2010-2011-2012-2013 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

THE SENATE 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013 

 

No.      , 2013 

 

(Senator Madigan) 

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to enable the citizens of Australia 

to initiate legislation for the holding of a 

referendum in relation to altering the Constitution, 

and for related purposes 

   

   

   

 

 

i       Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

 

Contents 

Part 1--Preliminary

 

1

 

1 

Short title ........................................................................................... 1

 

2 

Commencement ................................................................................. 2

 

3 

Guide to this Act ................................................................................ 2

 

4 

Object of this Act ............................................................................... 3

 

5 

Definitions ......................................................................................... 3

 

Part 2--Process for initiating a referendum

 

5

 

6 

Application to register proposal for referendum ................................ 5

 

7 

Electoral Commissioner to examine proposal for referendum ........... 5

 

8 

Registration of proposal for referendum ............................................ 5

 

9 

Notice of decision .............................................................................. 6

 

10 

Meaning of qualifying requirements and qualifying day ................... 6

 

11 

Electoral Commissioner to verify that qualifying 

requirements have been satisfied ....................................................... 6

 

12 

Minister to arrange for introduction of proposed law ........................ 7

 

Part 3--Holding a citizen initiated referendum

 

8

 

13 

Application of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 

1984 ................................................................................................... 8

 

14 

Writ for referendum ........................................................................... 8

 

Part 4--Miscellaneous

 

10

 

15 

Delegation by Electoral Commissioner ........................................... 10

 

16 

Regulations ...................................................................................... 10

 

 

 

 

Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013       1 

 

A Bill for an Act to enable the citizens of Australia 

1 

to initiate legislation for the holding of a 

2 

referendum in relation to altering the Constitution, 

3 

and for related purposes 

4 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

5 

Part 1--Preliminary 

6 

   

7 

1  Short title 

8 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Citizen Initiated Referendum Act 

9 

2013. 

10 

   

Part 1  Preliminary 

   

 

Section 2 

 

2            Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

 

2  Commencement 

1 

 

  This Act commences on the day this Act receives the Royal 

2 

Assent. 

3 

3  Guide to this Act 

4 

This Act enables Australian citizens to initiate legislation that 

5 

provides for the holding of a referendum to alter the Constitution. 

6 

Part 2 sets out the process that must be followed, and the 

7 

requirements that must be met, in order for a citizen to initiate the 

8 

holding of a referendum. 

9 

The process involves the following steps: 

10 

 

(a) 

a person who is an elector may apply to the 

11 

Electoral Commission to register a proposal for a 

12 

referendum to amend the Constitution; 

13 

 

(b) 

the Electoral Commissioner must examine the 

14 

proposal and decide whether it relates to a proposal 

15 

for a referendum to amend the Constitution; 

16 

 

(c) 

if the proposal relates to a proposal for a 

17 

referendum to amend the Constitution, the 

18 

Electoral Commissioner must register the proposal 

19 

and the applicant must then lodge with the 

20 

Electoral Commission a document containing the 

21 

signatures of 1% of the total of all electors; 

22 

 

(d) 

if the applicant lodges the document within 13 

23 

months of the proposal being registered, the 

24 

Electoral Commissioner must undertake random 

25 

sampling to verify that at least 3% of those 

26 

signatures were obtained validly; 

27 

 

(e) 

once a proposal is verified, the Minister must cause 

28 

a proposed law to alter the Constitution, in 

29 

   

Preliminary  Part 1 

   

 

Section 4 

 

Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013            3 

 

accordance with the proposal, to be introduced into 

1 

the Parliament. 

2 

Part 3 sets out rules that apply to the holding of a citizen initiated 

3 

referendum. Once a proposed law to alter the Constitution in 

4 

accordance with the proposal has been passed, by an absolute 

5 

majority of one House, or both Houses, of the Parliament, in 

6 

accordance with section 128 of the Constitution, the 

7 

Governor-General may issue a writ for the citizen initiated 

8 

referendum to be held on the first Saturday in October in a 

9 

referendum year. 

10 

The first referendum year is 2016, and every fourth year after that 

11 

year is also a referendum year. 

12 

Part 4 deals with miscellaneous matters, including delegation of the 

13 

Electoral Commissioner's functions and powers. 

14 

4  Object of this Act 

15 

 

  The object of this Act is to enable Australian citizens to initiate a 

16 

proposal for a referendum to amend the Constitution. 

17 

5  Definitions 

18 

 

  In this Act: 

19 

approved form means a form that: 

20 

 

(a)  is approved by the Electoral Commissioner in writing; and 

21 

 

(b)  has been published by the Electoral Commissioner on the 

22 

Electoral Commission's website. 

23 

citizen initiated referendum means a referendum resulting from a 

24 

proposal that is verified under section 11. 

25 

Deputy Electoral Commissioner means the Deputy Electoral 

26 

Commissioner referred to in section 19 of the Commonwealth 

27 

Electoral Act 1918. 

28 

   

Part 1  Preliminary 

   

 

Section 5 

 

4            Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

 

elector means a person whose name appears on a Roll as an 

1 

elector. 

2 

Electoral Commission means the Australian Electoral Commission 

3 

established by section 6 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. 

4 

Electoral Commissioner means the Electoral Commissioner 

5 

referred to in section 18 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. 

6 

qualifying day, for a proposal for a referendum, has the meaning 

7 

given by subsection 10(2). 

8 

qualifying requirements, for a proposal for a referendum, has the 

9 

meaning given by subsection 10(1). 

10 

random sampling process has the meaning given by subsection 

11 

11(3). 

12 

referendum means the submission to the electors of a proposed 

13 

law for the alteration of the Constitution. 

14 

referendum day has the meaning given by subsection 14(4). 

15 

referendum year has the meaning given by subsection 14(4). 

16 

Roll means a roll of electors kept pursuant to the Commonwealth 

17 

Electoral Act 1918. 

18 

 

 

19 

   

Process for initiating a referendum  Part 2 

   

 

Section 6 

 

Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013            5 

 

Part 2--Process for initiating a referendum 

1 

   

2 

6  Application to register proposal for referendum 

3 

 

(1)  A person who is an elector may apply to the Electoral Commission 

4 

to register a proposal for a referendum to amend the Constitution. 

5 

 

(2)  An application to register a proposal for a referendum must: 

6 

 

(a)  be in the approved form; and 

7 

 

(b)  contain an outline of the proposal; and 

8 

 

(c)  be accompanied by the application fee prescribed by the 

9 

regulations. 

10 

 

(3)  The amount of the application fee must not be such as to amount to 

11 

taxation. 

12 

 

(4)  The application fee may be refunded in circumstances prescribed 

13 

by the regulations. 

14 

7  Electoral Commissioner to examine proposal for referendum 

15 

 

  Within 1 month after receiving an application under section 6, the 

16 

Electoral Commissioner must examine the proposal outlined in the 

17 

application and decide whether it is a proposal to amend the 

18 

Constitution. 

19 

8  Registration of proposal for referendum 

20 

 

(1)  The Electoral Commissioner must, after the examination, register 

21 

the proposal unless he or she is satisfied that the proposal does not 

22 

relate to a proposal to amend the Constitution. 

23 

 

(2)  If the Electoral Commissioner is not satisfied that the proposal 

24 

relates to a constitutional matter, the Electoral Commissioner must 

25 

reject the application to register the proposal. 

26 

 

(3)  The Electoral Commissioner may not reject an application without 

27 

giving the applicant an opportunity to be heard. 

28 

   

Part 2  Process for initiating a referendum 

   

 

Section 9 

 

6            Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

 

9  Notice of decision 

1 

 

  Within 7 days after making a decision under section 8, the 

2 

Electoral Commissioner must give a written notice to the applicant: 

3 

 

(a)  if the decision was to register the proposal--setting out the 

4 

following: 

5 

 

(i)  a statement that the proposal has been registered; 

6 

 

(ii)  a statement that the applicant must satisfy the qualifying 

7 

requirements for the proposal by the qualifying day in 

8 

order for the proposal to progress; 

9 

 

(iii)  the qualifying day for the proposal; or 

10 

 

(b)  if the decision was to reject the application for the proposal--

11 

stating that the proposal has been rejected. 

12 

10  Meaning of qualifying requirements and qualifying day 

13 

 

(1)  An applicant will satisfy the qualifying requirements for a 

14 

proposal for a referendum if the applicant lodges with the Electoral 

15 

Commission a document containing the signatures, printed names 

16 

and addresses of at least 1% of all electors. 

17 

 

(2)  The qualifying day for a proposal for a referendum is the day that 

18 

is 1 month after the end of the period of 12 months starting when 

19 

the proposal is registered under section 8. 

20 

11  Electoral Commissioner to verify that qualifying requirements 

21 

have been satisfied 

22 

 

(1)  This section applies if: 

23 

 

(a)  an applicant lodges a document with the Electoral 

24 

Commission that purports to satisfy the qualifying 

25 

requirements for a proposal for a referendum; and 

26 

 

(b)  the document is lodged by the end of the qualifying day for 

27 

the proposal. 

28 

 

(2)  Within 3 months after the applicant lodges the document, the 

29 

Electoral Commission must: 

30 

   

Process for initiating a referendum  Part 2 

   

 

Section 12 

 

Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013            7 

 

 

(a)  undertake up to 2 random sampling processes to verify 

1 

whether the signatures contained in the document were 

2 

validly obtained; and 

3 

 

(b)  either: 

4 

 

(i)  if the results of at least 1 random sampling process 

5 

indicate that the signatures contained in the document 

6 

were validly obtained--verify the proposal and notify 

7 

the applicant, in writing, that the proposal has been 

8 

verified; or 

9 

 

(ii)  otherwise--notify the applicant, in writing, that the 

10 

proposal has been rejected. 

11 

 

(3)  To undertake a random sampling process in respect of the 

12 

signatures contained in a document, the Electoral Commission 

13 

must: 

14 

 

(a)  randomly select at least 3%, or such higher amount as 

15 

specified in the regulations, of the persons whose signatures 

16 

are contained in the document; and 

17 

 

(b)  contact each of those persons to verify that their signature 

18 

was validly obtained; and 

19 

 

(c)  undertake any procedure set out in the regulations in respect 

20 

of the random sampling process. 

21 

12  Minister to arrange for introduction of proposed law 

22 

 

  Within 4 months after a proposal for a referendum is verified under 

23 

section 11, the Minister must cause a proposed law that will alter 

24 

the Constitution in accordance with the proposal to be introduced 

25 

into the Parliament. 

26 

 

 

27 

   

Part 3  Holding a citizen initiated referendum 

   

 

Section 13 

 

8            Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

 

Part 3--Holding a citizen initiated referendum 

1 

   

2 

13  Application of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 

3 

 

  Subject to this Part, the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 

4 

1984 applies to a citizen initiated referendum. 

5 

14  Writ for referendum 

6 

 

(1)  If: 

7 

 

(a)  a proposal for a referendum has been verified under section 

8 

11; and 

9 

 

(b)  a proposed law to alter the Constitution in accordance with 

10 

the proposal has been passed by an absolute majority of one 

11 

House, or both Houses, of the Parliament, in accordance with 

12 

section 128 of the Constitution; 

13 

the Governor-General may issue a writ for the submission of the 

14 

proposed law to the electors. 

15 

 

(2)  A writ issued under subsection (1): 

16 

 

(a)  may be in accordance with Form A in Schedule 1 to the 

17 

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984; and 

18 

 

(b)  must be signed by the Governor-General; and 

19 

 

(c)  must appoint: 

20 

 

(i)  the day for the close of the Rolls; and 

21 

 

(ii)  the day for taking the votes of electors (see 

22 

subsection (3)); and 

23 

 

(iii)  the day for the return of the writ. 

24 

 

(3)  The day appointed for the taking the votes of electors must be: 

25 

 

(a)  if a proposed law to alter the Constitution in accordance with 

26 

the proposal was passed by an absolute majority of one 

27 

House, or both Houses, of the Parliament, on a day that falls 

28 

before 1 October in the year before a referendum year--the 

29 

referendum day for that referendum year; or 

30 

 

(b)  if a proposed law to alter the Constitution in accordance with 

31 

the proposal has been passed by an absolute majority of one 

32 

   

Holding a citizen initiated referendum  Part 3 

   

 

Section 14 

 

Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013            9 

 

House, or both Houses, of the Parliament, on a day that falls 

1 

on or after 1 October in the year before a referendum year but 

2 

before the referendum day for that referendum year--the 

3 

referendum day for the next referendum year. 

4 

 

(4)  In this section: 

5 

referendum day, for a referendum year, means the first Saturday in 

6 

October of that year. 

7 

referendum year means 2016 and every fourth year after that. 

8 

 

 

9 

   

Part 4  Miscellaneous 

   

 

Section 15 

 

10            Citizen Initiated Referendum Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

 

Part 4--Miscellaneous 

1 

   

2 

15  Delegation by Electoral Commissioner 

3 

 

  The Electoral Commissioner may, in writing, delegate to the 

4 

Deputy Electoral Commissioner all or any of the functions or 

5 

powers of the Electoral Commissioner under this Act. 

6 

16  Regulations 

7 

 

  The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters: 

8 

 

(a)  required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or 

9 

 

(b)  necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or 

10 

giving effect to this Act. 

11