FRe' S 1
-31 MAY 1967 4
FOR PRESS: 1-8 R A R P. M. No. 55/ 196
RESULT CF R! T ' R'NDUMS
Comment by the Frime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
On the aborigine question, I was delighted with the overwhelming
vote in every State of the Commonwealth favouring the e~ mination of those
references in the Constitution which smack of discrimination. The grant
of power to the Commonwealth in relation to aborigines which follows from
the vote will enable it to play a useful part in ensuring justice and social
acceptance for people of the aboriginal race.
The vote will not only help the aborigine, it will contribute to
Australia's international standing by demonstrating to the outside world
our overwhelming desire to give full acceptance to the aboriginal people
within our community. The adverse vote on the nexus proposal, while not altogether
surprisiUg, was disappointing. I said prior to the poll that a majority for
NO would be a victory for prejudice and misrepresentation against calm
reasoning and good sense. I still hold that view, and indeed, the detail
of the vote tends to conf irm it.
In New South W~ ales where political forces and press, generally
speaking declared their support for a YES vote, a majority for YES appears
to have been obtained. On the other hand, where press and political
forces waged a campaign of misrepresentation based on prejudice, there
has been a strong NO majority. It is never difficult to whip up opposition
on the slogan " No More Politicians". The fact that the proposal put
forward meant something very different was either ignored or imperfectly
perceived. It seems clear that in the smaller States there was a fear that
their role in the Federation would be diminished in a larger House of
Representatives and an unchanged numerical strength in the Senate. W.. e
attempted to meet this understandable concern by pointing out that each
representative from the smaller States in the House of Representatives
had voted in support of this proposal, and a large majority of Senators
from the smaller States had similarly supported it.
In fact, there was a unanimous majority in the House of
Representatives in support of the YES proposal; there was an overwhelming
majority 45-7 in favour of it in the Senate. It was strongly supported by
the Trade Union movement. It was supported in every State by the
organisation of the Liberal Party. It was supported by several newspapers
which are generally regarded as ranking among the most thoughtful and
responsible in Australia.
The majority of electors chose to ignore the advice of those
to whom they normally look for guidance on political issues. / 2
-2
The outcome leaves some difficult problems. There is general
agreement that there must be a redistribution of electorates before the next
general election. Due to rapid growth in outer suburban areas of the
capital cities, there are gross dispar~ ties between electorates in the same
State and even in the same city. Some metropolitan electorates J n
Victoria, for example, have only about 40G, 000 voters; others more than
100, 0c, and with continuing population growth, the gaps are widening.
There is an overwhelming case for a redistribution which will produce a more
equitable balance. One conisequence of the varying rates of growth of population
in different parts of the Commonwealth could be an actual reduction of
seats in one or more States and, despite the degree of tolerance permitted
to redistribution commissioners, in rural representation. These are
problems which the Cabinet will have to study closely.
S-' Iaturday's vote was not so much against the breaking of the
nexus with the Senate as a vote against more politicians of the National
Parliament. This view, however ill-advised we might regard it to be,
nevertheless must be accepted as representing a strong persuasive force
at least during the life of the present Farliament.
I shall be consulting my colleagues after my return from
overseas as to the course that should be followed.
CANBERRA, 28th May, 19,67.