To change the Australian Constitution, a proposed change must be approved by the people in a referendum. For the change to be successful, it must reach a 'double majority.' Which of the following best describes this requirement?
- A majority of voters in at least four out of the six states, and a national majority of all voters in Australia.Answer
- BA majority of voters in all six states, as well as a majority of all voters in the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
- CA simple national majority of more than 50% of all voters across Australia, regardless of the results in individual states.
Answer
A majority of voters in at least four out of the six states, and a national majority of all voters in Australia.
The correct answer identifies that a double majority consists of two distinct hurdles: a national majority (more than half of all Australian voters) and a state-based majority (a majority of voters in at least four out of the six states).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The double majority requirement ensures that constitutional changes have both broad national support and support across the majority of Australia's states.
Hints
1
The term 'double' means that two different types of vote counts must be successful at the same time.
2
One part of the rule looks at all votes in Australia together, while the other looks at how many individual states voted 'Yes'.
3
For the state-based majority, you need more than half of the six Australian states (which is 4 states) to approve the change.
Practice More
Research why the 1999 Republic Referendum failed despite high support in some areas—it is a classic example of the double majority requirement in action.
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