Labor’s national conference will debate increasing the party’s affirmative action quotas to 50% by 2020, a proposal being dubbed “Joan’s law” in honour of the late Victorian premier Joan Kirner.
The rule change is being championed by Emily’s List and the National Labor Women’s Network, but is causing some contention as the ALP attempts to settle differences around a number of related rules, including Kevin Rudd’s 2013 change which was designed to protect federal leaders from internal coups.
The increased affirmative action quota, if adopted by the party in July, would be accompanied by uniform national penalties in the event the target was not met.
In a speech last year in which he set out parameters for the looming rules debate, the Labor leader, Bill Shorten, said he was committed to affirmative action goals and to increasing female representation in both federal and state parliaments. He did not specify any targets.
A status of women report by Emily’s List concluded the ALP’s current national affirmative target of 40% had played a significant role in increasing the number of women MPs in recent years. “But 40% is not equal,” it said.
Affirmative action is just one of a host of rule changes up for debate at the conference.
On Tuesday Shorten tried to deadbat questions about whether he intended to preserve the rules bequeathed to Labor by Rudd which were designed to make it more difficult for caucus to move against the federal leader.
The Rudd framework will require change to Labor’s constitution.
In 2013 caucus gave effect to the new system by changing its rules to require that a leadership spill be triggered by the presentation of a petition signed by 60% of MPs and senators in opposition, and 75% in government.
Shorten was asked several times on Tuesday whether the Rudd system would be enshrined in Labor’s constitution in its entirety, or whether caucus would retain its current discretion.
He did not answer the question directly. The Labor leader told reporters Labor had learned the lesson of past disunity, but specific rules were “a matter for the Labor party”. Shorten said reporters should direct their questions to the federal party.
Labor’s national secretary, George Wright, told Guardian Australia the party intended to stick with the Rudd framework but the caucus had always been responsible for writing its own rules. He said Labor intended to stick with that tradition.
“The draft proposal intended to be put before conference is to make the necessary changes to the constitution to enshrine the current practice,” Wright said.
He said the Rudd proposal was to create 50% grassroots participation in the leadership ballot; allow Labor’s national executive to set the rules for the conduct of the ballot; and allow caucus control over the conduct of the caucus component of the ballot.
“This has not changed, there is no suggestion or expectation that it will change,” he said.
