Every House of Representatives shall continue for three years from the first meeting of the House, and no longer, but may be sooner dissolved by the Governor-General.

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Every House of Representatives shall continue for three years from the first meeting of the House, and no longer, but may be sooner dissolved by the Governor-General in accordance with sections 57 or 58A(iii).

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Every House of Representatives shall continue for three years from the first meeting of the House, and no longer, but may be sooner dissolved by the Governor-General in accordance with sections 57 or 58A(iii).

28.1 This section sets the term of the House at 3 years, but provides for the House to be dissolved earlier by the Governor-General. The latter part of the section is to be qualified by adding at the end that the Governor-General may only exercise this power pursuant to the existing s.57 or the proposed s.58A(iii). The latter section limits the reasons for dissolutions to three: firstly if the House resolves to hold an election, secondly if the House cannot form a Government within 60 days, and thirdly if the House has sat for longer than the 3 years permitted by s.28.