Documenting Democracy
Australia's Story
Commonwealth
Return to original scan
View amendments
6 August 1910 | 13 February 1929

Return to list of
Commonwealth documents
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
Amendment to Section 105, page 21


Amendments
After the Referendum in 1909, the Constitution Alteration (State Debts) Act 1909 (enacted on 6 August 1910) made the following alteration to Section 105:


The Parliament may take over from the States their public debts as existing at the establishment of the Commonwealth, or a proportion thereof according to the respective numbers of their people as shown by the latest statistics of the Commonwealth, and may convert, renew, or consolidate such debts, or any part thereof; and the States shall indemnify the Commonwealth in respect of the debts taken over, and thereafter the interest payable in respect of the debts shall be deducted and retained from the portions of the surplus revenue of the Commonwealth payable to the several States, or if such surplus is insufficient, or if there is no surplus, then the deficiency or the whole amount shall be paid by the several States.

(Section 105 was also amended in 1929)

Source: Constitution Alteration (State Debts) Act 1909 (No. 3 of 1910). (NAA: A1559/1, 3/1910)
Effect
Removal of these words from Section 105 adjusted the Commonwealth’s power to take over the States’ public debts.

search  |  site map | copyright  |  credits  |  about this site  |  contact  |  back to top