In the Australian federal political context, the word ‘referendum’ describes a vote to change the Australian Constitution (the Constitution). Constitutional changes express a fundamental revision of the institutional and governmental arrangements of the country. While elected politicians propose a law to alter the constitution, approval of the proposed amendments is reserved for the Australian people, through a referendum. In this regard, the Constitution is the Australian people's document and a vote to amend it will be one of the most significant votes most people will make in their lifetime.

This will be Australia’s first referendum in 22 years, and it has come about in an age where disinformation and misinformation are ubiquitous. With the vast uptake of social media across the world, and the increased likelihood that foreign actors may seek to interfere online, it has become more difficult for people to find fair and honest coverage that does not already affirm their convictions.

Australians deserve to have confidence that the referendum to be conducted later this year has been conducted with integrity and appropriate governance and oversight. This necessitates a commitment to a referendum with structures that are fair, open, and transparent; that deal with foreign interference; and that provide an avenue for scrutiny.

The Committee has chosen to focus on the following key issues that arose throughout the inquiry, structured as follows:

• Chapter 2 discusses the conduct of the referendum as prescribed by the Referendum Machinery Provisions Act 1984;
• Chapter 3 discusses the risk of foreign interference in the referendum;
• Chapter 4 discusses the challenges of administering the referendum debate online; and
• Chapter 5 contains the Committee’s view and recommendations.