Australian referendum, 1910 (Surplus Revenue)

The Constitution Alteration (Finance) 1909 was an Australian referendum which sought to alter the Australian Constitution to amend section 87 (the 'Braddon Clause') which was due to lapse in 1910. It was to add to the Constitution a financial agreement reached between the States and the Commonwealth to replace the section.

The referendum was held in the Australian referendum, 1910 in conjunction with the State Debts referendum, which received a Yes vote in 5 states and was carried. The referendums were held on the same day as the 1910 federal election, which Alfred Deakin's Commonwealth Liberal Party lost to Andrew Fisher's Labour Party, with Fisher being sworn in as Prime Minister on 29 April.

Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled 'Constitution Alteration (Finance) 1909'?

The proposal was to alter the text of the Constitution to read as follows:

87. During a period of ten years after the establishment of the Commonwealth and thereafter until the Parliament otherwise provides, of the net revenue of the Commonwealth from duties of customs and of excise not more than one - fourth shall be applied annually by the Commonwealth towards its expenditure.

The balance shall, in accordance with. this Constitution, be paid to the several States, or applied towards the payment of interest on debts of the several States taken over by the Commonwealth.

87a. (1.) Notwithstanding anything in section eighty seven of this Constitution, the Commonwealth may in the year beginning on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and nine, out of the net revenue of the Commonwealth from duties of customs and of excise, apply towards its expenditure for the service of that year any sum not exceeding Six hundred thousand pounds over and above one-fourth Of the said net revenue.

...
Wikipedia