Why didn previous referenda succeed?
A number of reasons: • government clumsiness proposing a number of reforms in one question so that if you dont like one of them, you are obliged to vote against the lot; • party politics with the ALP generally supporting enlarged Commonwealth powers, and the coalition parties (as constituted from time to time) opposing them; • asking too many questions at once prompting naysayers to suggest to voters to just vote NO; • trying to do too much at the one time; • strong political opponents (including States) advocating opposition; and • political context (or perhaps the wrong question at the same time)
