Question 1

Proposed law entitled ‘An Act to alter the Constitution so as to ensure that Senate elections are held at the same time as House of Representatives elections’.
Do you approve the proposed law?

House and Senate elections need not be held simultaneously, though they usually are. Constitution Alteration (Simultaneous Elections) 1974 proposed to make simultaneous elections compulsory.

Australia. Referendum, 1974. Question 1

State	Number on rolls	Ballot papers issued	For (v)	For (%)	Against (v)	Against (%)	Informal
New South Wales	2 834 558	2 702 903	1 359 485	51.06	1 303 117	48.94	40 301
Victoria	2 161 474	2 070 893	1 001 111	49.19	1 033 969	50.81	35 813
Queensland	1 154 762	1 098 401	481 092	44.32	604 444	55.68	12 865
South Australia	750 308	722 434	332 369	47.14	372 666	52.86	17 399
Western Australia	612 016	577 989	248 860	44.07	315 786	55.93	13 343
Tasmania	246 596	237 891	96 793	41.37	137 156	58.63	3 942
Total for Commonwealth	7 759 714	7 410 511	3 519 710	48.30	3 767 138	51.70	123 663

Obtained majority in one State and an overall minority of 247 428 votes.
Not carried

Question 2

Proposed law entitled ‘An Act to facilitate alterations to the Constitution and to allow electors in territories, as well as electors in the states, to vote at referendums on proposed laws to alter the Constitution’.

Do you approve the proposed law?

Constitution Alteration (Mode of Altering the Constitution) 1974 sought to make two alterations to section 128. The first was to provide electors in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory with the right to vote in constitutional referendums. The second was to enable amendments to be made to the Constitution if approved by a majority of Australian voters and a majority of voters in half the States.

Australia. Referendum, 1974. Question 2

State	Number on rolls	Ballot papers issued	For (v)	For (%)	Against (v)	Against (%)	Informal
New South Wales	2 834 558	2 702 903	1 367 476	51.35	1 295 621	48.65	39 806
Victoria	2 161 474	2 070 893	1 001 753	49.22	1 033 486	50.78	35 654
Queensland	1 154 762	1 098 401	480 926	44.29	604 816	55.71	12 659
South Australia	750 308	722 434	311 954	44.26	392 891	55.74	17 589
Western Australia	612 016	577 989	240 134	42.53	324 435	57.47	13 420
Tasmania	246 596	237 891	95 264	40.72	138 674	59.28	3 953
Total for Commonwealth	7 759 714	7 410 511	3 497 507	47.99	3 789 923	52.01	123 081

Obtained majority in one State and an overall minority of 292 416 votes.
Not carried

Question 3

Proposed law entitled ‘An Act to alter the Constitution so as to ensure that the members of the House of Representatives and of the parliaments of the states are chosen directly and democratically by the people’.

Do you approve the proposed law?

Constitution Alteration (Democratic Elections) 1974 sought to make population instead of electors the basis of determining the average size of electorates in each State.

Australia. Referendum, 1974. Question 3

State	Number on rolls	Ballot papers issued	For (v)	For (%)	Against (v)	Against (%)	Informal
New South Wales	2 834 558	2 702 903	1 345 983	50.55	1 316 837	49.45	40 083
Victoria	2 161 474	2 070 893	970 903	47.71	1 064 023	52.29	35 967
Queensland	1 154 762	1 098 401	474 337	43.70	611 135	56.30	12 929
South Australia	750 308	722 434	310 839	44.11	393 857	55.89	17 738
Western Australia	612 016	577 989	241 946	42.86	322 587	57.14	13 456
Tasmania	246 596	237 891	95 463	40.81	138 430	59.19	3 998
Total for Commonwealth	7 759 714	7 410 511	3 439 471	47.20	3 846 869	52.80	124 171

Obtained majority in one State and an overall minority of 407 398 votes.
Not carried

Question 4

Proposed law entitled ‘An Act to alter the Constitution to enable the Commonwealth to borrow money for, and to grant financial assistance to, local government bodies’.

Do you approve the proposed law?

Constitution Alteration (Local Government Bodies) 1974 sought to give the Commonwealth Parliament powers to borrow money for, and to make financial assistance grants directly to, any local government body.

Australia. Referendum, 1974. Question 4

State	Number on rolls	Ballot papers issued	For (v)	For (%)	Against (v)	Against (%)	Informal
New South Wales	2 834 558	2 702 903	1 350 274	50.79	1 308 039	49.21	44 590
Victoria	2 161 474	2 070 893	961 664	47.38	1 068 120	52.62	41 109
Queensland	1 154 762	1 098 401	473 465	43.68	610 537	56.32	14 399
South Australia	750 308	722 434	298 489	42.52	403 479	57.48	20 466
Western Australia	612 016	577 989	229 337	40.67	334 529	59.33	14 123
Tasmania	246 596	237 891	93 495	40.03	140 073	59.97	4 323
Total for Commonwealth	7 759 714	7 410 511	3 406 724	46.85	3 864 777	53.15	139 010

Obtained majority in one State and an overall minority of 458 053 votes.
Not carried