1911 Australian referendum (Monopolies)

October 2025 October 2025 1911 Australian Monopolies referendum 1911 04 26 y Australia 488,668 737,392 21,854 2,341,624 Amendment Failed Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled —"Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) 1910" ? The Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) Bill 1910,https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004B02132 Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) Bill 1910 www.legislation.gov.au 22 April 2019 was put to voters for approval in a referendum held in 1911 that 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'? Proposed Changes to the Constitution The proposal was to add section 51a to the Constitution to read as follows (substituted text in bold):19 March 1911 Notification of the receipt of a Writ for a Referendum https://www.legislation.gov.au/file/1911GN17 Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 761 PDF www.legislation.gov.au 17 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.GazetteHandbook + ResultGazetteHandbook State Electoral roll Ballots issued For Against Informal Vote % Vote % New South Wales 868,194 384,188 138,237 36.72 238,177 63.28 7,618 Victoria 723,377 448,566 171,453 38.95 268,743 61.05 8,041 Queensland 293,003 162,135 70,259 44.26 88,472 55.74 3,200 South Australia 216,027 133,802 50,835 38.42 81,479 61.58 1,344 Western Australia 138,697 61,482 33,592 55.84 26,561 44.16 898 Tasmania 102,326 58,053 24,292 42.43 32,960 57.57 753 Total for Commonwealth 2,341,624 1,248,226 488,668 39.89 736,392 60.11 21,854 Results 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. 1913 Australian Referendum (Monopolies) 1919 Australian Referendum (Monopolies) See also Referendums in Politics of Australia History of Australia References Gazette https://www.legislation.gov.au/file/1910GN38 Result of the Referendum Commonwealth of Australia Gazette www.legislation.gov.au 3 June 1910 38 1157–8 Handbook Handbook of the 44th Parliament (2014) http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fnewhandbook%2F2014-10-31%2F0049%22 Part 5 - Referendums and Plebiscites - Referendum results Parliamentary Library of Australia Further reading Standing Committee on Legislative and Constitutional Affairs (1997) Constitutional Change: Select sources on Constitutional change in Australia 1901–1997 https://web.archive.org/web/20110605092632/http://www.aph.gov.au/HOUSE/committee/laca/Inquiryinconch.htm 5 June 2011 . Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra. Bennett, Scott (2003). Research Paper no. 11 2002–03: The Politics of Constitutional Amendment https://web.archive.org/web/20120216200422/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/2002-03/03RP11.htm 16 February 2012 Australian Department of the Parliamentary Library, Canberra. Australian Electoral Commission (2007) Referendum Dates and Results 1906 – Present AEC, Canberra. Category:1911 referendums 1911 (Monopolies) Referendum (Monopolies) Category:April 1911 in Australia