1944 Australian Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights referendum

1944 Australian Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights referendum
19 August 1944 (1944-08-19)
Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled —

"Constitution Alteration (Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights) 1944" ?
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 1,963,400 45.99%
No 2,305,418 54.01%
Valid votes 4,268,818 98.69%
Invalid or blank votes 56,633 1.31%
Total votes 4,325,451 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 4,483,949 96.47%

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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reconstruction Bill was invoked but never defined (see the help page).