1998-1999-2000-2001

The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia

THE SENATE



Presented and read a first time




Republic (Consultation of the People)
Bill 2001
No.           , 2001
(Senator Stott Despoja)




A Bill for an Act to provide for the electors to be
consulted, at the same time as the general election
for the House of Representatives, on whether
Australia should become a republic and on whether
they should vote again to choose from different
republic models


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                  1        Short title ........................................................................................... 1
                  2        Commencement ................................................................................. 2
                  3        Consultation of electors on a republic ............................................... 2

Schedule--Consultative questions on a republic                                                                                    3




i   Republic (Consultation of the People) Bill 2001                  No.        , 2001


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     consulted, at the same time as the general election
 2

     for the House of Representatives, on whether
 3

     Australia should become a republic and on whether
 4

     they should vote again to choose from different
 5

     republic models
 6


     The Parliament of Australia enacts:
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 8


     1 Short title
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                This Act may be cited as the Republic (Consultation of the People)
10
                Act 2001.
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                         Republic (Consultation of the People) Bill 2001   No.   , 2001   1


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     2 Commencement
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                 This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal
 2
                 Assent.
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     3 Consultation of electors on a republic
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            (1) At the same time as the polling for the general election of the
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                House of Representatives second occurring after the
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                commencement of this Act, the questions in the Schedule must be
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                submitted to electors qualified to vote in that election.
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            (2) For the purpose of subsection (1), the matter in the Schedule must
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                be printed on a separate ballot-paper of a different colour from any
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                other ballot-papers used at the election.
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            (3) The Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, so far as it is
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                applicable, applies as if the submission of the questions to the
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                electors under this section were a referendum to which that Act
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                applies, but the submission and answering of the questions do not
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                affect the Constitution.
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     2     Republic (Consultation of the People) Bill 2001   No.   , 2001


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     Schedule--Consultative questions on a
 2

           republic
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     Directions to voter
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                Write "YES" or "NO" in the space provided opposite each of the
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                questions set out below.
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             1. Do you want Australia to become a republic?
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             2. If most Australians decide they want a republic, do you
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                want the opportunity to choose from different republic
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                models?
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                      Republic (Consultation of the People) Bill 2001   No.   , 2001   3