History | Beliefs | Structure | Leaders | Getting Involved Welcome to the Liberal Party of Australia New South Wales Division The History of the Party What we must look for, and it is a matter of desperate importance to our society, is a true revival of liberal thought which will work for social justice and security, for national power and national progress, and for the full development of the individual citizen, though not through the dull and deadening process of socialism. Sir Robert Gordon Menzies 1894 - 1978 The Liberal Party of Australia was founded on Sir Robert Menzies believed the time was right for 16 October, 1944. a new political force in Australia – one that fought for the freedom of the individual and produced The Party was formed after a three-day meeting enlightened liberal policies. In his opening address in Canberra convened by the then Leader of the at that meeting, he said: Opposition (United Australia Party), Sir Robert Menzies. It is often said that Sir Robert Menzies stood for the ‘forgotten people’ of Australia; those mainstream Sir Robert Menzies had already served as Prime Australians whose goals, needs and aspirations had Minister of Australia (1939-40), but he believed the been ignored by government. non-Labor parties should unite to present a strong alternative government to the people of Australia. On 16 October, 1944, the name The Liberal Party of Australia was adopted, uniting the many different Eighty men and women from eighteen different political organisations. Two months later, at the non-Labor political parties and organisations such Albury Conference, the Party’s organisational and as the Democratic Party, the Liberal Democratic constitutional framework was drawn up. By May Party, the United Australia Party, the Institute of 1945 membership of the Liberal Party had swelled Public Affairs, the Australian Women’s National to 40,000. League and the Queensland Women’s Electoral League attended the first Canberra Conference. The name Liberal was chosen deliberately for its They shared a common belief that Australians associations with progressive philosophies of free should have greater personal freedom and choice enterprise and social equality. than that offered under Labor’s post-war socialist plans. Our Beliefs We Believe in the inalienable rights and freedoms of all people: we work towards a lean government that minimises interference in our daily lives and maximises individual and private-sector initiative; in government that nurtures and encourages its citizens through initiative, rather than putting limits on people through the punishing disincentive of burdensome taxes and the stifling structures of Labor’s corporate state and bureaucratic red tape; in those most basic freedoms of parliamentary democracy – the freedom of thought, worship, speech and association; in a just and humane society in which the importance of the family and the role of law and justice are maintained; in equal opportunity and tolerance for all Australians; in the encouragement and the facilitation of wealth so that all may enjoy the highest possible standards of living, health, education and social justice; that, wherever possible, government should not compete with an efficient private sector, and that businesses and individuals – not government – are the true creators of wealth and employment; in the Australian Constitution; in preserving Australia’s natural beauty and environment for future generations; and that our nation has a constructive role to play in maintaining world peace and democracy through alliances with other free nations. In short, we believe in individual freedom and free enterprise. Structure of the NSW Division 1 Branch Members and General Members Branch Legislative Selection Council Committees Selectors Senate Selectors FEAC Rural & State Regional CSC Platform Convention Federal Committee JSCSP Council 12 State Council Local Local Government Government Assembly Assembly President 23 State Executive Federal Federal Candidates Parliamentary Parliamentary Party Leader State State Parliamentary Parliamentary Party Leader Target Seats 36 Committee State Director Membership & Finance & Party Affairs Administration Structure of the NSW Division Branch Members and General Members Branch LGC SEC Policy Professional Branch Branch SEAC FEC FEAC Young Liberal Women’s Council Council State Council LGOC YL President WC President Disputes Panel State Executive State Finance Strategy Audit & Party Campaign Governance Affairs Oversight Fundraising Committee State Director Campaign Assembly Fundraising, Campaigning & Marketing & CRM Communications Structure of the NSW Division 1. Members 3. Policy, Professional Branches All persons who join the NSW Division are Any Member of the Party - at no additional fee Members. All Members of the Division are either - may nominate to join one Policy Branch and/ a Member of a Branch or a General Member. or one Professional Branch. The Policy Branches Membership of the Division is a pre-requisite for have a primary focus on policy development, acceptance of any level of responsibility in the where as the Professional Branches are more functioning of the Division. Members are entitled focused around strengthening professional to attend any Branch meeting within the Division. networks. The Branches have been structured in each policy stream to reflect all agencies and activity of government - Local, State and Federal. 2. Branch Application forms are available from LCHQ. Branches are comprised of Ordinary Branches, Young Liberal Branches and Special Branches. Ordinary and Young Liberal Branches are 4. Local Government Conference (LGC) allocated to Local Government, State and Federal LGCs are established, subject to the approval Electorate Conferences. Ordinary Branches of the Local Government Oversight Committee, nominate delegates to Electorate Conferences, within a Local Government Area by a resolution of State Council, Women’s Council as well as electing all Branches and any Liberal Party Member who is Preselectors. Young Liberal Branches nominate a Councillor within the relevant Local Government delegates to Electorate Conferences, Young Area. The LGC actively supports selected Liberal Council, State Council, Women’s Council candidates for local government elections as well as electing Preselectors. Every Ordinary by raising funds and conducting the election and Young Liberal Branch Member is entitled to campaigns for those candidates. Members of the attend meetings of the Electorate Conferences to LGC also form the Selection Committee (9) to which the Branch is allocated. Special Branches select candidates for Local Government. are based on community, cultural, occupational or other interests. Special Branches are not allocated to Local Government, State and Federal Electorate Conferences. Special Branches do send delegates to State Council and Women’s Council but do not have a delegate entitlement to any other Body in the Division. Structure of the NSW Division 5. State Electorate Conference (SEC) 7. Federal Electorate Conference (FEC) SECs are established in every NSW State FECs are established in every NSW Federal Electorate where there are a number of Branches. Electorate where there are a number of Branches. SEC Members are drawn from the local Branch FEC Members are drawn from the local Branch or Branches to support the selected candidate, or Branches to support the selected candidate, being an existing Member of Parliament or being an existing Member of Parliament or otherwise, in state election campaign planning otherwise, in federal election campaign planning and implementation at a local level. SECs and implementation at a local level. FECs and encourage the establishment and activity of encourage the establishment and activity of Branches within the electorate, seek to identify Branches within the electorate, seek to identify quality future candidates and raise funds for local quality future candidates and raise funds for local and NSW Division purposes. SECs act as a forum and NSW Division purposes. FECs act as a forum and communication link to Members of Parliament and communication link to Members of Parliament with respect to State Liberal Party policy issues. with respect to Federal Liberal Party policy issues. 6. State Electorate Assistance Committee 8. Federal Electorate Assistance Committee (SEAC) (FEAC) The SEAC consists of delegates from all SECs The FEAC consists of delegates from all FECs charged with the responsibility of contributing charged with the responsibility of contributing funding and manpower resources for use by funding and manpower resources for use by the State Director in his/her capacity as NSW the State Director in his/her capacity as NSW Campaign Director with respect to state election Campaign Director with respect to federal election campaigns. These resources are used by the campaigns. These resources are used by the Campaign Director in support of local campaigns. Campaign Director in support of local campaigns. 9. Selection Committees Selection Committees for the House of Representatives, Legislative Assembly and Local Council are formed when there are multiple nominations to contest an election for the NSW Division in seats where State Executive has determined to call for nominations. The Committees are comprised of Selectors made up of Branch Members, Members of State Executive and a selection of State Council Delegates. Selection Committees for the Legislative Council are comprised of provincial candidates for the