There are mutterings around that Paul Keating will put an Australian Bill of Rights on the agenda for the next election campaign _ just as he put the republic on the agenda last time. In 1988 a pathetic attempt by Labor to put some human-rights issues to a referendum failed, but the environment has changed markedly since then. Late last year a parliamentary sub-committee recommended that the government set up an inquiry into whether Australia should have a Bill of Rights; what it should contain and whether it be statute-based or in the Constitution. Now the chair of that sub-committee, Senator Stephen Loosely has written to the Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch, suggesting the Government get on with it.
Perhaps the biggest development since last year was the result of the three referendums in the ACT and NSW in February and March. The three were all given overwhelming Yes votes. All were about matters of constitutional importance. All either cut the power of the head of government over the legislature or cut the power of the legislature over the people. In short, they were similar in form if not substance to typical Bill of Rights clauses. The results show that the people can vote Yes in referendums.
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