Referendum questions

Submitted by LJ Holden on 11 February, 2012 - 10:48

The Scottish Government has released a consultation document on its proposed independence referendum. It's an interesting read for anyone proposing a constitutional referendum. The focus, of course, has been on the question to be asked. The Scottish Government proposes this question:

Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?

Opponents of Scottish independence have criticised the question for being leading. It appears that criticism is largely based on the phrasing of the first part of the question ("Do you agree" apparently leads voters down a "cognitive path" towards voting yes). It's clear from the most recent polling results, published in The Scotsman, that support for Scottish independence is inflated by this question. Currently it's sitting at 41%.


As Australian republicans will tell you, the question being asked is a critical component. In our draft policy document, we propose a two-stage referendum process, similar to the electoral reform referendums of the early 1990s. The first question proposed is:

Should a binding referendum be held to establish a New Zealand republic?

A second question will ask, regards of the first question, what the voters preference is for the method to elect the head of state. This non-binding referendum will be followed by a second, binding referendum. The proposed question is:

Should New Zealand become a parliamentary republic, with the Sovereign and Governor-General replaced by a non-executive head of state elected by [a super-majority of parliament/the voting public] for a term of [term length]?

Obviously, the exact wording depends on the outcome of the first referendum.

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