1981 New South Wales referendum[1]
	4 year terms	Pecuniary interests
Yes	69%	86%
No	31%	14%

The 1981 New South Wales referendum was held on 19 September 1981, the same day as the state election. The referendum contained two questions:

1. Do you approve a Bill for an Act to extend the maximum period between general elections for the Legislative Assembly from 3 years to 4 years?^[2]
2. Do you approve a Bill for an Act to require Members of Parliament to disclose certain pecuniary interests and other matters?^[3]

Amendments to the constitution

The primary change by the proposal to extend the maximum term was to alter section 7B of the Constitution Act 1902 to provide for a maximum term of 4 years rather than 3.^[4]

The proposal to require Members of Parliament to disclose pecuniary interests was to add section 14A to the Constitution Act 1902 which provided that

• the Governor could make regulations requiring members of parliament to disclose their pecuniary interests;
• the relevant house of parliament could declare a seat vacant if the member wilfully contravened any regulation; and
• the regulations could only be disallowed by both houses of parliament.^[5]

Results

Both questions were approved with large majorities.