Pay rise for members of parliament rejected in 1911 referendum by South Australians; also having a national say
The official opening of the South Australian parliament's 1913 session, with members of parlement returning on salaries of £200 a year after their 1911 referendum bid for a pay rise was rejected. Note the half finished newer parliament house. at right, on North Terrace, Adelaide city.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
South Australia’s second state referendum, in 1911, was on the question of increasing the salaries for members of oarliament, from £200 to £300 a year.
The proposal was rejected with the 89,042 No voters more two times more than the 42 934 for Yes. Members in the parliament had suggested that the salary increase was more than warranted, considering that other states had increased the salaries of their parliamentary representatives and that the salary of £200 was inconsistent with duties required of members.
On the same date, April 16, 1911, South Australians were also voting on two Australian federal referenda questions concerning extending commonwealth government powers. The federal Constitution Alteration (Legislative Powers) Bill 1910 bill sought to alter the Australian constitution to extend the Commonwealth powers in regard to trade and commerce, control of corporations, labour and employment and combinations and monopolies. All the proposed changes were contained in the one question.
South Australians joined every state except Western Australia in voting 62% No to 38% Yes against the 1911 proposal. Two years later, a federal referendum, again to alter the Australian Constitution in regard to commonwealth powers on trade and commerce, was put to South Australians and the rest of the nation. The Yes case argued that the limits to interstate trade and commerce paralysed the federal parliament's action in almost every direction; that the divided power on trade and commerce power between the federation was “artificial, indefinite, illogical and mischievous”. In the 1913 referendum, the national vote was a close No 50.62% to Yes 49.39% but South Australia voted Yes with Queensland and Western Australia against the No of the bigger states New South Wales and Victoria.
A 1919 national referendum was again an unsuccessful proposal to alter the Australian constitution to extend, for three years, commonwealth government powers regarding trade and commerce, corporations, industrial matters and trusts. The national vote gain was close – Yes 49.65%, No 60.35% representing a gap of 12,803 votes. That gap would have been erased if South Australians had not come out as the strongest No 74.72% to Yes 25.25%. This time, South Australia has sided with New South Wales and Tasmania against Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
The 1926 federal referendum again focused on a similar area to give more commonwealth power in regard to corporations and to make laws on trusts and combinations in restraint of trade, trade unions and employer associations. This was clearly defeated nationally No 58.50% Yes 43,50 Yes, with South Australian again strongly opposed No 70.71% Yes 29.32% and siding with Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania.
The Australian high court eventually gave much of the trade and commerce powers to the commonwealth government indirectly through later decisions, effectively removing the need for the constitution change.