Petition · past parliament
Referenda need an unambiguous (super majority) to enact constitutional change.
Rejected
16 signatures
What the petition asks
Referenda are divisive. Government abdicates its responsibilities (avoiding potential elector fallout). If government require us to vote on matters of MAJOR constitutional change, they should ensure the terms of that referendum have very clear & unambiguous outcome conditions.
Recent plebiscites (Scottish Independence & Brexit) resulted in extreme social division, with strenuous objections to & denial of the outcomes, resulting in futile time consuming/distracting efforts to re-run both votes due to close results.
It's not logical or sensible for MAJOR change to be settled 50/50. MAJOR change requires a minimum 60% vote & a 75% turnout.
This criteria means ONLY 45% of the electorate needs to vote in favour of the change to make it happen. If the public are NOT engaged enough to achieve this, then its more than reasonable to retain the status quo and reject the suggested change.
It's not logical or sensible for MAJOR change to be settled 50/50. MAJOR change requires a minimum 60% vote & a 75% turnout.
This criteria means ONLY 45% of the electorate needs to vote in favour of the change to make it happen. If the public are NOT engaged enough to achieve this, then its more than reasonable to retain the status quo and reject the suggested change.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 14 Nov 2018 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Nov 2018 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
16
Status
Rejected
Rejected
21 Nov 2018
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.