The1913 Australian referendum was held on 31 May 1913. It contained six referendum questions and was held in conjunction with the1913 federal election.
Having failed with the1911 referendum, theAttorney-General,Billy Hughes, tried again, breaking each of the changes into separate questions. The changes were said to be necessary because the Commonwealth's powers had been cut down by successive decision of theHigh Court in applying theinter-governmental immunities andreserved state powers doctrines until they were said to be futile. The cases referred to by the Attorney-General were:[1]
| Question | NSW | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | Tas | States in favour | Voters in favour | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (6)Trade and Commerce | 46.93% | 49.12% | 54.34% | 51.32% | 52.86% | 45.16% | 3:3 | 49.38% | Not carried |
| (7)Corporations | 46.79% | 49.14% | 54.31% | 51.34% | 52.84% | 45.08% | 3:3 | 49.33% | Not carried |
| (8)Industrial Matters | 46.88% | 49.02% | 54.36% | 51.40% | 52.71% | 45.20% | 3:3 | 49.33% | Not carried |
| (9)Trusts | 47.12% | 49.71% | 54.78% | 51.67% | 53.59% | 45.38% | 3:3 | 49.78% | Not carried |
| (10)Nationalization of Monopolies | 46.85% | 49.07% | 54.17% | 51.26% | 53.19% | 45.22% | 3:3 | 49.33% | Not carried |
| (11)Railway Disputes | 46.70% | 48.79% | 54.19% | 51.28% | 52.38% | 45.01% | 3:3 | 49.13% | Not carried |
Writs were issued for a further referendum to be held on 11 December 1915 to cover substantially the same questions as were rejected in 1911 and 1913,[14] however the referendum was cancelled and the writs withdrawn.[15]
