The Charter and National Constitution of the Australian Greens November 2010 Definitions...................................................................................................................... 3 Definitions, Constituent Groups .................................................................................... 4 Introduction to the Constitution ..................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1 - Purpose and Charter .................................................................................... 6 1 - Name and Constitution ......................................................................................... 6 2 - Constitutions: State Parties and their Constituent Groups .................................... 6 3 - The Charter of The Greens ................................................................................... 6 4 - Objectives ............................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 2 - Membership Criteria and Appeals .............................................................. 8 5 - Member Bodies..................................................................................................... 8 6 - Obligations of Member Bodies............................................................................. 8 7 - Resignation and Expulsion of Member Bodies .................................................... 8 8 - Membership .......................................................................................................... 9 9 - Membership Entitlements ................................................................................... 10 10 - Associates ......................................................................................................... 10 11 - Member Organisations ..................................................................................... 11 12 - Joining Procedure ............................................................................................. 11 13 - Membership Fees .............................................................................................. 12 Chapter 3 - Structure .................................................................................................... 13 14 - Composition of The Greens .............................................................................. 13 15 - Relationships between Groups ......................................................................... 13 16 - Affirmative action............................................................................................. 14 17 - Office Bearers ................................................................................................... 14 18 - Officer Bearers: State Parties and Constituent Groups .................................... 14 19 - Spokespersons .................................................................................................. 14 20 - Working Groups ............................................................................................... 15 21 - Election Campaign Committees ....................................................................... 15 22 - The National Council ........................................................................................ 16 23 - Annual National Conference ............................................................................ 17 24 - Special National Conferences ........................................................................... 18 25 - Delegates to National Conferences ................................................................... 19 26 - Cost Sharing of National Organisation ............................................................. 19 27 - Registered Officers of The Greens ................................................................... 20 28 - Election of National Office Bearers ................................................................. 20 29 - The National Convenor .................................................................................... 21 30 - The National Deputy Convenor ........................................................................ 21 31 - The National Secretary ..................................................................................... 22 32 - The National Deputy Secretary ........................................................................ 22 33 - The National Treasurer ..................................................................................... 23 34 - The National Deputy Treasurer ........................................................................ 23 35 - Party Agent ....................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 4 - Procedures: Meetings and Decision Making ............................................ 25 36 - Decision Making in Meetings........................................................................... 25 1 37 - Decision Making through Postal Ballots .......................................................... 25 38 - Conflict Resolution ........................................................................................... 26 39 - Quick Decision Making .................................................................................... 26 Functions and Powers of the Quick Decision Making Group: ............................ 26 Composition of the Quick Decision Making Group: ........................................... 26 Proceedings of the Quick Decision Making Group: ............................................ 27 Chapter 5 - CANDIDATES AND REPRESENTATIVES .......................................... 28 40 - Endorsement ..................................................................................................... 28 41 - Greens in Public Office .................................................................................... 28 42 The 'Party Room' of the Federal Parliamentarians .............................................. 29 43 - Direction of Preferences ................................................................................... 29 Chapter 6 - Policy ........................................................................................................ 30 44 - Policy Frameworks ........................................................................................... 30 45 - Formulation and Adoption of Policy ................................................................ 30 Chapter 7 - Formal Matters .......................................................................................... 31 46 - Funding ............................................................................................................. 31 47 - Liability ............................................................................................................ 31 48 - Indemnity .......................................................................................................... 31 49 - Property ............................................................................................................ 31 50 - Public Officer and the Common Seal ............................................................... 31 51 - Auditor .............................................................................................................. 32 52 - Constitutional Interpretation ............................................................................. 32 53 - Constitutional Amendment and By-laws .......................................................... 32 54 - Dissolution ........................................................................................................ 33 2 National Constitution of the Australian Greens Definitions THE GREENS: is the abbreviation of The Australian Greens and unless otherwise stated refers to the National body. MEMBER BODY: Member bodies are state political parties (comprised of their various constituent groups) that agree to abide by The Charter and this constitution. CONSTITUENT GROUPS: those Green groups (Regional Branches/Groups, Electorate Branches/Groups, Local Branches/Groups) within each state which together make up The Greens of that state as outlined. MEMBERS: are "natural persons" - flesh and blood people, not organisations, companies, associations. Members of member bodies are automatically members of the national organisation of The Greens. MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS: the number of members counted for each State will be taken as the highest number of financial members between 1 June and 30 September each year reported by the respective State to the National Membership Secretary. NATURAL PERSONS: a legal term meaning a single individual as opposed to a group or organisation. RELATED PARTIES: as defined in Part XI of the Commonwealth Electoral Act. Clause 123(2) of this Act states that "For the purposes of this Part, 2 political parties shall be taken to be related if: a. one is a part of the other; or b. both are parts of the same political party". PROSCRIBED PARTIES: All Australian political parties other than The Greens and its Related Parties are proscribed NATIONAL ORGANISATION: is The Greens as it meets either as National Council or National Conference or when it makes a decision by national plebiscite or by its defined policy making processes. POLICY FRAMEWORKS: Each policy of The Greens will have a policy framework as a preamble. These policy frameworks are not to be as broadly general as The Charter of The Greens but are to