Covering clauses of the Constitution Act
Clause 4 Commencement of Act
71 words
The Commonwealth shall be established, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth shall take effect, on and after the day so appointed. But the Parliaments of the several colonies may at any time after the passing of this Act make any such laws, to come into operation on the day so appointed, as they might have made if the Constitution had taken effect at the passing of this Act.
Text from the latest compilation on the Federal Register of Legislation.