Fact Sheet 10Australians voting to change the Australian Constitution - why Territorians don’t count |
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• Territorians are Australian citizens, but Territorians do not have the same rights as those in the States when changing the Australian Constitution. • The Australian Constitution can only be changed by a referendum. • A referendum is a question put to all voters. The rules require a majority of Australians in a majority of states to record a YES vote (the ‘double majority’ rule). • Territorians as residents of South Australia in 1906 could vote and be counted in the first Australian referendum (A YES result about the timing of Senate elections). • When South Australia surrendered the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth in 1911 Territorians lost their vote in a federal referendum and lost their vote at a federal election. • YES votes were carried in referenda in 1928, 1946, 1967 and 1977 therefore changing the Australian Constitution. Territorians had no vote. • NO votes were returned in 1911, 1913, 1919, 1926, 1937, 1944, 1948, 1951, 1967, 1973, and 1974. Territorians had no say then either. • In 1977 a referendum question asked if electors in territories, as well as electors in the States should be allowed to vote at referendums on proposed laws to alter the Constitution. • The result was a YES vote. At last Territorians could vote again, but remember, the rules require the double majority - a majority of Australians in a majority of States to record a YES vote. • The Northern Territory is not a State. • For example, if there was a question that resulted in a majority of Australian voters saying YES, but only three States and the Northern Territory made up the majority, the result would be NO because it needs four states to say YES. If the Territory were a state in this example the result would be YES.
Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee
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