Recent UK and French elections highlight flaws of fixed-term Parliaments

Indeed, the UK election that has brought a pragmatic, centrist government to power is probably a relief to all – including British business that has had to put up with one of the most incompetent, inconsistent, and confused administrations since the second world war.

Even in France, where the results are more problematic and the future uncertain, the markets have been relatively calm. Certainly, there are concerns about what sort of government will be formed and the direction it will take, but this is hardly unusual in the French context.

So, all this highlights once again that Australia's national parliament and government is not so out of sync with other major democratic countries in not having fixed terms.

In Australia, the last referendum to move the Commonwealth Parliament to four-year, fixed-terms was initiated by the Hawke Labor government in 1988. It was opposed by the Howard-led Coalition.

It failed dismally.

Politicians favouring such a proposal should move on and focus on the policy issues they were elected to address.