« Pass this on :-) | Main | Kiwi Dilemma »
October 20, 2003
Local Politics
First a bit of background for non-Australians (well probably for some Australians too). In Australia it is compulsory to vote. You get fined if you (a) don't vote; or (b) vote more than once in the same election. Funny thing is that I don't think it matters whether you vote 2 times or 20 times, it is the same fine.....
So, everyone has to vote which gives everyone the right to complain about the government they elect :-) unlike California where everyone complains but less than half actually make the decision.
When we vote for a Federal election (process is similar for the State election) we get two ballot papers (plus an extra if there is a referendum). One paper lists the candidates for the local seat (i.e. the area where you normally reside) who will enter the lower house and the other is candidates to represent the entire state in the upper house. If you care, the Prime Minister comes from the lower house.
So, how do the candidates get on the lower house paper (there is a point to this story so just hang in there)? Well different parties have different methods for getting drunk endorsing candidates but at the end of the day, most intelligent parties nominate a single candidate for each seat. I happen to be a National Party (or Fred Nile) voter but I live in the Federal seat of Wentworth. This is the closest thing to a rotten borough that exists in NSW - it is held by the Liberal party so tightly that you have to pass a loyalty test to live in the seat :-)
There are were about 800 official paid-up members of the liberal party in the seat and at the last election they nominated some bloke named Peter King MP (well he is MP now anyway) who was duly elected as our representative. I forgot to mention that not only is the seat of Wentworth a liberal seat, it is also a pro-monachist seat (i.e. prefers the Queen to the prospect of a republic). It is also an expensive seat (includes the richest real estate in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney) and it is generally held to be extremely conservative.
Some other bloke decided that he wanted to stop being a "power behind the throne" and move into parliament (better pension). He resigned his role in the party (as an organisation) to stand for the party (in parliament). Being a smart codger, he decided to stand in the seat of Wentworth (currently held by Peter King MP). To ensure that he would get the nomination he arranged for a bunch of friends and associates to join the liberal party in that seat which had the dual effect of increasing membership and helping the party financially. It is not clear whether these new members had to pay their own fees or received some assistance for their trouble. Obviously the sitting member was not that impressed and so he too, started gathering new members. Due to internal party rules the cut-off point was some time last week and it has now reached the point where one quarter of the members of the liberal party in NSW, are now all in one seat. Estimates suggest that between 3500 and 4000 new members have signed up!
Wait for it, there is a punch-line. Even if the newcomer wins the selection for the seat, it is not guaranteed that he will win the seat - even standing for the liberal party. You see he has a handicap. Well it is a handicap as far as the voters are concerned. In his previous public incarnation, the newcomer was (and may still be) the president of the republican party.
For more details, check out this article (also in extended post).
Original article may be found at: the Sydney Morning Herald.
Challenges have Turnbull, King on edge of their seats
By Anne Davies
October 20, 2003
It's over but it's really only just begun. The deadline passed on Saturday for the Liberal MP for Wentworth, Peter King, and the man who wants his job, Malcolm Turnbull, to recruit new members who can vote for preselection.
Although Sydney's most spectacular branch stacking exercise might be at an end, it is not the end of the battle between the merchant banker Mr Turnbull and Mr King, with legal challenges in the wind.
Wentworth now holds nearly one-quarter of the NSW Liberal Party's membership, and the state directorate is flush with new funds.
But the number of new recruits by each side remains uncertain.
It is likely the rivals have jointly recruited between 3500 to 4000 new members on top of the 800 already in Wentworth.
The Turnbull camp has recruited almost exclusively to the Point Piper branch, and at Saturday's meeting, welcomed 1491 new members.
But slightly troubling for them is that about one in five people were not names they recognised as their recruits.
The King camp has spread its recruits across several branches although a large number have been recruited to Rose Bay, where Peter King's wife, Fiona, presides.
Neither side was claiming victory yesterday. In any case the battle to win preselection for the heartland Liberal seat is likely to enter a new phase, where candidates will be trying to win over each others' recruits, potential preselectors and the Liberal Party hierarchy, while simultaneously reaching for their rule books.
Both sides are poring over Joske's Rules of Meetings, the leading text on valid meetings, with several challenges expected to be filed with the Liberal Party's NSW office shortly.
Under Liberal Party rules, the selection of the candidate is by indirect election.
Members of the party choose delegates to attend a preselection conference. There are 112 chosen by the branches, and a further 48 chosen by head office or at random from the party.
New members must have three months' membership to take part in a preselection, dated from the time they are accepted by the branch. This explains the flurries of activity over the last few weeks. Nominations close on January 19.
Timing of the meetings was crucial. The Turnbull camp claims several branches controlled by Mr King failed to give seven days' notice of a meeting. This has been denied by the King camp.
At the Rose bay branch - Mr King's stronghold - the meeting had to be moved forward from last night to yesterday morning, because of concerns members might miss the three months membership requirement.
Posted by Ozguru at October 20, 2003 01:10 PM
