What were the effects of Australia's 1946 social services referendum?

The 1946 social services referendum in Australia was a vote to amend the Australian Constitution with provisions for social benefits. These benefits include allowances for pregnant women, mothers, widows, and students; additionally, it provided some aid for hospital care and pharmaceuticals, and gave basic medical and dental services to those living in poverty. Many of these programs already existed, but the laws were under attack by some legislators because the Constitution did not specifically allow for the government to provide these forms of aid. The primary effect of this amendment was to ensure that these programs were protected under the Constitution. While it expanded some forms of social services, the main effect of its passage was to legally protect already-existing benefits which were not promised by the Constitution.