1919 Australian referendum (Monopolies)

The Constitution Alteration (Nationalization of Monopolies) Bill 1919,[1] was an unsuccessful Australian referendum seeking to alter the Australian Constitution to extend the government's power to legislate in respect of monopolies. The question was put to a referendum in 1919, held in conjunction with the 1919 federal election.

Australian Nationalisation of Industries referendum, 1919
19 December 1919 (1919-12-19)
Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled —

"Constitution Alteration (Nationalisation of Monopolies) 1919" ?
Results
Choice
 Votes  %
Yes 813,880 48.64%
No 859,451 51.36%
Valid votes 1,673,331 82.39%
Invalid or blank votes 357,580 17.61%
Total votes 2,030,911 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 2,849,862 71.26%

Question

The proposal was to alter the text of section 51 of the Constitution as reads as follows:

51a.—(1.) The Parliament shall have power to make laws for carrying on by or under the control of the Commonwealth, the industry or business of producing, manufacturing, or supplying any specified goods, or of supplying any specified services, and for acquiring for that purpose on just terms the assets and goodwill of the industry or business, where each House of the Parliament has in the same Session, by resolution passed by an absolute majority of its members, referred to the High Court, for inquiry and report by a Justice thereof, the question whether the industry or business is the subject of a monopoly, and where, after the report of the Justice has been received, each House of the Parliament has, in one Session, by resolution passed by an absolute majority of its members, declared that the industry or business is the subject of a monopoly.[1]

Results

Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled 'Constitution Alteration (Nationalization of Monopolies) 1919'?

Result [2]
State Electoral roll Ballots issued For Against Informal
Vote  % Vote  %
New South Wales 1,079,439 717,565 227,156 38.31 365,847 61.69 124,330
Victoria 837,408 638,098 324,343 63.29 188,129 36.71 124,834
Queensland 389,200 330,231 162,062 56.92 122,650 43.08 45,209
South Australia 268,235 178,092 38,503 25.54 112,259 74.46 27,203
Western Australia 163,544 103,235 45,285 53.99 38,584 46.01 19,019
Tasmania 112,036 65,716 16,531 34.08 31,982 65.92 16,985
Total for Commonwealth 2,849,862 2,032,937 813,880 48.64 859,451 51.36 357,580
Results Obtained majority in three states and an overall minority of 45,571 votes. Not carried

Discussion

The 1911 referendum asked a single question that dealt with the acquisition of monopolies, trade, commerce and industrial . The second resolution separated the laws in relation to monopolies and the acquisition of monopolies into different questions. On each of the many occasions a similar question was asked at a referendum the public decided not to vest power in the Commonwealth over these matters.

References
  1. "Constitution Alteration (Nationalization of Monopolies) Bill 1919". Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via legislation.gov.au.
  2. Handbook of the 44th Parliament (2014) "Part 5 - Referendums and Plebiscites - Referendum results". Parliamentary Library of Australia.


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