1995 Australian Capital Territory electoral system referendum
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The 1995 Australian Capital Territory electoral system referendum was a referendum held on 18 February 1995, asking voters in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) whether to entrench their current electoral system. The referendum took place alongside the 1995 ACT election.[2]
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18 February 1995
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Write YES or NO in the box below to show whether you approve the law to entrench the principles of the proportional representation (Hare–Clark) electoral system: Do you approve the entrenching law?[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results by electorate | ||||||||||||||||||||||
At a referendum in 1992, voters were asked to choose between the proportional Hare–Clark system or single-member electorates (using preferential voting).[3] By a comfortable margin, voters chose Hare–Clark, which came into effect for the 1995 election.[4]
The 1995 referendum asked voters whether they approved entrenching the principles of Hare–Clark.[5] The "Yes" vote received 65% of the vote and the referendum was passed.[5]
Background
On 8 December 1994, the Proportional Representation (Hare–Clark) Entrenchment Bill was passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly.[6] If passed by voters at the 1995 referendum, it would entrench the principles of Hare–Clark − meaning that elements of the system would only be able to be changed if a majority of voters supported a change at a future referendum, or if a two-thirds majority in the Legislative Assembly voted in favour of a change.[5]
Result
With 65% of the "Yes" vote (just 0.3% less than what Hare–Clark received in 1992), the referendum was passed.[5]
For a referendum to pass, it needed 50% of support of enrolled voters, which meant that informal votes and non-voters essentially counted as votes against, meaning around 58% of formal votes were usually needed for a proposal to pass.[7] The result was assured on 19 February 1995 when the 97,695th vote for Hare–Clark was counted.[7]
The referendum, like the election, was conducted by Elections ACT.[1]
Result by electorate
| Electorate | Enrolled voters |
YES | NO | Informal | Turnout | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Total | % | ||
| Brindabella | 58,327 | 30,330 | 60.89 | 19,485 | 39.11 | 2,250 | 4.32 | 52,065 | 89.26 |
| Ginninderra | 56,749 | 30,916 | 64.17 | 17,259 | 35.83 | 2,077 | 4.13 | 50,252 | 88.55 |
| Molonglo | 81,883 | 48,420 | 68.49 | 22,273 | 31.51 | 2,863 | 3.89 | 73,556 | 89.83 |
| Total | 196,959 | 109,666 | 65.01 | 59,017 | 34.99 | 7,190 | 4.09 | 175,873 | 89.29 |
Endorsements
Yes campaign
Political parties
Individuals
- Ted Mack (federal independent MP)[9]
- Malcolm Mackerras (psephologist)[10]
- Bob Brown (former Tasmanian Greens leader)[11]
Organisations
No campaign
Political parties
Opinion polling
Voting intention
| Date | Firm | Interview mode |
Sample size |
Voting intention | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YES | NO | DK | ||||
| 18 February 1992 | 1995 referendum | — | 175,873 | 65% | 35% | — |
| 28 January−7 February 1995 | Canberra Times/Datacol[8][14][15] | Telephone | 916 | 58% | 26% | 17% |
Results by party affiliation
| Date | Firm | Interview mode |
Sample size |
Labor | Liberal | Others | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | N | DK | Y | N | DK | Y | N | DK | ||||
| 28 January−7 February 1995 | Canberra Times/Datacol[14] | Telephone | 916 | 56% | 23% | 21% | 64% | 24% | 12% | 61% | 23% | 16% |