HASS REFERENDUM PARA TEST

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What is the Australian Constitution?

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·       The set of rules by which Australia is run by and how our government works.

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What is the purpose and advantages of the Australian Constitution?

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·       The Australian constitution sets out how Australia works, like how the Government is put together, how courts and states work, and what the Government can/cannot do. It protects/guarantees rights, is a foundation for our democracy, ensures the principles and rule of law, divides power, and checks/balances the different levels of government too.

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·       Explain the six stages in the referendum process and what a referendum is

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The bill: a proposed law is introduced and passed through both houses of parliament, which sets out the proposed changes to the constitution

The committees: MPs are divided into case committees based on who voted yes/no. They all do activities/promotions for their case but if they all agree no committees are formed.

The writ: A formal written order issued by the governor general to set dates for the referendum.

The AEC: The Australian Electoral Commission produces pamphlets and sends them out on behalf of both committees explaining the yes/no cases before the referendum.

The vote: On polling day voters attend voting locations and vote yes, or no. Section 128 of the constitution says a referendum is passed in the case of a double majority (4/6 states say yes as well as 51% of Australia as a whole. This makes sure that every voter has equal support/opportunity.

Royal Assent: Without a double majority, the constitution will not be changed, and the referendum is not approved, but if it is, the governor general signs the bill and the change is made to the constitution.

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What change to the Constitution was proposed in the 1967 referendum

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o   to change the Constitution so that like all other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would be counted as part of the population and the Commonwealth would be able to make laws for them. These sections were 51 and 127 as they contained these discriminatory references and even said you could be legally racist.

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What change to the Constitution was proposed in the 1999 referendum

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To alter the constitution to establish The Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the queen and governor general being replaced by a president appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the commonwealth parliament.

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What was the background to the 1967 referendum proposal – what was it about?

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For a long time, Indigenous people did not have the same rights as others, they faced a lot of discrimination and weren’t even counted as citizens in their own country. This began to change in 1962, when Indigenous people were given the right to vote in referendums, then in 1965 Indigenous workers stood up against unfair working conditions and fought for land rights, as well as uni students protested racism. After Bandler's organisation got 100,000 signatures on a petition for change, It was presented to the PM in 1965. The government later called a referendum in early 1967. 

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What was the background to the 1999 referendum proposal – what was it about?

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Following years of widespread community discussion about Australia becoming a republic, the major event which lead to the 1999 referendum was the 1998 Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention was held at Old Parliament House in Canberra from 2 to 13 February 1998 to provide a public forum for debate on the issue of whether Australia should become a republic.

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What were the main arguments for and against the proposal (1967)

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Unusually for a referendum, there was no official 'no' case produced due to the overwhelming support in parliament. The 'yes' campaign was fought mostly on citizen rights, with campaign materials created were imploring Australians to 'right wrongs, write YES'. 

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What were the main arguments for and against the proposal (1999)

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o   The ‘Yes’ side argued that:

o   • Australia is an independent nation and our head of

state should be Australian, not British

o   • in a democracy, the head of state should be elected,   not born, into their position

o   • Australia is a multicultural nation and many people  feel no affiliation to Britain.

o   • The ‘No’ side argued that:

o   • the monarchy has been working well for more than  200 years and there is no need to change it

o   • the ‘Yes’ supporters are too divided in their views

on how a republic should be organised (e.g. what

  powers the president would have)

o   • some states might want to break out from the

  federation.

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What was the result of the 1967 proposal? Why did it pass/fail?

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o   The proposal passed with a double majority of 6/6 states and the northern territory voting yes and over 90% nationwide. It passed because everyone agreed, and this proposal was a fair result of lots of hard work.