*** Welcome to piglix ***

1999 Australian republic referendum

Australian republic referendum, 6 November 1999

A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.

Do you approve this proposed alteration?'
Location Australia
Date 6 November 1999 (1999-11-06)
Results
Votes  %
Yes 5,273,024 45.13%
No 6,410,787 54.87%
Valid votes 11,683,811 99.14%
Invalid or blank votes 101,189 0.86%
Total votes 11,785,000 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 12,392,040 95.1%
Results by state and territory
Australian republic referendum, 1999.svg
  Yes     No
Website: 1999 referendum report and statistics
Note: Saturation of colour denotes strength of vote
Preamble referendum
A Proposed Law: To alter the Constitution to insert a preamble. Do you approve this proposed alteration?
Location Australia
Date 6 November 1999 (1999-11-06)
Results
Votes  %
Yes 4,591,563 39.34%
No 7,080,998 60.66%
Valid votes 11,672,561 99.05%
Invalid or blank votes 112,474 0.95%
Total votes 11,785,035 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 12,392,040 95.1%
Website: 1999 referendum report and statistics

A proposed law: To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.

The Australian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament following a bi-partisan appointment model which had been approved by a half-elected, half-appointed Constitutional Convention held in Canberra in February 1998. The second question, generally deemed to be far less important politically, asked whether Australia should alter the Constitution to insert a preamble. For some years opinion polls had suggested that a majority of the electorate favoured a republic. Nonetheless, the republic referendum was defeated due to sustained opposition from monarchist groups and to division among republicans on the method proposed for selection of the president.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy under the Constitution of Australia adopted in 1901, with the duties of the monarch performed by a Governor-General selected by the Australian Government. Australian republicanism has persisted since colonial times, though for much of the 20th century, the monarchy remained popular. In the early 1990s, republicanism became a significant political issue. Australian Labor Party Prime Minister Paul Keating indicated a desire to instigate a republic in time for the Centenary of the Federation of Australia in 2001. The opposition Liberal-National Coalition, led by Alexander Downer, though less supportive of the republic plan, promised to convene a Constitutional Convention to discuss the issue. Under John Howard, the Coalition won the 1996 Federal Election and set the Convention date for February 1998.


...
Wikipedia

...