The 1988 Australian Referendum was held on 3 September 1988. It contained four referendum questions, none of which passed. The failure was generally attributed to the open ended and nondescriptive wording of the proposed amendments.
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Parliamentary Terms
Constitution Alteration (Parliamentary Terms) 1988 was a proposal put to referendum in the Australian referendum, 1988. It proposed to alter the Australian constitution such that Senate terms be reduced from six to four years, and House of Representative terms be increased from three years to four years. It also proposed for the fourth time that Senate and House elections occur simultaneously.
Question and Results
A Proposed Law: To alter the Constitution to provide for 4 year maximum terms for members of both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?
Obtained majority in no State and an overall minority of 3,217,670 votes. Not carried.
Fair Elections
Constitution Alteration (Fair Elections) 1988 proposed to enshrine in the Constitution of Australia a guarantee that all Commonwealth, State and Territory elections would be conducted democratically. The question was put to a referendum in the Australian referendum, 1988. The main aim of the question was to enshrine the One vote, one value principle in the Constitution.
This referendum question came about due to the widespread malapportionment and gerrymandering which was endemic during Joh Bjelke-Petersen's term as the Queensland Premier. It was opposed by both the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia.
Question and Results
A proposed law: is to alter the Constitution to provide for fair and democratic parliamentary elections throughout Australia.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?
Obtained majority in no State and an overall minority of 2,335,741 votes. Not carried.
Local Government
The Australian Constitution recognises Government at Federal and State levels, but makes no mention of local government. Constitution Alteration (Local Government) 1988 proposed to alter the constitution so as to recognise local government. The proposal was put to a referendum in the Australian referendum, 1988.
A similar proposal was made in the Constitution Alteration (Local Government) 2013, but that proposal was not submitted to a referendum.
The "no" campaign in 1988 argued that this change would undermine States' rights, i.e. that it would move - or make it possible to move - some power from State Governments to Local Governments.
Question and Results
A Proposed Law: To alter the Constitution to recognise local government.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?
Obtained majority in no State and an overall minority of 3,084,678 votes. Not carried.
Rights and Freedoms
The Constitution Alteration (Rights and Freedoms) 1988 was proposed legislation that was put to referendum in the Australian referendum, 1988. The legislation sought to enshrine in the Australian constitution various civil rights, including freedom of religion, rights in relation to trials, and rights regarding the compulsory acquisition of property.
The "religious freedom" part of the proposed change was opposed by many churches and religious-affiliated schools concerned that it would be interpreted as requiring a level of church-state separation that would put public funding and government assistance for faith schools in jeopardy.
Conversely, Liberal senator Richard Alston argued that the aforementioned provision could place the use of corporal punishment in religious schools beyond the power of the government to regulate.
A Proposed Law: To alter the Constitution to extend the right to trial by jury, to extend freedom of religion, and to ensure fair terms for persons whose property is acquired by any government.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?
Obtained majority in no State and an overall minority of 3,610,924 votes. Not carried.