Aug 15, 2026 – 5.00amNot that long ago, a prime minister chalking up four years and three months in office would not have been deemed a remarkable feat.John Howard, after all, served for almost 12 years, Bob Hawke close to nine, and, before him, Malcolm Fraser was in office for more than seven years. Scott Morrison was less than 100 days shy of four years when he lost in 2022.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Phillip CooreyPolitical editorPhillip Coorey is The Australian Financial Review’s political editor based in Canberra. He has covered federal politics since 1998, beginning at The Advertiser before serving as a New York correspondent for News Corp and later as chief political correspondent at The Sydney Morning Herald. A two-time winner of the Paul Lyneham Award for press gallery excellence, he joined the AFR in 2012 and writes the weekly Canberra Observed column. He is a regular commentator on ABC TV’s Insiders program.Fetching latest articles