27 April 2010

Factional fallout

| johnboy
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In the Canberra Times today James Massola has managed to get his head around the murky world of sub-branch ALP politics (if you see James buy him a drink), following the rejection of the candidates preferred by the party leadership for pre-selection for the House of Representatives.

The question now is whether the majority rank and file can form a grouping to express their will in future, or if it’s back to business as usual.

The answer is no-one knows.

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colourful sydney racing identity8:58 am 28 Apr 10

housebound said :

Even though Canberra “always votes Labor”, there are just over 500 voting members of the ALP across Canberra. It’s pretty telling really.

Not really sure why that is ‘pretty telling’ I am sure if you looked at most safe Liberal seats the membership would not be proportionately higher.

There aren’t specific laws from the point of view of the member (though there are parts of electoral law that relate to the parties themselves, which include things like minimum numbers of members).

Most parties have a clause in their governing rules that makes you ineligible to join or remain a member if you’re a member of another party.

Gungahlin Al said :

The only way we’ll get any or either of the old parties to give Canberra a fair go instead of it being treated as a populist whipping post is to make Canberra marginal. I find it hard to understand why people can’t see and learn from the example of the marginal Eden-Monaro right on our doorstep.

Um, because people don’t want to vote for a party they don’t like.

To make Canberra marginal tens of thousands of ALP supporters would need to give their first preference to the Liberal Party on purely tactical grounds while hoping that not too many other Labor supporters do the same thing (as they don’t actually want a Liberal to be elected). That’s not realistic.

Quite a few people are disillusioned with Fed. Labor right now. Perhaps this election will be more interesting for Canberra than people are expecting.

merlin bodega9:02 pm 27 Apr 10

p1 – its usually up to the party rules. Generally a party says that you can only be a member of one party at a time so if they find out you will have your membership withdrawn.

Does anyone know if there are specific laws relating to the joining of political parties, or are they like any other “community” type organisation?

I am wondering if you can join multiple ones at the same time?

Even though Canberra “always votes Labor”, there are just over 500 voting members of the ALP across Canberra. It’s pretty telling really.

Gungahlin Al said :

It’s good that the murky underbelly of ALP machinations are revealed like this. Will help people realise that there’s little value in themtredding the usual “Canberra is a Labor town” path. The only way we’ll get any or either of the old parties to give Canberra a fair go instead of it being treated as a populist whipping post is to make Canberra marginal. I find it hard to understand why people can’t see and learn from the example of the marginal Eden-Monaro right on our doorstep.

You can’t just make an electorate populated by a majority of Labor voters into a marginal seat. Whether it’s to our detriment or not, the current margins reflect the will of the voting public.

That said, if you can organise enough people to agree to change their vote (whilst being absolutely certain that no one else will) in order to achieve a marginal seat, I’d be most impressed.

amarooresident311:06 am 27 Apr 10

George was on the ballot. Had the backing of Labor Unity but probably suffered from the sheer number of candidates and the determination of pre selectors to vote for none faction candidates.

Gungahlin Al10:36 am 27 Apr 10

It’s good that the murky underbelly of ALP machinations are revealed like this. Will help people realise that there’s little value in themtredding the usual “Canberra is a Labor town” path. The only way we’ll get any or either of the old parties to give Canberra a fair go instead of it being treated as a populist whipping post is to make Canberra marginal. I find it hard to understand why people can’t see and learn from the example of the marginal Eden-Monaro right on our doorstep.

Something I haven’t been able to fathom in all of this is what happened to George Williams’ supposed nomination for Fraser?

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