{"id":"C2004L01938","name":"National Security (Supplementary) Regulations","slug":"national-security-supplementary-regulations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"126 of 1940","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":25553,"registerId":"commonwealth-C2004L01938-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"National Security (Supplementary) Regulations","content":"STATUTORY RULES.\n\n1940\\. No. 126.\n\nREGULATIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT 1939–1940.\\*\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the National Security Act 1940.\n\nDated this fourth day of July, 1940.\n\nGOWRIE\n\nGovernor-General.\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nPERCY C. SPENDER\n\nfor and on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence Co-ordination.\n\nNational Security (Supplementary) Regulations.\n\nCitation.\n\n1. These Regulations may be cited as the National Security (Supplementary) Regulations.\n\nProtection of War Saving Certificates.\n\n2. A person shall not advocate, whether orally or otherwise, the use of War Savings Certificates for payment for goods or services.\n\n\\* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 4th July, 1940.\n\nBy Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.\n\n4144.—Price 3d.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This summary reflects the instrument as originally made in 1940. The regulation has not been expressly repealed and theoretically remains on the statute book, but the parent Act and the War Savings Certificates scheme are long defunct. No subsequent amendments or related instruments are considered."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision only","Straightforward prohibition with no exceptions or qualifications","No definitions, schedules or cross-references","Plain language, no technical legal concepts"],"plain_english_summary":"This 1940 wartime regulation made it an offence to advocate—spoken or written—that War Savings Certificates be used as payment for goods or services. Aimed at preserving the certificates as a government savings instrument and protecting monetary policy, it targeted anyone (notably businesses, advertisers and community leaders) who might promote their circulation as cash. Now of historical interest only, the rule no longer has practical effect."},"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":2764},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations remain focused on their original purpose of protecting wartime financial instruments. As a short, specific supplementary instrument made under emergency wartime powers, the scope has not expanded beyond the original intent of controlling how War Savings Certificates were used in the economy."},"complexity_factors":["Only 2 regulations in total","Single straightforward prohibition with no exceptions","No defined terms section","No cross-references within the operative provision","No conditional or nested logic"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does**\n\nThese regulations ban anyone from **advocating** (encouraging or promoting) the use of War Savings Certificates as if they were cash to pay for goods or services.\n\n**Background**\n\nWar Savings Certificates were government bonds sold to Australians during the Second World War to help fund the military effort. They were designed to be held as savings until they matured (increased in value), not used as everyday currency.\n\n**The rule**\n\nRegulation 2 makes it illegal to advocate—whether by speaking, writing, or any other means—that people should use these certificates to pay for things.\n\n**Why it matters**\n\nIf certificates started circulating as currency, it would undermine the war financing system. The government needed people to hold these as long-term investments to fund the war, not spend them immediately like banknotes. Treating them as cash could also destabilise prices and the economy during a critical period.\n\n**Who is affected**\n\nThis applies to everyone in Australia—business owners, consumers, or public figures—who might suggest or promote using the certificates as payment."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/national-security-supplementary-regulations","history":"/api/acts/national-security-supplementary-regulations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/national-security-supplementary-regulations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/national-security-supplementary-regulations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/national-security-supplementary-regulations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/national-security-supplementary-regulations/documents"}}