1911 Australian referendum (Monopolies)

The Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) Bill 1910,[1] was an Australian referendum held in the 1911 referendums which sought to alter the Australian Constitution to give the Commonwealth power to nationalise any corporation deemed by both houses of parliament to be a monopoly.

Question

Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled 'Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) 1910'?

The proposal was to add section 51a to the Constitution to read as follows:[2]

51a. When each House of the Parliament, in the same session, has by Resolution declared that the industry or business of producing manufacturing or supplying any specified goods, or of supplying any specified services, is the subject of a monopoly, the Parliament shall have power to make laws for carrying on the industry or business by or under the control of the Commonwealth, and acquiring for that purpose on just terms any property used in connexion with the industry or business.

Results

The referendum was not approved by a majority of voters, and a majority of the voters was achieved in only one state, Western Australia.[3][4]

Result
StateOn

rolls

 Ballots

issued

 For Against Informal Result
% %
New South Wales868,194 384,188 138,237%36.72 238,177 %63.287,618 No
Victoria723,377448,566 171,453%38.95 268,743 %61.058,041 No
Queensland293,003 162,135 70,259%44.26 88,472 %55.743,200 No
South Australia216,027 133,802 50,835%38.42 81,479 %61.581,344 No
Western Australia138,697 61,482 33,592%55.84 26,561 %44.16898 Yes
Tasmania102,32658,053 24,292%42.43 32,960 %57.57753 No
Total for Commonwealth2,341,624 1,248,226 488,668%39.89 736,392 %60.1121,854 No
Obtained majority in one State and an overall minority of 247,724 votes.
Not carried

Discussion

This was the first of many times that similar questions were asked at a referendum. On every occasion the public decided not to vest power in the government over monopolies.

See also

References
  1. "Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) Bill 1910". Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via www.legislation.gov.au.
  2. "Notification of the receipt of a Writ for a Referendum" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 March 1911. p. 761 – via www.legislation.gov.au.
  3. "Result of the Referendum" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (49). 21 June 1911. p. 1580 – via www.legislation.gov.au.
  4. Handbook of the 44th Parliament "Part 5 - Referendums and Plebiscites - Referendum results". Parliamentary Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017.

Further reading
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