The following motions were passed at the Leichhardt branch meeting of 6 April.

PREAMBLE

The proposed State Conference in July will be conducted with minimum opportunity to consider the wide ranging problems leading to the recent disastrous election. It will also have minimal involvement as branches will not be directly involved (delegates are selected from SECs) and the same old rules will apply. Further many branches will either not meet in April or not meet in time to satisfy the 29 April deadline for resolutions.

Party regeneration should involve:

• consideration of values, policies and practices;
• more time for members and ‘amnestied’ members to meet and consider where to from here; and,
• ensuring that State Conference has much broader representation.

MOTIONS

Moved that this meeting of Leichhardt branch on 6 April 2011:

1. notes the recommendation in the ALP 2010 National Review, and in the SMH article of Monday 28 March penned by State Secretary Dastyari, for an ‘amnesty’ for former party members who have left the party in the last five years.

2. notes that the State Conference called for July 2011 is unconstitutional, having been set without sufficient notice.

3. calls upon the ALP Federal Executive to urge the NSW State Executive to defer the proposed July Conference until October 2011.

4. calls upon all officers and committees of the NSW Branch to enter ‘caretaker’ mode until fresh democratic elections are conducted in line with recommendations of the 2010 Review.

Moved that this meeting of Leichhardt branch on 6 April 2011 endorses the following motions passed at the 2 April meeting of party members: namely that we:

1. endorse the findings of the 2010 National Review and demand that its recommendations be implemented in full

2. The structure of State Conference shall be changed so that the following positions are filled by postal ballot of the rank and file membership of the party and the rank and file membership of all affiliated unions, with each constituency having a 50% weighting in the final outcome: President, Senior President and Junior Vice Presidents; General Secretary and Assistant Secretaries; All elected members on the Administrative Committee;

3. That representation at State Conference by each affiliated union shall be conditional on the union selecting its delegates to Conference by direct election by the members of the union

4. That all members must pay their own membership fees direct to head office. The only exception is for immediate family members under the age of eighteen. Members paying a concessional rate must provide a photocopy of their concession card with payment.

The Leichhardt branch calls upon the ALP State Executive and officers to work with a standing committee of rank and file members to cooperate:

a. in conducting wide ranging discussion amongst party members, including former members and sympathetic electors, this discussion to be focused on values, policies and practices and to include online fora;

b. in drafting policies and rules designed to encourage member involvement, party growth and to form the basis for platforms to put to the electorate;

c. arrange and conduct a State Conference on the Labour Day long weekend in October 2011;

d. to ensure each branch has at least three delegates elected by the branch members to attend the Conference.

The Leichhardt Branch determines that, if these proposals are are not agreed to by 31 May 2011, the branch will work with other branches to oppose a July conference and coordinate a response which may include:

a. support a boycott of the July Conference and picketing of the meeting as it is no longer representative of the membership.

b. support the conduct of wide ranging discussion as above and conduct an alternative state Conference in October

All motions carried unanimously

–Benjamin Karalus, President