View source for 1913 Australian referendum (Trade and Commerce)

{{Use Australian English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{infobox referendum
| name          = 1913 Australian Trade and Commerce referendum
| title         = Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled —<br><br>''"Constitution Alteration (Trade and Commerce) 1912"'' ?
| date          = {{start date|1913|05|31|df=y}}
| country       = Australia
| yes           =   958,419
| no            =   982,615
| invalid       =    89,736
| electorate    = 2,760,216
| outcome       = 
}}
The ''Constitution Alteration (Trade and Commerce) Bill'' 1912,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004B02244 |title=Constitution Alteration (Trade and Commerce) Bill 1912 |via=legislation.gov.au |access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref>  was an unsuccessful [[1913 Australian referendum|referendum held in 1913]] that sought to alter the [[Australian Constitution]] to extend Commonwealth legislative power in respect to [[Section 51(i) of the Constitution of Australia|trade and commerce]].

==Issues==
The "Yes" Case
*The [[Section 51(i) of the Constitution of Australia|trade and commerce power]] is the keystone of the powers of the [[Parliament of Australia|federal parliament]]. The present limitation to inter-state trade and commerce paralyses the parliament's action in almost every direction.
*The present division of the trade and commerce power between federation and states is artificial, indefinite, illogical and mischievous.
*Trade and commerce are national matters and state laws are not adequate.

The "No" Case
*If passed, this proposal will vest in the [[federal government]] the control of all business within the [[Commonwealth of Australia|Commonwealth]]. This will mean that the centralised government will dominate all trade and commerce, including that which is carried on within state borders.
*The proposal will lead to a great deal of legal uncertainty and will no doubt be challenged in the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]].
*The new power will enable the federal parliament to pass legislation which will profoundly disturb trade and commerce within the states.

==Question==
''Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled 'Constitution Alteration (Trade and Commerce) 1912'?''

The proposal was to alter the text of section 51 of the Constitution to read as follows:<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/file/1913GN30 |title=Notification of the receipt of a Writ for a Referendum |work=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |via=www.legislation.gov.au |date=25 April 1913 |number=30 |pages=1097–8}}</ref>
<blockquote>51. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have Legislative power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:
:(i.) Trade and commerce <s>with other countries, and among the States</s> '''but not including trade and commerce upon railways the property of a State, except so far as it is trade and commerce with other countries or among the States''':</blockquote>

==Results==
The referendum was not approved by a majority of voters, and a majority of the voters was achieved in only three states.<ref name=Gazette>{{cite news |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/file/1913GN55 |title=Result of the Referendum |work=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |via=www.legislation.gov.au |date=2 August 1913 |number=55 |page=1792}}</ref><ref name="Handbook">Handbook of the 44th Parliament (2014) {{cite web |url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fnewhandbook%2F2014-10-31%2F0049%22 |title=Part 5 - Referendums and Plebiscites - Referendum results |publisher=[[Parliamentary Library of Australia]] }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Result{{hsp}}<ref name=Gazette/><ref name="Handbook"/>
|-----
! style="text-align:left;" rowSpan="2" | State
! rowSpan="2" | Electoral roll
! rowSpan="2" | Ballots issued
! colSpan="2" | For
! colSpan="2" | Against
! rowSpan="2" | Informal
|-----
! Votes !! %
! Votes !! %
|----- align="right"
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| New South Wales
| align="right" | 1,036,187
| align="right" | 717,855
| align="right" | 317,848 
| align="middle" | 46.93
| align="right" | 359,418
| {{No|'''53.07'''}} 
| align="right" | 39,333
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| Victoria
| align="right" | 830,391
| align="right" | 626,861
| align="right" | 297,290
| align="middle" | 49.12
| align="right" | 307,975
| {{No|'''50.88'''}}
| align="right" | 21,268
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| Queensland
| align="right" | 363,082
| align="right" | 280,525
| align="right" | 146,187
| {{yes|'''54.34'''}}
| align="right" | 122,813
| align="middle" | 45.66
| align="right" | 11,304
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| South Australia
| align="right" | 244,026
| align="right" | 195,463
| align="right" | 96,085
| {{yes|'''51.32'''}}
| align="right" | 91,144
| align="middle" | 48.68
| align="right" | 8,017
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| Western Australia
| align="right" | 179,784
| align="right" | 132,149
| align="right" | 66,349
| {{yes|'''52.86'''}}
| align="right" | 59,181
| align="middle" | 47.14
| align="right" | 6,286
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| Tasmania
| align="right" | 106,746
| align="right" | 80,398
| align="right" | 34,660
| align="middle" | 45.16
| align="right" | 42,084
| {{no|'''54.84'''}}
| align="right" | 3,528
|-----
|- bgcolor=#FFE0C0 align="right"
! style="text-align:left;"| Total for Commonwealth
| noWrap align="right" | 2,760,216
| noWrap align="right" | 2,033,251
| noWrap align="right" | 958,419
| noWrap align="middle" | 49.38
| noWrap align="right" | 982,615
| {{no|'''50.62'''}}
| noWrap align="right" | 89,736
|-----
! style="text-align:left;"| Results
| colSpan="8" | ''Obtained majority in three states and an overall minority of 24,196 votes.'' '''Not carried'''
|}

==Discussion==
The [[Australian referendum, 1911 (Trade and Commerce)|1911 referendum]] asked a single question that dealt with trade and commerce, corporations and industrial matters.  This resolution separated each of those matters into a different question. Like its forebear, none of these resolutions were carried. 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.<ref name="Handbook"/> However, although many at the time felt strongly about the need for the Commonwealth to have limited control over commerce between the states, the High Court eventually gave much of the power to Commonwealth indirectly through later decisions, thus effectively removing the need for the [[Australian Constitution|Constitution]] to be changed anyway.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

*[[Australian referendum, 1911 (Trade and Commerce)|1911 referendum on trade and commerce]]

==See also==
*[[Politics of Australia]]
*[[History of Australia]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Standing Committee on Legislative and Constitutional Affairs (1997) ''[http://www.aph.gov.au/HOUSE/committee/laca/Inquiryinconch.htm Constitutional Change: Select sources on Constitutional change in Australia 1901–1997]''. Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra.
* Bennett, Scott (2003). ''[http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RP/2002-03/03RP11.htm Research Paper no. 11 2002–03: The Politics of Constitutional Amendment]'' Australian Department of the Parliamentary Library, Canberra.
* Australian Electoral Commission (2007) ''[http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/referendums/Referendum_Dates_and_Results.htm Referendum Dates and Results 1906 – Present]'' AEC, Canberra.

{{Australian Referendums|year=1913|state=expanded}}
{{Constitution of Australia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Referendum, 1913 (Trade And Commerce)}}
[[Category:1913 in Australian law|Referendum (Trade and Commerce)]]
[[Category:1913 elections in Australia|Referendum (Trade and Commerce)]]
[[Category:1913 referendums]]
[[Category:Constitutional referendums in Australia|1913]]