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| Outcome | Not passed. Australia remains aconstitutional monarchy | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Website | Official results | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results by state and territory | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: Saturation of colour denotes strength of vote | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Proposed Law: To alter the Constitution to insert a preamble. Do you approve this proposed alteration? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outcome | Not passed | |||||||||||||||||||||
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TheAustralian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-questionreferendum to amend theConstitution of Australia. The first question asked whetherAustralia should become a republic, under abi-partisan appointment model where the president would be appointed bythe federal parliament with a two-thirds majority. This was the model that was endorsed by theConstitutional Convention, held in Canberra in February 1998. The second question, generally deemed to be far less important politically, asked whether Australia should alter the Constitution to insert apreamble.
Since the early 1990s opinion polls had suggested that a majority of the electorate favoured a republic in principle.[3] Nonetheless, the republic referendum was defeated.
Australia is aconstitutional monarchy under theConstitution of Australia adopted in 1901, with the duties of themonarch performed by agovernor-general selected by theprime minister (although formally appointed by the monarch).Australian republicanism has existed since colonial times, though through much of the 20th century the monarchy remained popular. In the early 1990s, republicanism became an important political issue.[citation needed]Australian Labor Party (ALP) Prime MinisterPaul Keating indicated a desire to instigate a republic in time for the centenary of theFederation of Australia in 2001. The oppositionLiberal-NationalCoalition, led byAlexander Downer, though less supportive of the republic plan, promised to convene a constitutional convention to discuss the issue. UnderJohn Howard, the Coalition won the1996 federal election and set the Convention date for February 1998.[4]
The1998 Australian Constitutional Convention debated the need for a change to the Constitution of Australia which would abolish the Australian monarchy.[5] The convention considered three categories of model for the selection of the head of state in an Australian republic: direct election, parliamentary election by a special majority, and appointment by a special council following prime ministerial nomination.[citation needed]
"In principle" agreement was reached by a majority of delegates for an Australian republic model (though a minority bloc of monarchists dissented). Additionally, delegates endorsed a republic under abipartisan appointment model as preferable to the existing constitutional arrangements (monarchists and some direct-election republicans abstained from the vote).[6] The Convention also almost unanimously recommended to the prime minister andparliament that the agreed upon model be "put to the people" in a referendum to be held in 1999.[5]
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The majority of analysis has advanced two main reasons for the referendum defeat:
First, Australians have traditionally been apprehensive about proposed constitutional change. Before 1999, only eight of the 44 proposals put to areferendum,[7] have been approved by the constitutionally requireddouble majority – that is, (1) a majority in each of a majority of the six states and (2) a majority nationally.[8] AsSir Robert Menzies explained following his failure to passa referendum to ban the communist party, "to get an affirmative vote from the Australian people on a referendum proposal is one of thelabours of Hercules".[9][10]
Second, public opinion varied widely on the issue, and was not a simple positive or negative reaction. The major opinion groups were:[citation needed]
The process for change is seen as an important factor for the eventual outcome in a referendum.[11] There were several other proposals for selecting a president:
Different groups within the republican cause expressed views as to which model was preferable. Some were committed to one option exclusively.[citation needed]
The "Yes" campaign was headed byMalcolm Turnbull. It was notable for unlikely alliances between traditional opponents—for example, formerLabor Prime MinisterGough Whitlam and formerLiberal Prime MinisterMalcolm Fraser gave joint statements. Many other prominent Australians also endorsed the "Yes" vote, which led to claims that the movement was "elitist" in sentiment and supported by politicians rather than the public at large. Viewing the case for a republic as fairly self-evident and broadly supported by the Australian populace, their advertising concentrated mainly on the positive symbolism of the republican case.[citation needed] The "Yes" campaign was also viewed as having the support of the popular Australian media by British politician and journalistBill Deedes who said inThe Daily Telegraph in 1999: "I have rarely attended elections in any country, certainly not a democratic one, in which the newspapers have displayed more shameless bias. One and all, they determined that Australians should have a republic and they used every device towards that end".[12][better source needed]
The organised "No" campaign was led a mixture of monarchist groups alongside some republican groups who did not feel that the proposed model was satisfactory; in particular, they thought that the people should elect the president. Headed byKerry Jones, the "No" campaign concentrated on the perceived flaws of the model on offer, claiming that those who supported the "Yes" push were "elites" (although many leading figures on the monarchist side also had "elite" backgrounds), and managed to appeal both to those apprehensive about the change and to those feeling that the model did not go far enough. Their advertising emphasised voting "No" to "this republic", implying to direct-election supporters that a model more to their preferences was likely to be put in the future.[citation needed]
The common elements within the "No" campaign were the view that the model proposed was undemocratic and would lead to a "politician's republic", playing to a general distrust of politicians. "No" campaigners called for further consultation, while remaining non-specific on what steps were needed to ensure this.[citation needed]
The model with an appointed head of state was the one endorsed by the Constitutional Convention and put forward at the referendum. It was broadly supported by both minimalist and establishment republicans, including almost allLabor and some conservative politicians.[13] Direct election republicans in the general community opposed the indirect elected model urging people to vote against the referendum. It was opposed by monarchists of both kinds.[citation needed]
Voting at the convention was recorded inHansard.[6] Hansard shows that 73 delegates voted in favour, 57 against and 22 abstained. Not one constitutional monarchist delegate voted in favour. The policy of ACM and other monarchist groups was to oppose all republican models, including the minimalist McGarvie model. Some conservatives argued that this would be the easiest model to defeat in a referendum and therefore should be supported at the convention. Had the monarchists followed this advice, the McGarvie model would have prevailed at the convention. A number of republicans who supported direct election abstained from the vote (such asTed Mack,Phil Cleary,Clem Jones and Andrew Gunter), thereby allowing the bi-partisan model to succeed. They reasoned that the model would be defeated at a referendum, and then a second referendum called with direct election as the model.[14]
Although the motion was passed with a simple majority (excluding abstentions), the referendum model did not pass with anabsolute majority (less than half of the total delegates supported the motion), a condition which the prime minister had indicated for a referendum. Because the model was overwhelmingly supported by the republican delegates, the prime minister decided[6] to put that model to the referendum, a decision acclaimed by the ARM delegates and the media.[13]
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Electors were asked whether they approved of:
A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.
Electors were also asked to vote on a second question at the 1999 referendum which asked whether they approved of:
A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to insert a preamble
The preamble would have been:
With hope in God, the Commonwealth of Australia is constituted as a democracy with a federal system of government to serve the common good.
We the Australian people commit ourselves to this Constitution:
- proud that our national unity has been forged by Australians from many ancestries;
- never forgetting the sacrifices of all who defended our country and our liberty in time of war;
- upholding freedom, tolerance, individual dignity and the rule of law;
- honouring Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, the nation’s first people, for their deep kinship with their lands and for their ancient and continuing cultures which enrich the life of our country;
- recognising the nation-building contribution of generations of immigrants;
- mindful of our responsibility to protect our unique natural environment;
- supportive of achievement as well as equality of opportunity for all;
- and valuing independence as dearly as the national spirit which binds us together in both adversity and success.
Section 128 of the Constitution requires a "double majority" in a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment—a majority of votes in each of a majority of the states (i.e. at least four of the six), and a majority of all the electors voting.[8] Voters in the territories, as they do not live in states, count only towards the second of those majorities.[citation needed]
11,785,000 votes were cast, representing a voter turnout of 95.10%. Of these, approximately 101,189 (0.86%) were informal.[1]
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | For | Against | Informal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | % | Vote | % | |||||
| New South Wales | 4,146,653 | 3,948,714 | 1,817,380 | 46.43 | 2,096,562 | 53.57 | 34,772 | |
| Victoria | 3,164,843 | 3,016,737 | 1,489,536 | 49.84 | 1,499,138 | 50.16 | 28,063 | |
| Queensland | 2,228,377 | 2,108,694 | 784,060 | 37.44 | 1,309,992 | 62.56 | 14,642 | |
| Western Australia | 1,176,311 | 1,114,326 | 458,306 | 41.48 | 646,520 | 58.52 | 9,500 | |
| South Australia | 1,027,392 | 986,394 | 425,869 | 43.57 | 551,575 | 56.43 | 8,950 | |
| Tasmania | 327,729 | 315,641 | 126,271 | 40.37 | 186,513 | 59.63 | 2,857 | |
| Australian Capital Territory[15] | 212,586 | 202,614 | 127,211 | 63.27 | 73,850 | 36.73 | 1,553 | |
| Northern Territory[15] | 108,149 | 91,880 | 44,391 | 48.77 | 46,637 | 51.23 | 852 | |
| National total | 12,392,040 | 11,785,000 | 5,273,024 | 45.13 | 6,410,787 | 54.87 | 101,189 | |
| Results | Obtained a majority in no state and an overall minority of 1,137,763 votes.Not carried | |||||||
| State | Electoral roll | Ballots issued | For | Against | Informal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | % | Vote | % | |||||
| New South Wales | 4,146,653 | 3,948,482 | 1,647,378 | 42.14 | 2,261,960 | 57.86 | 39,144 | |
| Victoria | 3,164,843 | 3,016,716 | 1,268,044 | 42.46 | 1,718,331 | 57.54 | 30,341 | |
| Queensland | 2,228,377 | 2,108,659 | 686,644 | 32.81 | 1,405,841 | 67.19 | 16,174 | |
| Western Australia | 1,176,311 | 1,114,455 | 383,477 | 34.73 | 720,542 | 65.27 | 10,436 | |
| South Australia | 1,027,392 | 986,535 | 371,965 | 38.10 | 604,245 | 61.90 | 10,325 | |
| Tasmania | 327,729 | 315,664 | 111,415 | 35.67 | 200,906 | 64.33 | 3,343 | |
| Australian Capital Territory[15] | 212,586 | 202,618 | 87,629 | 43.61 | 113,293 | 56.39 | 1,696 | |
| Northern Territory[15] | 108,149 | 91,906 | 35,011 | 38.52 | 55,880 | 61.48 | 1,015 | |
| National total | 12,392,040 | 11,785,035 | 4,591,563 | 39.34 | 7,080,998 | 60.66 | 112,474 | |
| Results | Obtained a majority in no state and an overall minority of 2,489,435 votes.Not carried | |||||||
Both propositions failed on both of the voting requirements. There was no majority for "Yes" in any state, where the "Yes" vote for the republic ranged from 37.44% in Queensland to 49.84% in Victoria, and for the preamble ranged from 32.81% in Queensland to 42.46% in Victoria. Overall, 54.87% voted "No" to the republic, and 60.66% to the preamble.[1]
The highest "Yes" votes for the republic came from inner metropolitan areas. Of Australia's 148 divisions, 42 voted "Yes", withMelbourne (70.92%),Sydney (67.85%),Melbourne Ports (65.90%),Grayndler (64.77%) andFraser (64.46%) registering the highest "Yes" votes at division level.[16]Sydney,Melbourne,Canberra andHobart voted in favour of the proposition for Australia to become a republic, in contrast to "No" votes inAdelaide,Brisbane,Gold Coast,Perth,Newcastle andTownsville.[16] Votes in opposition to the proposal came predominantly from rural and remote divisions, as well as many outer suburban areas.[16] The four divisions recording the highest "No" vote were in Queensland:Maranoa 77.16%,Blair 74.64%,Wide Bay 74.33% andGroom 72.58%.Gwydir in rural New South Wales recorded the fifth-highest vote against the republic, with 72.21% level.[16]
With republican models of one form or another winning a majority in opinion polls prior to the referendum, it was expected that the republic referendum would pass.[17][page needed] However, the question put was for a particular model of republic with a head of state appointed by Parliament. This was opposed by some supporters of a republic, who preferred a directly elected head of state. Some of these, such asPhil Cleary, advocated that republic supporters vote "No" in order that a future referendum could be put on the directly elected model. Some commentators—including the president of the Australian Republican Movement,Malcolm Turnbull—identified this split within the republican camp as a key reason for the referendum's failure.[18][13][19]
After the referendum, Malcolm Turnbull blamed Prime Minister John Howard in particular for the defeat and claimed: "Whatever else he achieves, history will remember him for only one thing. He was the Prime Minister who broke a nation's heart."[20] Meanwhile, the leader ofAustralians for Constitutional Monarchy,Kerry Jones, called for citizens to accept the result and go forward "as a united nation".[21] Later in 2006, Turnbull stated that the ARM had ultimately made the right choices, but that the referendum failed because Australians did not support indirect election and it would have been irresponsible for the ARM to have supported a direct election model.[22] Despite the hopes of more radical republicans such asPhil Cleary, the referendum defeat was generally viewed as a setback for the republican cause and calls for another referendum were ignored by theHoward government.[citation needed]
The Queen visited Australia the year following the referendum in 2000. During a speech she stated that "I respect and accept the outcome of the referendum. In the light of the result last November, I shall continue faithfully to serve as Queen of Australia under the Constitution to the very best of my ability".[23]
High Court JusticeMichael Kirby, a constitutional monarchist, ascribed the failure of the republic referendum to ten factors: lack of bi-partisanship; undue haste; a perception that the republic was supported by big city elites; a "denigration" of monarchists as "unpatriotic" by republicans; the adoption of an inflexible republican model by the convention; concerns about the specific model proposed (chiefly the ease with which a prime minister could dismiss a president); a republican strategy of using big "names" attached to theWhitlam era to promote their cause; strong opposition to the proposal in the smaller states; a counter-productive pro-republican bias in the media; and an instinctive caution among the Australian electorate regarding constitutional change.[4]
TheGillard Labor government, which took power in ahung parliament following theAugust 2010 election, indicated an intention not to revisit the issue of a vote for an Australian republic during the reign ofQueen Elizabeth II.[24] The Liberal-National Coalition government in power following theSeptember 2013 federal election was led byTony Abbott who is a supporter of the constitutional monarchy. During Abbott's term as prime minister, Labor Opposition LeaderBill Shorten stated he believed it was time to "breathe new life into the dream of an Australian republic".[25]
On 15 September 2015,Malcolm Turnbull, who had been chairman of the Australian Republican Movement from 1993 until 2000, succeededTony Abbott as leader of the Liberal Party, to become theprime minister of Australia. For the first time, the prime minister and the federal Opposition Leader, as well as the eight state and territory premiers and chief ministers, were all self-declared republicans. Turnbull has stated that he believes Australia should become a republic after the reign ofQueen Elizabeth II.[26] Turnbull was later succeeded, on 24 August 2018, byScott Morrison, who subsequently declared himself a constitutional monarchist, and re-hung a portrait of the Queen in the Prime Minister's office, which Turnbull had removed.[27]Anthony Albanese, who was sworn in as prime minister in May 2022, is a convinced republican, going as far to appoint anAssistant Minister for the Republic. However, with the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Albanese announced that he would not organise a referendum during his first term in office, out of respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II.[28] The Assistant Minister for the Republic position was not retained in the2024 Cabinet reshuffle.[citation needed]
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