AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY TO TRIAL PRIMARY SYSTEM

C O N F I D E N T I A L MELBOURNE 000116

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2019
TAGS: PGOV PINR AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY TO TRIAL PRIMARY SYSTEM

REF: CANBERRA 188

Classified By: Justin Kolbeck, Pol/Econ Officer for reasons 1.4 (b/d)

Summary
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1. (SBU) Both of Australia's major political parties are
tinkering with their candidate selection processes in an
attempt to reverse a trend of declining grass roots
participation. The ruling Australian Labor Party (ALP) will
test trial a primary system in the November 2010 Victoria
elections and the Liberal Party is opening up its selection
processes as well. Powerbrokers and unions, however, will
resist this change. End Summary.

Primaries to Replace Pre-selection?
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2. (SBU) Nicholas Reece, the newly appointed chief strategist
for the ALP in Victoria, told Consul General on October 21
that the ALP will conduct a U.S. style primary for one seat
in the November 2010 Victoria state elections. Membership in
ALP branches has declined over the past decade, and Reece
sees primaries as a way to rekindle grassroots participation.
According to Reece, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is
considering a similar initiative in her state. Per his
request, post is assisting Reece in developing contacts in
the United States who have experience in running primaries.


3. (SBU) Replacing the current system of pre-selection with
primaries would be a political game changer in the ALP. In
Australia, nominations for state and federal parliamentary
seats are called "pre-selections." Meetings are held at the
district branches of each party and the members choose a
candidate. Because this is a small-scale, parochial
exercise, ALP pre-selections are controlled by those who can
bring the most local ALP members to a meeting. Unions and
political powerbrokers always ensure that enough members
attend a branch meeting to determine the outcome (locally
referred to as "branch stacking").

Liberal Party Perspective
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4. (C/NF) The Liberal Party is also toying with new
pre-selection procedures. During an October 27 meeting,
senior Liberal strategist Michael Kroger told Consul General
that his party's membership has also been declining. The
Liberal Party tested a plebiscite pre-selection process for
the safe Liberal seat of Kooyong by opening up the nomination
process to all party members in the area, rather than
limiting it to a select number of party powerbrokers in the
branch. This change led to the nomination of Liberal party
rising star Josh Frydenberg.

Campaign Finance Reform
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5. (C/NF) During an October 23 meeting, Deputy Prime Minister
Julia Gillard downplayed the emergence of primaries in the
Australian political system. She told Consul General that
this idea had been floated in the past and instead emphasized
that campaign finance reform will be a bigger issue for
Australia. According to Gillard, campaign finance reform
will be very difficult and will require the support of both
parties. The heads of both the ALP and the Liberal Party of
Australia have been meeting quietly to discuss this option.

Comment
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6. (C/NF) Changes to Australia's opaque pre-selection process
are likely to be slow and highly contentious. Powerbrokers
in both the ALP and the Liberal parties will resist this
change -- as one highly influential powerbroker put it: "we
hold these parties together." Given Gillard's focus on
campaign finance reform, the ALP will likely not be looking
to revolutionize its pre-selection procedures any time soon.

THURSTON