Ideas. Engagement. Growth. A Plan for Labor's Future

8/3/2019 Ideas. Engagement. Growth. A Plan for Labor's Future

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Ideas.engagement.

growth.A PlAn for lAbors future


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IntroductIon 3

summary of recommendatIons 7

overhaulIng the partys polIcy development process 8

1. Identiy new ideas through a National Policy Forum 8

2. Reorm State and Territory Branch policy committees 11

3. Introduce new grass-roots policy structures 12

4. Increase policy engagement between Labor ministers and members 14

IncreasIng engagement wIth the communIty 15

5. Broaden the Party by recruiting 8,000 new members 15

6. Reduce excessive membership ees 157. Allow members to join online 16

8. Trial community selection ballots 16

9. Launch a National Labor Community Dialogue program 17

10. Support branches and Labor PACs in working with the community 18

11. Strengthen the Partys connections to the union movement 18

12. Make voter engagement central to Labor campaigns 19

strengthenIng rank and fIle Involvement 20

13. Support State and Territory Branches considering direct election 20

14. Reduce central intervention in local preselections 21

15. Increase member involvement through Public Oce Selection Forums 21

16. Directly elect National President and Vice Presidents or three-year terms 21

17. Increase recognition o member contributions 22

18. Introduce new mechanisms or member eedback 22

19. Oer more ways to participate through a trial o online branches 23

20. Support more issues-based activism 23

contents

Ideas. engagement.growth.

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The political success story o Australian Labor, the oldestsurviving labour party in the world, has been shaped by an

ability to embrace reorm at critical junctures; an ability to

engage with new voices, new aces and new ideas.

There is no doubt the Party aces

such a juncture in 2011.

The number o Australians joining the

Party, 4,500 per year on average, has

been out-stripped by the 6,000 per year who have let. The

number o active members those who drive our policies,

organise our events, and provide the Party with its critical

connections to the community has allen to historic lows.

The Party must once more be a party or new people andnew ideas.

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i

l

IntroductIon

3

Ideas. engagement. growth.


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the 2010natIonal revIew

In the aftermath of the 2010

federal election, a national

review was commissioned to

provide recommendations for

rebuilding Australian Labor.

Chaired by Senator John Faulkner, ormer

Premier o Victoria Steve Bracks, and

ormer Premier o New South Wales Bob

Carr, the 2010 National Review was the

largest ever conducted by the Party. It

received 800 written submissions, heard

rom hundreds o members at orums

across Australia, and connected with

over 3,500 online participants.

The 2010 National Review

recommended a number o changes

to Labors organisation. Its boldest

recommendations sought to increase

the involvement o non-members in the

Party by allowing them to participate

in community primaries, by allowing

like-minded organisations to aliate to

the Party, and by orming partnerships

with like-minded organisations todevelop policy.

Since its partial public release in

February, the 2010 National Reviews

recommendations have sparked

extensive discussion and debate in the

Party. A wide range o Party bodies and

gures have put orward their own ideas

or reorm.

prIme mInIstersspeech

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is

committed to taking action to

make our Party stronger.

In her speech on 16 September 2011,

she proposed that Australian Labor:

(a) aim to recruit 8,000 new members

next year,

(b) modernise our structures,

recognising that the old branch

structures alone are not the uture,

(c) embrace online membership and

participation,

(d) embrace community organising to grow

our Party and ensure it is connectedto the communities that support it,

(e) increase our local connections to Labor

supporters by trialling community

preselections in some seats, and

() embrace reorms to empower Party

members, such as those proposed in

the 2010 National Review, including

the proposal that the National

President be elected by members to

serve a ull three-year term without

rotation.

Ideas.engagement.growth.

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It Is tIme toembrace reform

The National Review found

that members are passionate

about our Party but concerned

about its future. It has been

encouraging to hear so many

voices, so many ideas and somuch discussion.

Although Australian Labor is conronted

by many challenges, we now have an

opportunity to reorm and rebuild. We

cannot aord to waste this opportunity

or all into the trap o looking backwards

or inwards.

We need to re-establish what Laborstands or and to grow our Party.

That is why at Australian Labors National

Conerence in December 2011, we will

propose a series o signicant reorms

to build an open, inclusive and modern

Labor Party that best represents the

Australian people.

These proposals are ounded upon a

commitment to reorming Australian

Labors structure and practices in three

key ways:

(a) overhauling the Partys policy

development process,

(b) increasing engagement with the

community, and

(c) strengthening rank and le

involvement.

overhaulIng thepartys polIcydevelopment process

Policy is the most important thing the

Party does. Policy development must be

at the heart o the Partys structures and

at the heart o every Labor members

experience.

However, any serious discussion opolicy in the Party must acknowledge

the current realities. Members have little

involvement in policy development,

especially national policy development.

For all the talk o disenranchisement

in preselections, most members have

a greater chance o voting or a local

candidate than they do o voting or a

national policy.

The experience o putting a policy

motion through a local branch, only to

have it ignored by the rest o the Party,

is unsatisactory at every level.

Furthermore, despite the best eorts

o Labors policy committee members,

the current policy structures have not

worked. Time and time again they

have proven to be too disconnectedrom both Labor members and Labors

parliamentary parties.

It is time or a new policy development

process: one that allows members

and unions to work with Labors

parliamentarians directly.

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IncreasIng engagementwIth the communIty

Labor is at grave risk o becoming an

inward-looking organisation. As the

2010 National Review noted, reorms o

the Partys internal processes will mean

nothing i they are not ounded upon a

large, diverse membership with strong

connections to the community.

No stone can be let unturned in

rebuilding Labors community

engagement. This is the greatest

organisational challenge o our

generation.

Party membership must be broadened

by 8,000 members a year. Existing

barriers that hinder the involvement o

young people, low-wage workers and

Australians rom regional areas must

be torn down.

Australian Labor must also reach out

to its supporters in the wider electorate,

including the community sector and

the union movement. The Party must

be willing to open up and involve Labor

supporters in its core activities.

strengthenIng rank

and fIle InvolvementIn the party

Finally, the Party must complement its

policy and community reorms with a

return to its traditional social democratic

values.

The Party must entrust and empower its

members. From candidate selection to

campaigning to policy development, the

undamental pursuit o Labors objectives

must be driven not by its paid ocials

but by its 40,000 members.


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summary ofrecommendatIonsoverhaul the partys polIcy development process

1. Replace the National Policy Committee with a new National Policy Forum that

includes parliamentary, union, and directly elected representatives.2. Reorm State and Territory Branch policy committees along similar lines.

3. Reinvigorate Labors grass-roots structure by introducing Labor Policy Action Caucuses

(Labor PACs), which allow members to organise around specic policy areas.

4. Support these grass-roots groups by encouraging Labor ministers and shadow

ministers to engage more directly with members on policy.

Increase engagement wIth the communIty

5. Broaden the Party by recruiting 8,000 new members.

6. Reduce excessive membership ees that discourage the involvement o young

people and low-wage workers.

7. Allow members to join online.

8. Trial community selection ballots.

9. Launch a National Labor Community Dialogue program to build networks between

Labor members, Labor representatives and the community sector.

10. Support local branches and Labor PACs in engaging with the community sector

along similar lines.

11. Strengthen the Partys connections to union members and the union movement.

12. Make one-on-one voter engagement a central component o Labor campaigns.

strengthen rank and fIle Involvement In the party

13. Support State and Territory Branches considering direct election o National

Conerence delegates.

14. Reduce central intervention in local preselections.

15. Increase member involvement in preselections through Public Oce Selection

Forums.

16. Elect the National President and Vice Presidents or three-year terms.

17. Increase recognition o member contributions.

18. Introduce new mechanisms or member eedback.

19. Introduce online policy branches.

20. Support more issue-based member activism.

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(1) IdentIfy new Ideas through

a natIonal PolIcy forum

Policy is the most important thing the

Party does.

Any serious reorm program must begin by

looking at how we engage with membersand aliates, how we develop ideas, and

how we link the platorm and the Partys

policies to the day-to-day work o Labors

parliamentary representatives.

At present, the Partys highest policy body

is the National Policy Committee.

The National Policy Committee consists o

nine members, appointed by the National

Executive. It is responsible or drating the

Party platorm. Its members have gone to

great lengths to consult widely with Labor

members, parliamentarians, and aliates.

In February 2011, the National Review

called or even more policy consultation,

proposing that the National Policy

Committee consult with non-aliated

organisations and researchers and

academics outside the Party.

However, while consultation is important,

the Party must recognise that it is not the

same as a seat at the table.

Conducting separate roundtables with Party

members, aliates and parliamentarians

runs the risk that these groups will not have

the chance to engage with each other.

Australian Labor needs a broader central

orum to acilitate policy development.

And it needs a orum that has a direct link

to grass-root policy development through

directly elected members.

That is why we propose that National

Conerence abolish the National Policy

Committee and establish a National Policy

Forum as ollows.

oji

(a) The National Policy Forum has the

ollowing objectives:

(i) acilitate policy debate and

development amongst the Federal

Parliamentary Labor Party, Party

members and aliates,

(ii) provide a ramework or the

partnership between the Federal

Parliamentary Labor Party and thewider labour movement,

part 1: overhaul the partys polIcydevelopment process


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(iii) provide guidance on the causes

and aspirations o the modern

Labor movement,

(iv) oversee the National Secretariats

policy initiatives,

(v) include Party units, Party members

and aliates in the debate on the

direction o the Party,

(vi) maintain the relevance o the

National Platorm by conducting

reviews,(vii) take into account all policy

resolutions passed by State and

Territory Conerences,

(viii) undertake long-term planning

or the implementation o Labor

policy, and

(ix) provide leadership on matters o

public concern and interest.

mi(b) The National Policy Forum consists

o the ollowing voting members:

(i) the National President and Leader

o the Federal Labor Parliamentary

Party, who are co-chairs,

(ii) one Deputy Chair, elected by

National Conerence,

(iii) one Secretary, elected by National

Conerence,

(iv) the National Secretary,

(v) the two Assistant NationalSecretaries,

(vi) the President o Australian

Young Labor,

(vii) twenty ederal members o

parliament, appointed at the

beginning o each ederal

parliamentary term by the Federal

Parliamentary Labor Party

according to the principles o

proportional representation

(MPs and Senators),

(viii) twenty trade unionists who are

also nancial Party members,

appointed every three years by

the National Executive according

to the principles o proportional

representation (trade union

representatives), and

(ix) twenty nancial Party members,

each o whom is a member o a

local branch, selected every three

years according to the principleso proportional representation by

Party members with one year o

continuous nancial membership

prior to the date o calling or

nominations (rank and le

representatives).

(c) The twenty rank and le

representatives are to be divided

amongst the State and Territory

Branches in the ollowing way:

(i) any State or Territory that

has less than 5% o House o

Representatives electorates

is allocated one rank and le

representative,

(ii) any State or Territory that has less

than 10% but greater than or equal

to 5% o House o Representatives

electorates is allocated two rank

and le representatives, and

(iii) the remaining rank and lerepresentatives are allocated

to the remaining States and

Territories according to the

relative proportion o House o

Representatives electorates in

those States and Territories.

(d) Only Party members who live in the

State or Territory or which rank and

le representatives are being selected

may vote in a ballot to select rank and

le representatives or that State or

Territory.

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(e) Each State and Territory Branch must

determine the ballot method or

selecting rank and le representatives

in its jurisdiction.

() The rank and le representatives or

each State and Territory must be

selected separately.

(g) The National Policy Forum members

appointed and selected under

subsections (b)(vii), (b)(viii), and (b)(ix)

must consist o at least 40% womenand at least 40% men in accordance

with the principles in Rule B.10(a). I

these requirements are not met, the

Returning Ocer must adjust the

selection result under subsection (b)(ix)

to give eect to these requirements.

(h) State and Territory Branches may

require that at least 40% o their rank

and le representatives are enrolled

in an electorate that is not innermetropolitan as dened by the AEC.

(i) I there is a tied vote in the National

Policy Forum, the Leader o the

Federal Parliamentary Labor Party has

the casting vote.

(j) The National Policy Forum may co-opt

any person as an ex-ocio non-voting

member o the Forum as a whole or a

Policy Commission.

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(k) The National Policy Forum is

responsible or:

(i) keeping our platorm relevant by

conducting Platorm Reviews,

(ii) leading Party debates by orming

Policy Commissions, and

(iii) providing advice to the National

Conerence and National

Executive on any matter o policy,

including the appointment o

Party members to the board o the

Chifey Research Centre and other

non-elected Party policy bodies.

(l) The National Policy Forum must:

(i) maintain a quorum o a majority

o members in order to meet,

(ii) meet at least three times per year,

(iii) hold at least one meeting outside

a capital city each year, and

(iv) decide which o its meetings

are open to the wider Party,

general public and media.

p ri

(m) During each Federal Parliamentary

term, the National Policy Forum must

undertake a complete review o the

National Platorm, and recommend

platorm amendments to the National

Conerence.

(n) The National Policy Forum must

involve Caucus Committees in any

review o the sections o the platorm

that all within their policy areas.

pi cii

(o) The National Policy Forum may at

any time orm a Policy Commission to

consider matters reerred to it by the:

(i) Leader o the Federal

Parliamentary Labor Party, or

(ii) National Executive.

(p) Policy Commissions must consist

o nine voting members rom the

National Policy Forum. Three o the

members o a Policy Commission must

be MPs or Senators, three must be

trade union representatives, and three

must be rank and le representatives.

(q) The members o a Policy Commission

must be selected by a ballot o the

whole National Policy Forum.

(r) A Policy Commissions membership

must satisy armative action

requirements. I these requirementsare not met, the Returning Ocer

must adjust the selection result to

give eect to these requirements.


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(2) reform state and terrItory

Branch PolIcy commIttees

Reorm o the Partys national policy

body is an important step. But State and

Territory Branch policy committees also

play a vital role.

The Party should consider encouraging

State and Territory Branches to reorm

their policy committees along similar

lines to those set out above. Specically,

consideration should be given to

introducing:

(a) a ormal parliamentary component,

(b) an aliate component, and

(c) a link to grass-roots members and

grass-roots policy structures.

The State and Territory Branches have

dierent cultures and rules. Many already

have elements o these reorms in place.There is no need or the State and Territory

level policy bodies to be identical; rather,

what is needed is or the Party as a whole

to acilitate broad engagement between

members, aliates and parliamentarians.

(s) Policy Commissions must elect two

co-chairs rom amongst their nine

members. One o the co-chairs must

be an MP or Senator, and one must

be a rank and le representative.

(t) The National Policy Forum may

appoint other Party members as

non-voting members o a Policy

Commission.

(u) I there is a signicant dierence

o opinion among the memberso a Policy Commission, the Policy

Commission may issue a majority

and minority report to the National

Policy Forum.

(v) Any report or recommendation o

a Policy Commission must be

considered and decided upon by

the National Policy Forum beore

being transmitted to the Federal

Parliamentary Labor Party and/or the

National Conerence or approval.

r

(w) The National Secretary may appoint a

National Policy Forum Co-ordinator to

provide administrative support to the

National Policy Forum.

(x) The National Executive must allocate

the National Policy Forum a budget

each year that includes unding or

editorial support. The Secretary o theNational Policy Forum must administer

the National Policy Forums budget.

(y) To the extent that they are applicable,

the National Policy Forum must

operate according to the standing

orders and procedures o the National

Conerence.

(z) The National Policy Forum may adopt

procedures to assist in ullling its

objectives and responsibilities, so long

as they are not inconsistent with any

express provisions o the Partys rules.

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(3) Introduce new grass-roots

PolIcy structures

The National Policy Forum will bring

together parliamentarians, Party members

and aliates.

However, i the Party is to have a genuine

policy process that builds on the experiences

o workers, amilies and communities across

Australia, it must tap into the Partys key

strength: its 40,000 members.

It is Party members who provide Australian

Labor with its connection to the broader

community. They must be at the heart o

the policy process, and policy development

must be at the heart o the membership

experience.

In recent years, groups like Labor or

Reugees, Rainbow Labor and Labor

Environment Action Network have provideda ocal point or members to develop policy

around certain issues.

However, the Party members who established

these groups aced signicant diculties.

In most States and Territories, the Partys

structure continues to be heavily oriented

towards local branches. These are the

only grass-roots bodies that can organise

policy unctions, promote them in Party

publications, and put resolutions to

conerences and other policy-making

bodies.

This approach works well or policies

relating to a specic town or suburb, which

o course the local branch is best placed

to consider. But it places a signicant

restriction on Party members who wish

to come together rom dierent locations

across their State or Territory to develop

policy relating to a specic issue.

Groups like Labor or Reugees and Labor

Environment Action Network can do so,

but only once they have been ormally

recognised in the Rules an ad-hoc process

that can take years.


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That is why we propose to allow any

Party member to start a grouping o Party

members based around a common policy

interest. Furthermore, we propose that

a group will be allowed to become a

Labor Policy Action Caucus or Labor PAC

where it has:

(a) 30 nancial Labor Party members (or

some other number as determined by

the relevant State or Territory Branch),(b) a patron rom both the state and

ederal parliamentary caucuses, and

(c) a statement o its name, objectives and

rules, approved by its Administrative

Committee.

These Labor PACs will enjoy the same level

o support rom State and Territory Branch

oces that constituent units enjoy in that

State or Territory. They will have the right to:

(a) promote policy orums in Party

publications and bulletins,

(b) put motions directly to Party

conerences, the National Policy

Forum, and State and Territory Branch

policy committees, and

(c) convene meetings and unctions.

In order to maintain their charter, Labor

PACs will be required to uphold strong

standards o governance. They will need

to report regularly to their Administrative

Committee and their own memberships.

They will need to demonstrate that they

are developing Party member skills and

engaging with the broader community. It

is intended that Labor PACs will operate as

outward-looking, not inward-looking bodies.

The parliamentary patrons will play a key

role in Labor PACs. Patrons will provide

a much needed connection between

these grass-roots structures and the

parliamentary party.

They will also ensure that Labor PAC

activities and objectives remain consistent

with the Partys broader mission.

Labor PACs should in no way supplant

local branches, many o which continue

to provide Labor with a vital link to their

communities. Rather, Labor PACs will be

a complementary initiative. No powers

or resources will be given to Labor PACs

that are not also given to local branches.

Finally, while the Labor PAC idea is aimed

at empowering members, Party ocials

shall also be required to support these

new arrangements. As PACs mature and

become part o the Partys structures,

Party ocials will need to:

(a) list Labor PACs on application orms

or membership (so new members can

sign up to them immediately), and

(b) provide administrative support or

elections and the maintenance o

membership lists, as they do or

local branches.

We propose that the National Conerencedirect State and Territory Branches to

consider the establishment o Labor

PACs. The administrative, nancial and

undraising regimes that govern Labor

PACs will be determined by each State

and Territory Branch.

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(4) Increase PolIcy

engagement Between laBor

mInIsters and memBers

The most common cause o disillusionment

among Party members is the perceived

disconnect between Labors parliamentary

parties and its membership and union base.

The National Policy Forum, which brings

together directly-elected Party members,

union aliates and parliamentarians, will

help tackle this issue.

The extension o the National Policy Forum

model to State and Territory Branch policy

committees will also be a key step.

And the creation o Labor PACs, with

parliamentary patrons who will guide

and oster their work, will provide an

opportunity or members to engage with

parliamentarians on specic areas o policy.

However, it is important to recognise that

outside these mechanisms, members also

want to engage less ormally with Labor

parliamentarians and policy-makers: to hear

policy-makers speak, to put orward their

own views, and to hear the views o other

members. Members join the Party because

they have an interest in learning about

policy as well as shaping it.

Policy orums involving Labor

parliamentarians and policy-makers are

consistently the most successul and

popular unctions the Party organises.

That is why we propose that the National

Executive ask Labors ministers and shadow

ministers to commit to participating in at

least three policy orums each year.

These orums should involve at least

30 Party members or aliated union

members, and include a sustained period

o questions, answers and interactive

engagement.

As part o their commitment, ministers

and shadow ministers should strive to

participate in:

(a) at least one orum in a non-metropolitan

area,

(b) at least one orum online, and

(c) at least one orum outside their home

State or Territory, or ederal ministers

or shadow ministers.

An exemption would apply or election

years.

This programme would help the hard-

working activists who organise Labor

branches and Labor PACs. It would bolsterthe Partys participation in online discourse.

And by bringing Party members, union

members and parliamentarians together to

discuss policy on a regular basis, it would

strengthen the National Policy Forum, the

Labor PACs, and the Partys policy process

broadly.

We also support the recommendations in

the National Review that call or:

(a) correspondence rom Party members to

be responded to, and

(b) Party members to be notied o visits to

their electorate by elected

representatives.


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(5) Broaden the Party By

recruItIng 8,000 new memBers

The Partys most critical connection to the

community is its members.

Yet in recent decades the Party has

endured a steady decline in membership.

This decline is the great organisational

challenge o our generation. Strong

member participation is the lieblood

o organisations such as trade unions,

community organisations, aith-basedgroups and sporting clubs. It is members

who provide Labor with its most direct,

most undamental connection to the

community.

We were the peoples party, and we

need to be again.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard set an

ambitious target or Australian Labor

to broaden its base by recruiting 8,000

new members in 2012.

That is why we propose that Australian Labor:

(a) approve Prime Minister Gillards target to

recruit 8,000 new members in 2012,

(b) adopt a community organising model to

empower members and supporters to

recruit, organise and campaign locally, and

(c) encourage State and Territory Branches

to report their recruitment gures to the

National Executive.

(6) reduce excessIve

memBershIP fees

In some State and Territory Branches,

membership ees are higher than or

comparable organisations. This discourages

the involvement o young people and

low-wage workers. We propose that:

(a) State and Territory Branches review their

membership ees, and

(b) State and Territory Branches consider

oering discounts or Young Labormembers and aliated union members,

where they do not already do so.

part 2: Increase engagementwIth the communIty

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(7) allow memBers to joIn onlIne

To grow our Party, we need to make it

easier to join. Critically, we need to give

people the ability to join online.

While joining through a local branch should

remain the preerred method, the Party

should recognise that communication and

transport technologies have changed since

the local branch structure was developed.


Conerence adopt rule changes to

permit people to join Australian Labor by

completing an application orm online.

In order to ocus on the task o growing

our Party, and avoid online applications

becoming another means to undertake

branch stacking, proper saeguards will

need to be put in place.

I members have the opportunity to join

online, they need to be prepared to vote

in person, with proo o address and photo

ID. The Party needs to move away rom

postal ballots and arrangements under

which ballot papers can be handed over

to someone else.

(8) trIal communIty

selectIon Ballots

Australian Labor needs to be willing to

open up and involve Labors community

supporters in what we do. One idea that

has been suggested or strengthening

community engagement is community

selection ballots.

Dierent models or preselecting Labor

candidates are used in dierent State and

Territory Branches. Each o these models

refects the unique political environment in

that State or Territory.


Conerence:

(a) recognise that each State and Territory

Branch will approach preselections

dierently,

(b) support State and Territory Branchesthat undertake a trial o community

selection ballots when selecting

candidates, and

(c) ask State and Territory Branches that

undertake community selection ballots

to report to the National Executive on

the outcome o the trial.

Community selection ballots will provide

Labor supporters with a say in who they

think should be the Labor candidate ortheir area. This will ensure the Party selects

the best possible candidates who can make

a lasting contribution.

The introduction o community

preselections has the potential to open

up our Party to new voices, and grow

our Party by identiying and recruiting

Labor supporters. These new aces will

strengthen the grass-roots activism that

makes Labor the peoples party.


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To vote in a community selection ballot,

any person who is not a nancial Party

member must rst sign a declaration

stating that they:

(a) are a Labor supporter,

(b) will assist the Labor candidate selected in

the ballot or which they are registering

as a voter, and

(c) are not a member o another political

party or one o its aliated organisations.

A range o models have been proposed

or community selection ballots, including

50/50 (50% Party members and 50%

community members), and 60/20/20 (60%

Party members, 20% union members and

20% community members), each o which

has strengths and weaknesses. A trial o

community selection ballots would help to

determine which model, i any, is the most

appropriate or Australian Labor.

(9) launch a natIonal laBor

communIty dIalogue Program

Labor Community Dialogue programs have

been launched at a State and Territory

level. These programs seek to build

stronger links between Labor and the

community sector with the objective o:

(a) developing broader consultative capacity

to support and inorm Labors policy

development,

(b) building lasting networks o mutual

support or Labor, Labor members,

Labors elected representatives and the

community sector, and

(c) enhancing Labors presence within the

community.

These partnerships are mutually benecial

or Labor and progressive community

organisations. That is why we propose that

Australian Labor:

(a) launch and provide ongoing support or

a National Labor Community Dialogue

program, and

(b) co-ordinate the activities o the National

Labor Community Dialogue program

with those o Labor Connect to develop

a streamlined approach to community

outreach.

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(10) suPPort Branches

and laBor Pacs In workIng

wIth the communIty

While many o our Party members

volunteer in community and school

organisations, branches and ormal

Party structures can be detached

rom these groups.

We propose that each branch and Labor

PAC adopts a community organisation, such

as St Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army,

or Meals on Wheels, and actively engages

in that groups activities and mission. The

branch or Labor PAC could adopt a new

organisation each year, while still maintaining

links with previous adoptees, or build an

enduring relationship with one group over a

number o years. This proposal will:

(a) connect our members with their

community in a tangible and

meaningul way,

(b) enhance the communitys understanding

o Labor and our members

understanding o their community,

(c) realise Labor values at a grass-roots level,

(d) broaden guest speaker opportunities or

the branches and Labor PACs, and

(e) extend the community dialogue concept

to every member o the Party.

(11) strengthen the Partys

connectIons to the unIon

movement

Although trade union members share

some o the same values as Labor

members, they are oten not Party

members and oten do not vote Labor.

To grow our Party, we need to engage,

activate and recruit union members.

That is why we propose that Australian

Labor work with aliated unions to:

(a) develop a political engagement strategy

based on the model already developed

by a number o unions, and

(b) engage union members and encourage

them to participate in Party activities.

The 2007 ederal election campaign was

aided by eective co-ordination betweenLabor and aliated unions. It is worthwhile

establishing a process to ensure

consistency and transparency between

Labor and union campaigns. That is why

we propose that Australian Labor orm a

combined Campaign Reerence Group with

aliated unions.


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(12) make voter engagement

central to laBor camPaIgns

As a broad labour movement, we will

always be able to activate more supporters

than our conservative opponents. We must

take advantage o this.

In a departure rom traditional paid

advertising and mail strategies, Victorian,

NSW and South Australian Labor pioneered

new techniques at their most recent State

elections to activate Labor members and

supporters on the ground. In NSW, campaign

teams that committed themselves to grass-

roots voter contact perormed on average

5% better than the rest o the State on

election day. Just as importantly, we have

now identied a large number o Labor

supporters across these States whom we

can engage with as a source o new ideas

and new members.

The philosophy is simple: we need to

activate more members and connect with

more voters more oten. By reconnecting

with our base through large scale direct

voter contact, we can strengthen our

membership and our electoral position.


Conerence encourage State and Territory

Branches to:

(a) implement a community organising

model to empower and equip members

and supporters to recruit, organise and

campaign locally, and

(b) report their budgets and organising

activities to the National Executive.

Under this community organising model,

Party members will be provided with more

resources, training and support, so that

they can identiy Labor supporters, recruit

new members, hold local events, run local

campaigns, communicate and engage

with voters, and produce and distribute

material.

As part o the community organising

model, Australian Labor will expand itsdirect voter contact system, which was

trialled during the South Australian,

Victorian and NSW State elections. This will

enable members rom all over Australia to

help on campaigns at the click o a button.

We are also proposing that Australian

Labor establish an Organising Committee

to consider developments in community

organising and campaigning, and make

recommendations about communityorganising and campaigning initiatives to

the National Executive.

The Organising Committee will contain

representatives rom trade unions, rank

and le members, the Parliamentary Party

and the organisational wing o the Party,

appointed according to the principles o

proportional representation.

In order to support this recommendation,

we also propose that Australian Labor

continue to prioritise the upgrades

o Electrac and Labor Connect, and

investigate urther integration with Party

databases and extranets.

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(13) suPPort state and

terrItory Branches

consIderIng dIrect electIon

To make our Party more active, we need to

increase participation amongst rank and

le members.

One proposal or strengthening rank and

le involvement is to provide the option

o directly electing National Conerence

delegates in a ballot o nancial members

in an electorate.

Dierent models or electing delegates

to Party conerences are used in dierent

States and Territories. Each o these

models refects the unique political

environment in that State or Territory.


Conerence support State and Territory

Branches that are considering direct

election, but recognise that each State and

Territory Branch will approach the issue

dierently.

The National Principles o Organisation

require that State and Territory Branch

conerences comprise 50% trade

union representation, and 50% Party

constituency representatives. This principle

o 50/50 representation must continue.

The local determination o National

Conerence delegates should not come at

the expense o trade union representation.

Accordingly, some o the National

Conerence delegation should continue

to be elected in such a way as to ensure

the principle o 50/50 representation is

maintained.


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part 3: strengthen rank and fIleInvolvement In the party


21/24

(14) reduce central

InterventIon In local

PreselectIons

The culture o imposing candidates

needs to come to an end. The process o

intervention has at times done more harm

than good.

Australian Labor needs to move down a

path towards selection methods where

members and supporters have a greater

say in who the Labor candidate should be.


Conerence arm that intervention should

only occur in exceptional circumstances.

(15) Increase memBer

Involvement through PuBlIc

offIce selectIon forums

In a number o State and Territory

Branches, there is no mandatory

requirement or candidates to present

themselves to the membership.

The Party must ensure it selects candidates

who can engage with the community,

understand and advance dicult issues,

and provide a strong voice or Labor

values.

Public Oce Selection Forums wouldprovide people with an opportunity to

listen to and ask questions o candidates

beore they vote in a preselection. These

orums would be held on the day o voting.

They would consist o ormal speeches by

the candidates and small group question

and answer sessions.


Conerence encourage State and Territory

Branches to trial Public Oce Selection

Forums or all lower-house candidates.

All eligible voters and nancial Party

members who live in the electorate or

which a lower-house candidate is being

selected would be eligible to attend and

participate in the Public Oce Selection

Forum.

(16) dIrectly elect natIonal

PresIdent and vIce PresIdents

for three-year terms

As a popularly elected oce holder,

the National President has the unique

potential to act as a champion or the

Party membership. However, the existing

one year term o oce or each National

President restricts them in that role.


Conerence adopt rule changes to provide

that the National President, National Senior

Vice President and National Junior Vice

President serve three-year terms.

In order to ensure the National President

and Vice Presidents have both the time

and capability to act as true champions

or the membership, we propose thatserving ederal ministers and shadow

ministers not be eligible or those roles.

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(17) Increase recognItIon

of memBer contrIButIons

Australian Labor relies on rank and le

members volunteering their time to recruit,

organise and campaign or the Party.

To encourage active participation by

members, we need to demonstrate that

their contributions are valued.

Rank and le member awards have beenestablished at the State and Territory level

to recognise dedicated Party members.

That is why we propose that the National

Secretariat establish annual national

awards to recognise the commitment and

service o outstanding Party members.

(18) Introduce new mechanIsms

for memBer feedBack

Any successul membership-based

organisation must work hard to listen to its

members and engage with their thoughts

and ideas.

That is why we support public

recommendation #2 o the National

Review, which calls or the rst national

survey o members.

We also propose that the Party develop

entry surveys and exit surveys or all

Party members. These will help the

Party understand why Australians join

the Party and why some members

choose not to renew.


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(19) offer more ways to

PartIcIPate through a trIal

of onlIne Branches

Australian Labor should also oer

members more ways to participate online.

In particular, Australian Labor needs to

expand its online presence to engage

with members and supporters online.

Online policy branches are one proposal or

how Australian Labor might engage with

members and supporters online. An online

policy branch could oer members and

supporters a space to listen to presentations

and discuss policy when it is convenient or

them, and collaborate with other members

and supporters across Australia.


Conerence adopt rule changes to trial

a National Online Policy Branch.

In order to ocus the National Online

Policy Branch on the task o engaging

with members and supporters online,

and avoid them becoming another

means to undertake branch stacking,

it is proposed that the saeguards set

out in recommendation (7) be adopted.

It is also proposed that the trial o online

branches be undertaken in conjunction

with the upgrade o Labor Connect.

(20) suPPort more

Issues-Based actIvIsm

The success o Get Up and Say Yes

shows Australians want to engage in

issues-based activism, particularly young

Australians. While Labor PACs will provide

a ormal mechanism or members to

mobilise on specic issues, many o ourmembers may:

(a) not have the time to be involved in

a Labor PAC,

(b) be interested in multiple issues, and/or

(c) preer an inormal, individual response

to issues.

We propose members sign up to become

advocates or particular Labor policies,

such as the Clean Energy Future Package,either online or through their branch.

Once on board, members will be provided

with a tool kit o resources, such as

talking points and fyers, that they can

use to communicate, mobilise third-party

advocates and potentially attract new

members. Consideration should also be

given to providing members with the

advice and tools to conduct social media

campaigns through email and Facebook

and Twitter accounts.

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Ideas. Engagement. Growth. A Plan for Labor's Future

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Transcript of Ideas. Engagement. Growth. A Plan for Labor's Future