1928 Australian state debts referendum

1928 Australian State Debts referendum

17 November 1928 (1928-11-17)
Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled — 'Constitution Alteration (State Debts) 1928' ?
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 2,237,391 74.30% No 773,852 25.70% Valid votes 3,011,243 93.39% Invalid or blank votes 213,257 6.61% Total votes 3,224,500 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 3,444,766 93.61%

The Constitution Alteration (State Debts) 1928,^[1] was an amendment to the Australian Constitution approved by referendum on 17 November 1928. It concerned financial relations between the federal level of government and the Australian states. It became law on 13 February 1929.

The purpose was to ensure the constitutionality of the Financial Agreement, which had been reached by the federal and all state governments in 1927. The agreement discontinued the per-capita payments system that had existed since 1910 and restricted the borrowing rights of the states by subjecting such borrowing to control by a Loan Council.

The referendum was held in conjunction with the 1928 federal election.