17 November 1928

(16) State Debts

Question

Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled ‘Constitution Alteration (State Debts) 1928’?

Constitution Alteration (State Debts) 1928 sought to insert section 105A which would in effect ratify the Financial Agreement which had already been accepted by all the Australian Governments. This terminated the system of per capita payments which had been in operation since 1910, and restricted the right of each State to borrow for its own development by subjecting that borrowing to control by a Loan Council.

Australia. Referendum, 1928.

State	Number on rolls	Ballot papers issued	For (v)	For (%)	Against (v)	Against (%)	Informal
New South Wales	1 335 660	1 244 918	754 446	64.47	415 846	35.53	74 626
Victoria	1 006 463	953 477	791 425	87.78	110 143	12.22	51 909
Queensland	465 423	435 298	367 257	88.60	47 250	11.40	20 791
South Australia	319 584	301 179	164 628	62.68	98 017	37.32	38 534
Western Australia	203 146	183 475	96 913	57.53	71 552	42.47	15 010
Tasmania	114 490	106 153	62 722	66.89	31 044	33.11	12 387
Total for Commonwealth	3 444 766	3 224 500	2 237 391	74.30	773 852	25.70	213 257

Obtained majority in all six States and an overall majority of 1 463 539 votes.
Carried