 In 2003 Victoria referred powers to the Commonwealth, to provide for the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to make common rule awards for Victoria.This followed the abolition of State awards in 1996 by the Victorian Government which stripped more than 350,000 Victorian employees of their award conditions.The question of referral disappeared with the establishment of a national regime of workplace relations through the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005 (Cth), which did not rely on the Australian parliament's conciliation and arbitration power instead being primarily founded on the corporations power.