referendum

Servicemen waiting to vote in the 14 Powers Referendum at Brisbane City Hall, 1944

from State Library of Queensland

• Vesna Verencevic said:

  The Constitution Alteration (Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights) Bill 1944[1] was an unsuccessful proposal to alter the Australian Constitution to give the Commonwealth an additional 14 powers for a period of five years, with Prime Minister John Curtin saying that maintaining wartime controls was necessary for Australia to re-adjust to peacetime conditions. It was put to voters for approval in an Australian referendum held on 19 August 1944. The referendum was known as the "14 powers", or the "14 points referendum". It sought to give the federal government power, over a period of five years, to legislate on a wide variety of matters. The 14 powers The powers the government sought to gain included: The rehabilitation of former servicemen National health Family allowances Employment and unemployment The ability to legislate for Indigenous Australians Corporations, or combines Foreign investment Trust laws Monopolies Air transport, Uniformity of railway gauges Marketing of commodities Manufacturing (production) and sales of goods National infrastructure (subject to state approval) Many of these powers also included limitations as safeguards against the abuse of legislative power. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_Australian_Post-War_Reconstruc...