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Difficulty: HardVoting in Referendums

An Australian citizen who also holds citizenship in another country is living abroad when a national referendum to amend the Constitution is announced. They believe they are exempt from participating because they are not currently in Australia and the vote does not involve electing a local representative. According to the responsibilities of Australian citizenship, why is this reasoning incorrect?

  1. Voting in a referendum is a compulsory legal responsibility for all eligible citizens, regardless of their location, as it is the only way to make changes to the Australian Constitution.Answer
  2. B
    Participating in a referendum is a voluntary privilege for citizens living overseas, provided they have previously fulfilled the responsibility of serving on a jury.
  3. C
    The responsibility to vote in referendums only applies to citizens who are eligible to seek election to the Australian Parliament, while others may choose to treat it as an optional activity.

Answer

Voting in a referendum is a compulsory legal responsibility for all eligible citizens, as it is the only way to change the Australian Constitution.
The correct answer accurately reflects that voting in a referendum is a compulsory legal responsibility for all eligible Australian citizens. This duty is independent of where the citizen currently lives or whether the vote is for a representative or a constitutional change. Since a referendum is the only way to amend the Australian Constitution, every citizen's participation is required by law.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the status of the person and the nature of the event.
The person is an Australian citizen and the event is a national referendum to change the Constitution.
Responsibilities of citizenship apply to all citizens, and the Constitution is the fundamental law of Australia.
2
Recall the legal requirement for voting in referendums in Australia.
Voting in referendums is compulsory (required by law) for all eligible Australian citizens.
Australian democracy requires active participation in the process of changing its founding document.
3
Evaluate if living overseas or the type of vote (referendum vs. election) changes the obligation.
The obligation remains mandatory regardless of the citizen's location or the specific purpose of the vote.
The responsibility of citizenship is not waived by living abroad or by the fact that no representatives are being elected.
4
Formulate the correct justification.
The citizen's reasoning is incorrect because voting in a referendum is a legal requirement for all eligible citizens.
It ensures the 'double majority' (national majority plus a majority in at least 44 out of 66 states) reflects the whole nation.

Key Concept

Voting in referendums is a compulsory responsibility of Australian citizenship.

Hints

1
Think about whether voting in Australia is a choice or a legal requirement for citizens.

Practice More

Review the 'double majority' requirement to understand why widespread participation in referendums is necessary for the Constitution to be changed.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Voting in Referendums

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