VIC: Report urges curbs on branchstacking in Victorian ALP

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-1998
VIC: Report urges curbs on branchstacking in Victorian ALP

By Lisa Walker, State Political Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Dec 8 AAP - Measures to crack down on the "unacceptable and undermining"
practice of branch stacking within the Victorian Labor Party were recommended in an
independent report released today.

The 47-page report by Mark Dreyfus, QC, to be debated at a special Labor conference this
weekend, also called for an end to the culture of factional infighting within the party.

Mr Dreyfus did not make a recommendation on the contentious issue of whether union
influence in the party should be reduced, saying this should be addressed by a specially
convened committee.

Branch stacking involves multiple recruitment of new members and payment of their fees as
part of a bid to increase a faction's influence in pre-selections and internal party
elections.

"The recruitment of people who are members in name only and who do not participate in party
activities except to vote at the behest of others is unacceptable and undermines the internal
democracy and functioning of the party," Mr Dreyfus said.

He called for strict rules about new members paying their own fees and needing to verify
their residential address.

Candidates for pre-selections should also have to offer a public pledge that they had not
been involved in branch stacking.

But Mr Dreyfus acknowledged no rules changes could ensure an end to manipulating party
procedures and that a cultural change was needed where the interests of the party were put
ahead of factional interests.

Mr Dreyfus also said he was not convinced the current ratio of 60 per cent union votes and
40 per cent branch members votes at state conferences needed to be changed.

"And if a change in any way threatens the maintaining and improving of a genuine
partnership between unions and the party, it should be abandoned," he says.

But he said a move to 50:50 representation should be considered if it made Labor more
electable.

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KEYWORD: LABOR VIC

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