The Australian Government proposes a change to the Constitution through a referendum. After the votes are counted, the Australian Electoral Commission announces that while a clear majority of all Australians () voted 'Yes', the 'Yes' vote only won in three out of the six states. Even though the residents of the territories also voted 'Yes', what is the final status of this constitutional change?
- The change is rejected because it failed to achieve a majority of voters in at least four states.Answer
- BThe change is accepted because a national majority of was achieved.
- CThe change is accepted because the majority support in the territories counts toward the state requirement.
Answer
The change is rejected because it failed to achieve a majority of voters in at least four states.
The correct answer reflects the 'double majority' rule, which is the only way to change the Australian Constitution. This rule requires two separate majorities: a majority of all voters nationwide and a majority of voters in a majority of states (at least 4 out of 6). In this scenario, while the national majority was reached (), only 3 states supported the change, meaning the second requirement was not met.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Double Majority Requirement
Hints
1
Changing the Constitution requires two different types of majorities to be met at the same time.
2
Count how many states voted 'Yes' and compare it to the requirement of 4 out of 6 states.
3
Territories count for the total national percentage, but they don't count as one of the 'four states' needed to pass a referendum.
Practice More
Review how many referendums have been successful in Australian history to understand how difficult the double majority requirement makes constitutional change.
Estimated Time:1m 15s