Level: Essential CLE units:
Speaker:
Paul Kildea, Research Fellow, University of New South Wales Faculty of Law
Gilbert + Tobin Centre for Public Law Referendums
Project Co-Director and Federalism Project Director
The current government and opposition have flagged a number of issues that could potentially be put to referendum in coming years.
This paper examines the constitutional and statutory framework for federal referendums in Australia, and surveys ongoing debates about reforming the process of constitutional change. It examines:
- the origin and meaning of section 128 of the Constitution, and the supporting legislative machinery
- the reasons for the success and failure of different referendums
- the role of ‘the people’ in constitutional change, and
- proposals for reforming referendum practice in Australia, with a particular focus on the findings of a 2009 parliamentary inquiry into the effectiveness of federal referendum machinery.
Chair: Rebecca Welsh, University of New South Wales Faculty of Law
Member NSW Young Lawyers Public Law & Government Committee.
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