commitments. However, we won't be progressing with a referendum on a four-year term at this election."
He cited the time constraints as the primary reason for ditching a binding referendum.
"To have a referendum would require passing the bill through the rest of its stages, with enough time to prepare.
"It's something that a future government might do, but our priority is progressing legislation that will help fix the basics in law and order."
New Zealand and Australia are outliers in having three-year parliamentary terms; four or five-year terms are far more common.
The arguments for a longer term include that there three years is too short for a government to accomplish its goals, with the first year settling in and the third year all about gearing up for another campaign.
Those wary of allowing longer terms argue New Zealand lacks certain checks and balances on government power other countries have, such as a Supreme Court that can strike down legislation or an upper house like the senate in Australia and the United States or Britain's House of Lords.
Goldsmith has previously said both were valid arguments and the government wanted to hear from New Zealanders what they thought during the select committee process.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has said he was in favour of four-year terms as it would allow large projects to be more effectively put in place, and allow them to give more time to the decision making process.
"Given the shortness of our parliamentary term, we are very quick to make decisions.
"I think a four-year term would actually allow the government of the day to slow down a bit, and make sure they're doing things properly rather than them doing them in a hurry so that they've got something to show at the next election," he said.
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