| 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Constitutional convention |
| Date(s) | 2 February 1998 to 13 February 1998 |
| Venue | Old Parliament House, Canberra |
| Delegates | 152—
|
| Co-chairs |
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The 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention, also known as the Con Con,[1] was a constitutional convention which gathered at Old Parliament House, Canberra from 2 to 13 February 1998. It was called by the Howard government to discuss whether Australia should become a republic and if so, under which constitutional model. The Convention concluded that:[2]
- Australia should, in principle, become a republic (89 delegates in favour, 52 against with 11 abstentions)
- in preference to the current monarchical constitutional arrangements, a republican form of government in which the head of state is a president endorsed by two-thirds of members at a joint sitting of the Commonwealth Parliament (the Bipartisan Appointment Model) be adopted (73 delegates in favour, 57 against with 22 abstentions)
- a constitutional referendum to adopt these changes be put to the people (133 delegates in favour, 17 against with 2 abstentions)
A referendum to adopt the republican model endorsed by the Convention was held in November 1999. The proposal was not adopted, with 55% of electors voting No and 45% voting Yes.
- ^ Winterton, George (1999). "Con Con 1998 and the Future of Constitutional Reform" (PDF). University of Queensland Law Journal. 20 (2) – via Austlii.
- ^ Report of the Constitutional Convention: Old Parliament House Canberra (Report). Vol. 1: Report of Proceedings. 1998. ISBN 0644 52828 1 – via Trove.