1937 жылғы Австралия Конституциясына авиациялық өзгеріс енгізу туралы референдум

The Constitution Alteration (Aviation) Bill 1936, was an unsuccessful proposal to alter the Australian Constitution to extend the Commonwealth legislative power in respect to air navigation and aircraft. It was put to voters for approval in a referendum held on 6 March 1937.

The argument in favor of the amendments was prepared by the Attorney General Robert Menzies. The Sun summarised the yes case as follows:The object is to amend the Constitution to confer upon the Commonwealth Parliament the power to make laws regarding air navigation and aircraft— to enable what is obviously a national problem to be dealt with by the National Parliament. Under existing powers the Commonwealth may control interstate but not intra State aerial transport. It is ludicrous that an instrument of transport so flexible and so incapable of being kept within narrow geographical limits should still be subject in many ways to six different sets of State laws, also the Commonwealth laws. The view that an aeroplane competes with State railways, and there fore should be under State control, in the interests of transport co ordination, becomes less tenable each year. The real question is whether the people desire divided or uniform control.

The case in opposition to the aviation referendum was prepared by New South Wales Labor members and some other members who opposed the Referendum Bill. The Sun summarised the no case as follows:<blockquote>In 1934. Mr. Menzies. as Acting Premier of Victoria, opposed a proposal similar to that he is now putting to the people. The Lyons Government plans to hand over air transport to the Imperial Airways Trust. A "Yes" vote will mean dearer freights and fares for the people of every State. The present proposal is designed to make the Imperial Air Trust, with privately subscribed capital, a serious rival of the State railway services. This same Imperial Air Trust has already begun a sinister influence in the political life of Australia. A "Yes" vote will wreck State railway systems, in which the electors have £311,486,688 invested, and in which 79,145 are employed. A "Yes" vote would bankrupt country towns, mean dearer freights, and dearer
food, and would pave the way for an Imperial Air Trust. The Lyons Government has no case for a referendum, and since the Goya Henry case has introduced new regulations, which are working satisfactorily. This was the first of five referendums (as of 2021) to achieve an overall majority, but fail the requirement of a majority of states. The uniform regulation of air navigation was achieved by uniform state laws which applied the Commonwealth regulations, and the High Court subsequently upheld the validity of those regulations.