Which referendum example relates to changing the Commonwealth's law making power?

Which referendum example relates to changing the Commonwealth's law making power?

• A. 1967 referendum
• B. 1919 aviation referendum failure
• C. 2023 referendum
• D. 1988 referendum

Answer: (B)

The question tests how referendums can change who has the power to make laws in Australia. The aviation referendum was aimed at giving the Commonwealth the power to legislate on air navigation. That would have shifted a specific regulatory area from the states to the federal government, altering the constitutional balance of law-making powers. It illustrates a direct move to expand the Commonwealth’s legislative reach. Although it did not pass in 1919, the idea behind it is a clear example of changing who makes laws in a major policy area. The other referendums address different constitutional aims—such as Indigenous affairs or general reform—not the explicit expansion of federal legislative power in a single domain like aviation.

The question tests how referendums can change who has the power to make laws in Australia. The aviation referendum was aimed at giving the Commonwealth the power to legislate on air navigation. That would have shifted a specific regulatory area from the states to the federal government, altering the constitutional balance of law-making powers. It illustrates a direct move to expand the Commonwealth’s legislative reach. Although it did not pass in 1919, the idea behind it is a clear example of changing who makes laws in a major policy area. The other referendums address different constitutional aims—such as Indigenous affairs or general reform—not the explicit expansion of federal legislative power in a single domain like aviation.