The Constitution Alteration (Monopolies) Bill 1910, 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): 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.
+ Result State Electoral roll Ballots issued For Against Informal Vote % Vote % New South Wales 868,194 384,188 138,237 36.72 238,177
7,618 Victoria 723,377 448,566 171,453 38.95 268,743
8,041 Queensland 293,003 162,135 70,259 44.26 88,472
3,200 South Australia 216,027 133,802 50,835 38.42 81,479
1,344 Western Australia 138,697 61,482 33,592
26,561 44.16 898 Tasmania 102,326 58,053 24,292 42.43 32,960
753 Total for Commonwealth 2,341,624 1,248,226 488,668 39.89 736,392
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
Further reading Standing Committee on Legislative and Constitutional Affairs (1997) Constitutional Change: Select sources on Constitutional change in Australia 1901–1997 . Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra. Bennett, Scott (2003). Research Paper no. 11 2002–03: The Politics of Constitutional Amendment Australian Department of the Parliamentary Library, Canberra. Australian Electoral Commission (2007) Referendum Dates and Results 1906 – Present AEC, Canberra.