Increasing the number of members in the Legislative Assembly would be expensive and require a new parliament building, which the government was not considering, the Chief Minister has said.
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Andrew Barr said it would be unnecessary to add to the number of politicians in the ACT, even as Tasmania moves to enlarge its parliament.
The ACT has long had the lowest number of elected representatives by head of population of all Australian states and territories, partly because the territory does not have local government.
"The Assembly only recently increased to 25 members. There are many higher priorities right now," Mr Barr said in a statement.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said the Canberra Liberals would consider any proposal put forward on increasing the number of members on its merits.
"As stated in the 2013 review into the size of the ACT Legislative Assembly, the size of the Assembly will need to be considered as Canberra continues to grow in population," Ms Lee said.
"My focus right now, however, is on the many Canberrans who are being left behind by a Labor-Greens government that has been in power for over 20 years."
The leader of the Greens, Shane Rattenbury, said his party was not considering an increase to the Assembly after the recent increase to 25 members.
An expert reference group tasked with investigating the size of the Legislative Assembly in 2013 recommended the number of parliamentarians grow to 25 at the 2016 election and 35 members at the 2020 election.
If the Assembly did not accept an increase to 35 members in 2020, the group recommended the change be made at the 2024 election.
The group was led by the then ACT electoral commissioner, Phillip Green, who in 2018 indicated the ACT should again look at the size of electorates in the future.
The lower house of Tasmania's parliament is set to grow by 10 members, following concerns about politician burnout and a shallow ministerial talent pool.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff this week announced he would table legislation this year to return the 25-seat House of Assembly to 35 members for the next state poll due in 2025.
Tasmania's lower house was reduced in size in 1998 and the island state's seven electorates cut to five.
Two Liberal premiers have quit politics in recent years, both citing a heavy workload and a desire to spend more time with family.
The ACT's Assembly grew from 17 members to 25 at the October 2016 election, the first increase since self government in 1989.
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A 1998 review into the Assembly, led by Irish philosopher Philip Pettit, concluded the people of Canberra were severely under-represented.
That review recommended the ratio of Assembly members to electors should be maintained at 1989 levels, when self government began.
There were 5.6 elected representatives at all levels of government for every 100,000 Canberrans in 2013 - before the Legislative Assembly expanded - compared to 75.4 in the Northern Territory and 66 in Tasmania.
The ACT Greens supported the increase, while vehemently opposing a move to five member electorates which they described as an "electoral stitch-up".
Then ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher in 2014 said the extra members were required due to significant population growth since the Assembly was first established.
The Legislative Assembly has been able to set its own size with support of a two-thirds majority since the Commonwealth amended the Self-Government Act in 2013.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
