Race for Labor's Soul - 6th September 2009

Race for Labor's soul

Date

September 6, 2009

Theo Theophanous

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Illustration: Matt Davidson

Politically correct elitists in suits must not be allowed to destroy the people's party.

RACIAL stereotyping is dangerous in the justice system and equally has no place in politics. I was troubled to read that members of the Independents faction were submitting to the ALP membership inquiry that it should ''purge'' 50 per cent of members who they believe are ''branch stacked''. They specifically target non-English-speaking members and want the ALP to reflect their own culturally elitist views of political participation.

As someone who knows how much damage prejudging on the basis of stereotyping can do, I despair when I see these attitudes in the ALP. The notion that members with similar ethnic backgrounds are automatons with no political sophistication who vote in a mindless block is false. Any analysis will show differing factional allegiances and voting patterns among members of an ethnic group.

And it does not seem to matter what the achievements of people from ethnic backgrounds are in representing the party in political office, they are denigrated as branch-stackers. I have been subjected to such accusations. I reject them, and although I am sure these people will personalise this debate, I think it is too important to remain silent.

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Migrants have always looked to the ALP for representation, beginning with the Irish, Jews, Italians, Greeks, then Lebanese, Turks, Vietnamese and Cambodians. The challenge for the ALP is to attract Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and African migrants. Their inclusion in our political structures is important in avoiding violence and intolerance. To purge the ALP of its ethnic base is to deny its historic mission in representing the disadvantaged and the excluded.

The ALP can learn much from leadership in businesses that have benefited from the energy and talent of people such as Richard Pratt, Frank Lowy, Ahmed Fahour, Frank Costa and Jac Nasser. They and thousands of other businesspeople of ethnic background have increased the competitiveness of Australia in the global community while adding to social cohesion at home. In contrast, the children of migrants are not joining the ALP because they see their parents denigrated. If this trend continues, Labor will miss out on this talent pool and be left a barren wasteland of suits.

Think about the rule changes that are being suggested to purge the ALP. Members will be forced to pay by credit card and be subject to scrutiny by a politically correct membership committee with powers of discovery of evidence to inquire into their genuineness.

My pensioner auntie may not be able to speak the language of the politically correct, but her story of political struggle in her homeland, in the workplace as a member of the union and for the rights of ethnic women is a genuine Labor story. But she does not have a credit card and the politically correct, I am sure, think she is an uneducated automaton. She would be expelled by self-proclaimed owners of ALP ideology who want to make it as hard to join Labor as joining the Melbourne Club.

Many local branch secretaries renew members and collect fees from them. These are then put into head office in bulk. How many of these bulk members have not paid themselves is a matter of contention, but it is certainly not all of them as claimed in extremist submissions. While it is not illegal to pay someone else's membership, it is against the new party rules. I believe Labor needs to take into account cultural sensitivities and adopt a more educative, less suspicious, approach. Within reason, members of a family should be able to pay for each other and a family membership should be introduced. Rule-breakers ought to be dealt with, but guilt must not be presumed by racial stereotyping.

Those pushing for a purge seem prepared to denigrate the ALP and its ethnic membership while turning a blind eye to the shocking examples of branch stacking in the Liberal Party - such as the blatant stack of 800 members that secured Malcolm Turnbull his seat.

They complain in the name of party democracy, but it is nothing more than an attempt to wrest power and positions for themselves.

The Independents faction was once truer to its name, but it has moved to the left of the Left. Having lost relevance it wants to besmirch the party, hoping that a purge will revive its fortunes.

Labor must encourage more members. Anyone should be able to join - including online - and upon payment of a fee become a member with full voting rights after 12 months. Members should not have to attend a branch meeting to become full voting members but should have to show identification when voting. This change would mean that the hundreds of "central" members who do not have the right to vote or run for positions because they have not attended a branch meeting would get full membership rights. They do not deserve to be treated as second class.

These changes would help branches become places of political debate rather than battlegrounds over memberships, quorums, attendances and minutes. They would allow the introduction of workplace or special-interest branches rather than a narrow focus on geography.

Ironically, the attacks on the legitimacy of the ALP's ethnic membership have made the party less democratic. We saw the Victorian upper house pre-selections determined by the national executive. There is a push to have these pre-selections permanently determined without a local vote, because of the new, larger electorates. Without local ballots, seats would be filled by trade union bosses and their mates seeking a comfortable retirement.

The future of the Labor Party is at stake. Before placating people who want to "purge and purify", the ALP should consider its history and the strides made under Whitlam and later leaders to expand and diversify it. If the new cultural elite succeed in narrowing the party's base, the ALP will lose its relevance as a broad-based party representing working people and their interests.

Theo Theophanous is a state ALP member of Parliament. He will not seek re-election.