FOR PRESS 19 MAY 1977
REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN IN QUEENSLAND
The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, the Deputy Prime Minister,
Mr Anthony, and the Queensland President of the National Party,
Mr Sparkes, today made a combined appeal to Queenslanders to vote
yes' for all four referendums on Saturday.
In a special joint message to Queensland electors, the Party leaders
urged voters to take this opportunity to reform the Federal
Constitution. They said that the electors of Queensland should ignore
propaganda tactics which were designed to hide the fact that the
referendum proposals are simple and straightforward.
There are four fair, just and reasonable proposals to be voted on.
They will strengthen the Senate, safeguard the States and make
the Constitution work better.
The referendum proposals emerged from the 1976 Hobart Constitutional
Convention which was instigated by the States and dominated by
the States. There were 92 delegates at the Convention 72 from the
States, 16 percent, 40 from the Federal Government and four
from local government.
The Constitutional Convention overwhelmingly supported the
principles behind all four proposals.
The four proposals on which Queenslanders and all other Australians
will be asked to vote for on Saturday are::
1. That elections for the House of Representatives and the
Senate should be held at the same time.
This is a matter of simple common sense. Unless this proposal
is passed, there could be as many as four Federal elections
in the next four years. The country does not want or need
this. A ' yes' answer will strengthen the Senate and protect
Queensland.
2. That if a Senator dies or resigns he will be replaced for
the remainder of his term of office by a member of the same
Party. A ' yes' vote on this proposal will ensure that the voter
choice at the election will be preserved. This is basic to
our democracy.
3. That electors in the Northern Territory and the Australian
Capital Territory should be able to vote in referendums as
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do all other Australians.
A ' yes' vote will give Territorial voters the same
fundamental rights as their fellow Australians.
4. That High Court Judges should retire at the age of 70 and
that a retiring age should be set for other Federal judges.
The Queensland Government has set a retirement age of
for their State judges, and it is only fair that at the age
of 70 judges in the Federal arena should pass the job on to
younger people.
The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Queensland
President of the National Party hope that Queenslanders will
maintain their progressive record with respect to Constitutional
reforms and vote ' yes' on all four proposals.
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