In Australia, referendums (also spelt referenda)[1] are public votes held on important issues where the electorate may approve or reject a certain proposal. In contemporary usage, polls conducted on non-constitutional issues are known as plebiscites, with the term referendum being reserved solely for votes on constitutional changes, which is legally required to make a change to the Constitution of Australia.[2][3][4][5]
In the past, however the terms were used interchangeably,[6][7][8] with the non-constitutional 1916 Australian conscription referendum and the 2009 Western Australian daylight saving referendum being examples.
Voting in a referendum is compulsory for those on the electoral roll, in the same way that it is compulsory to vote in a general election. As of 2023, 45 nationwide referendums have been held, only eight of which have been carried. Of those eight, all but one had bi-partisan support.[9][10] Since multiple referendum questions are often asked on the same ballot, there have only been 20 separate occasions that the Australian people have gone to the polls to vote on constitutional amendments—of which 8 have been concurrent with a federal election.[11] There have also been three nationwide non-constitutional plebiscites (two on conscription and one on the national song), and one postal survey (on same-sex marriage).
^York, Barry (21 August 2015). "Referenda And Plebiscites: What's the Difference?". Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.
^"Plebiscites". Australian Electoral Commission. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
^"Referendums and Plebiscites". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
^Holmes, Brenton (30 June 2011). "A quick guide to plebiscites in Australia". Parliament of Australia.
^Antony Green (12 August 2015). "Plebiscite or Referendum – What's the Difference". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
^"The referendum". Evening News. 21 September 1897. p. 4. Retrieved 26 August 2020 – via Trove.
^"Government by plebiscite". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. 29 January 1898. p. 217. Retrieved 26 August 2020 – via Trove.
^"The plebiscite or referendum". The Bendigo Independent. 3 December 1910. p. 4. Retrieved 26 August 2020 – via Trove.
^Casey, Briggs (29 October 2023). "With the Voice referendum resoundingly defeated, will Australia ever again change the constitution?". ABC News.
^Menon, Praveen; Jackson, Lewis; Cole, Wayne; Menon, Praveen; Jackson, Lewis (14 October 2023). "Australia rejects Indigenous referendum in setback for reconciliation". Reuters. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
^"Referendum dates and results". Australian Electoral Commission.
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