Labor leader Bill Shorten is expressing optimism that the ALP will overhaul longstanding party rules this weekend, including allowing a 20% increase in rank-and-file members’ say in future House of Representatives preselections.
Negotiations between the factions are continuing ahead of the rules debate which is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but Shorten is expressing optimism that some progress can be achieved.
“Labor has come a long way in 18 months – we are rebuilding, we’re united and more engaged with members,” Shorten said in a statement issued to Guardian Australia on Friday.
“Our party would be nothing without our members. We need to keep up the momentum to better involve the rank and file – I want us to be a party of 100,000 members and I’m determined to get there.”
Shorten’s right faction does not support a push from the left to create 50% grassroots ballots – like the split ballot that now exists for the election of the party’s federal leader – for future Senate preselections, and for the selection of national conference delegates.
A group of party elders, including Gareth Evans, Carmen Lawrence, Barry Jones and Neal Blewett, have in the run-up to conference signed a petition to help push along the democratisation debate, supporting reforms to loosen the grip of the factions and the trade union movement on party positions.
The Senate preselection issue is particularly touchy with trade union delegates, because unions currently dominate the process of selection for Senate candidates.
Shorten supports the principle of direct elections for future national conferences which would see a delegate from every federal seat represented at the party’s national conference – but the mechanism is not yet resolved.
The Labor leader also supports the abolition of a rule that says ALP members need to be trade union members, and affirmative action proposals including setting a target to lift the number of Indigenous representatives in parliament by 2025.
“Backed up by party procedures and resources, I am confident this will deliver increased representation and build a strong Indigenous component within the ALP,” Shorten said in a comment piece published by Guardian Australia on Thursday.
It is unclear how the dispute between the left and the right on grassroots representation will be resolved, but it appears likely the factions will attempt to reach a negotiated settlement rather than vote down competing proposals.
Changing the party rules requires a statutory majority of 199 votes.
The rules for preselections vary from state to state. Currently in Victoria, rank and file members make up 50% of the vote in pre-selections for candidates for the House of Representatives. This will increase to 70% under the new rule being proposed by Shorten.
New South Wales already has grassroots ballots, but in South Australia rank and file input currently makes up 25% of the ballot – so the new rule would move the share up to 45% of the vote for House of Representatives candidates.
In the lead-up to the conference, Shorten has been holding membership forums in four states to test some of his conference proposals.
The national conference kicks off in Melbourne on Friday.
