Conscription debate
Hear arguments for and against conscription.
Twice during the First World War Australians were asked to vote in a national referendum on introducing conscription.
The 1916 referendum failed when 51% voted no. In 1917 the war continued. The armies of Europe were deadlocked and the war had worsened. In desperation Britain asked for fresh troops. During the federal election campaign in 1917, Prime Minister Billy Hughes promised that '...if national safety demands it, the question will again be referred to the people'.
At the election, Hughes gained a majority in the Senate. Parliament could have introduced compulsory overseas service. Instead, Hughes called a second referendum for 20 December 1917.
The conscription debate divided the nation. Listen to the audio clips below to find out some of the arguments. What other arguments can you think of? How will you vote?
Audio is recorded by actors from historical research.
Billy Hughes conscription speeches
Billy Hughes conscription speech 1
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Billy Hughes conscription speech 2
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Billy Hughes conscription speech 3
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Billy Hughes conscription speech 4
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Australian voices conscription debate
Irish Catholic woman – vote no
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Farmer – vote no
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Newspaper reader – vote yes
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Archbishop Mannix speech 1 – vote no
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Archbishop Mannix speech 2 – vote no
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Two mothers – one yes, one no
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Two soldiers – one yes, one no
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More Billy Hughes at war
Billy Hughes political cartoons
Examine four political cartoons from the First World War about Billy Hughes.
1916: Conscription
Australians were asked to vote on whether men in National Service could be deployed to fight in World War One.
Peace treaty
Discover Billy Hughes's role in the peace treaty negotiations.