MS 9214
Records of the 1998 Constitutional Convention



Scope and Content Note

  • Records
  • 1997-1998
  • 3.48m. (20 boxes)
  • Available for reference

The records were collected by National Library Information Services staff prior to the 1998 Constitutional Convention, and when located at Old Parliament House during the Convention to provide reference services to delegates. As the records were collected from a number of sources before and during the Constitutional Convention, the series arrangement reflects the source of the material and within this, pre-Convention and Convention processes.

The records of the Constitutional Convention include lists of candidates, how to vote information and publications of the Australian Electoral Commission, and other material relating to the electoral process. In the main, however, the collection comprises material collected from delegates to the Constitutional Convention by staff of the National Library, or issued by the Convention Media Centre. A full set of public submissions to the Constitutional Convention are held. In addition a significant quantity of website material, representing delegates and their agents and the product of a variety of media servers is also of interest. An extensive collection of news cuttings covering the period of the Convention is also included.

Though Minutes of Convention proceedings held in this collection are incomplete, VHS video-recordings of the plenary sessions are held. Full details of the proceedings and details of the voting on final resolutions will be presented to the Commonwealth Parliament and published in a report of the Convention.

The Library also holds papers written and accumulated by the following delegates to the Constitutional Convention:

MS 9199

Chua Ka-Sing

MS 9216

Misha Schubert

MS 9217

Kenneth Gifford

MS 9224

Jim Bacon;

and of unsuccessful candidate MS 9221 Colin Gourley.

The Library also holds literature and objects from the Women’s Constitutional Convention, held 29-30 January 1998 (MS 9230).

Historical note

The Convention met at Canberra from Monday 2 February 1998 until Friday 6 February 1998 and from Monday 9 February 1998 until Friday 13 February 1998.

The Convention considered three questions:

  • whether or not Australia should become a republic;
  • which republican model should be put to the voters to consider against the current system of government; and
  • in what time-frame and under what circumstances might any change be considered.

Ian Sinclair presided as Chairman, with Barry Jones as Deputy Chairman.

The Convention was constituted by 152 delegates. Seventy-six delegates were elected under the Constitutional Convention (Election) Act 1997. The other seventy-six were appointed by the Commonwealth Government and included forty representatives of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Parliaments.

Three categories of model for a possible Australian republic were before the Convention. They were: direct election, parliamentary election by a special majority and appointment by a special council following Prime Ministerial nomination. While there was significant support for models in each of these categories, following an exhaustive balloting process the Bipartisan Appointment of the President was endorsed by a majority of delegates who voted for or against the motion.

The Convention also agreed to a range of resolutions relating to the Preamble and to miscellaneous transitional and consequential issues relating to a change to a republic.

The following specific matters were resolved by the Convention:

  • Whether Australia should become a republic
  • ‘That this Convention supports, in principle, Australia becoming a republic.’
  • ‘That this Convention supports the adoption of a republican system of government on the "Bipartisan Appointment of the President Model" as set out below in preference to there being no change to the Constitution.’
  • ‘That this Convention recommends to the Prime Minister and Parliament that the Bipartisan Appointment of the President Model, and other related changes to the Constitution, supported by this Convention, be put to the people in a constitutional referendum.’
  • Timing and circumstances of any change
  • ‘That a referendum for change to a republic or for the maintenance of the status quo be held in 1999. If the referendum is in favour of a republic, that the new republic come into effect by 1 January 2001.’

Other resolution were passed in regard to a public education program directed to the constitutional and other issues; implications for the States; the nomination procedure, appointment or election, qualifications, definition of powers, term and dismissal procedures for the office of President; a Preamble to the Constitution and other issues.

Reference: Dept Prime Minister & Cabinet website – http://www.dpmc.gov.au/convention/


Series List

Series

Description

1

 

Electoral process

2

Constitutional Convention Proceedings

3

Delegates: position papers and commentary

Series Description

Series 1 Electoral process

The series comprises material collected by the National Library relating to the nomination and election of candidates, and statements issued by candidates and delegates prior to the Convention.

Included are the ‘National List of Candidates’ issued by the Australian Electoral Commission, ‘how to vote’ and related information, and copies of the AEC publication, Electoral Newsfile. Some material issued by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is also retained.

More significant are the electoral products of candidates, supporters and commentators. These comprise statements printed from websites (whether those of candidates and their supporters or 'party', or sponsored by a variety of web-servers), and printed material: media-releases, circulars, ‘how-to-vote’ leaflets, advertisements and information kits. A small number of miscellaneous press cuttings covering the period October-December 1997 complete the series.

Folder

1

AEC, Election guides and overview

2

AEC, Electoral Newsfile

3

AEC, Candidate Information Kit

4

AEC, List of candidates

5

Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, Republic – yes or no ?

6

Australian High Commission (London), media release and information sheet

7-24

Candidates and supporters: printed material

25-35

Candidates and supporters: websites

36

Newspaper cuttings, October – December 1997

Addition 4 June 1999
37 Election material: Russel James Leneham (Civic Responsibility, Queensland)
Addition 30 July 1999
37 Election material: Alistair Barros

Series 2 Constitutional Convention Proceedings

This series documents proceedings of the Constitutional Convention from Monday 2 February until the final session on Friday 13 February 1998. It includes: invitational and introductory material issued to delegates, rules of debate, order of speeches and other administrative material, speeches relating to the opening of the Convention, minutes, notices of motion, amendments and other proceedings of the Convention.

The series includes an incomplete set of material documenting Convention proceedings: notice papers, speakers’ lists, speeches and records of Convention proceedings and decisions on Working Group resolutions. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has undertaken to provide copies of public submissions to the Convention, in addition to a set of minutes of individual Working Groups considering Constitutional resolutions and models. In addition to a complete set of printed transcripts (Hansard) to the proceedings, the collection includes 37 VHS videotapes covering the Convention's plenary sessions.

Folder/piece

1

Invitations, passes and information for delegates

2

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet: notes for media representatives

3

Opening Session: agenda, delegates, seating plan

4

State Constitutional Councils and Committees: miscellaneous reports

5

Opening Session: addresses

6

Convention rules and order of proceedings

7-18

Delegates: addresses

19

Resolutions Group: Procedures

20

Notice papers

21

Working Groups: Procedures

22

Working Groups: Reports and resolutions

23

Working Groups: proposed models

24

Recommendations, resolutions and proposed amendments

25

Amendments to resolutions

26

Resolutions adopted by the Convention

27-28

Draft minutes

29

Hansard proof

30-36

VHS videotape-recordings of plenary sessions

Series 3 Convention delegates: position papers and commentaries

Material included in this series represents the public statements of delegates and supporters addressing the Republican issue, disseminated primarily during the Constitutional Convention. Comment is made on the various Republican ‘models’ that obtained support during the Convention. The series includes media releases largely issued during the Convention.

Included in this series are print-outs of website material issued during the Convention by the Australian Electoral Commission, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and by various media servers, commercial, community or regional, and individual sites. This includes a large amount obtained from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website, representing various television and radio programs. Also included is a substantial quantity of internet-based material issued by delegates, supporters and interest groups. Of interest are a number of web-site discussion lists. There is also a limited amount of published material and reports disseminated by delegates collected during the Convention.

The Convention maintained a Media Monitoring service during the Constitutional Convention. Daily bound newspaper cuttings volumes were issued, and are held in the collection. Finally, a set of public submissions to the Constitutional Convention collected by the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet were received by the Library.

Folder/piece

1-4

Delegates: media releases

5

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet website

6-13

Media servers (various)

14-17

Delegates: websites

18-19

Delegates: published matter and reports

20-31

Newspaper cuttings (bound volumes)

32-33

Miscellaneous newspaper cuttings

34-41

Public submissions

Box List

Box

Series

Folder/Piece

1

1

1-9

2

1

10-17

3

1

18-20

4

1

21-27

5

1

28-36

18

1

37

6

2

1-4

7

2

5-12

8

2

13-20

9

2

21-29

10

2

30-31

11

2

32-34

12

2

35-36

13

3

1-7

14

3

8-14

15

3

15-19

16

3

20-24

17

3

25-30

18

3

31-33

19

3

34-37

20

3

38-41

Guide prepared June 1998 / updated December 1998