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Greens allow Lee Rhiannon back into party room but with strings attached Greens allow Lee Rhiannon back into party room but with strings attached
(35 minutes later)
The Greens have struck a compromise deal that will allow the New South Wales senator Lee Rhiannon to again take part in contentious party-room debates.The Greens have struck a compromise deal that will allow the New South Wales senator Lee Rhiannon to again take part in contentious party-room debates.
They have agreed to create a “balance of power subcommittee” (BPS) to consider legislation when the party finds itself in the balance of power in the Senate, and when one of its members has been instructed by a state branch to take a fixed position against the rest of the party.They have agreed to create a “balance of power subcommittee” (BPS) to consider legislation when the party finds itself in the balance of power in the Senate, and when one of its members has been instructed by a state branch to take a fixed position against the rest of the party.
It means Rhiannon will again contribute to party-room debates and decision-making but, if the party finds itself in a position where it has the power to block or pass legislation, she can be excluded from the final decision-making process.
The Greens federal party room agreed to the idea on Sunday with the support of all MPs, including Rhiannon.The Greens federal party room agreed to the idea on Sunday with the support of all MPs, including Rhiannon.
The new rules were sent to the Greens national council on Wednesday night, and the council does not have the power to reject them.The new rules were sent to the Greens national council on Wednesday night, and the council does not have the power to reject them.
It means Rhiannon will be allowed to take part in party-room debates but, if the party finds itself in a position where it has the power to block or pass legislation, she can be excluded from the final decision-making process. The development comes after the party room voted two weeks ago to temporarily exclude Rhiannon from “discussions and decisions on contentious government legislation”.
The new rule comes after the Greens party room voted two weeks ago to temporarily exclude Rhiannon from “discussions and decisions on contentious government legislation”.
The unprecedented move was a response to complaints from all nine of Rhiannon’s federal colleagues, including the leader, Richard Di Natale, that she had derailed the party’s negotiations over the Turnbull government’s Gonski 2.0 school funding package, and had breached the faith of the party room.The unprecedented move was a response to complaints from all nine of Rhiannon’s federal colleagues, including the leader, Richard Di Natale, that she had derailed the party’s negotiations over the Turnbull government’s Gonski 2.0 school funding package, and had breached the faith of the party room.
They said the party’s attempt to vote for the school funding package had been scuttled, at the eleventh hour, when they discovered Rhiannon had been instructed to vote in line with the wishes of her NSW branch and her branch did not support the package. They said the party’s attempt to vote for the school funding package had been scuttled, at the eleventh hour, when they discovered Rhiannon had been instructed to vote in line with the wishes of her NSW branch which did not support the package.
Her opposition to the package meant the party was forced to vote against it, despite winning all its big demands from the government in drawn-out negotiations, including $5bn in extra funding.Her opposition to the package meant the party was forced to vote against it, despite winning all its big demands from the government in drawn-out negotiations, including $5bn in extra funding.
The embarrassing position, and revelations that Rhiannon had also authorised leaflets urging voters to lobby senators to vote against the bill, led her party room to temporarily exclude her from all decisions on contentious legislation. Her colleagues said the decision was necessary until they resolved an issue with the Australian Greens’ federated structure, where the NSW party is the only Greens party that can bind its senators on policy irrespective of what the national party room wants to do.The embarrassing position, and revelations that Rhiannon had also authorised leaflets urging voters to lobby senators to vote against the bill, led her party room to temporarily exclude her from all decisions on contentious legislation. Her colleagues said the decision was necessary until they resolved an issue with the Australian Greens’ federated structure, where the NSW party is the only Greens party that can bind its senators on policy irrespective of what the national party room wants to do.
The party room now hopes the BPS will resolve the matter, because Rhiannon will still be able to vote in the Senate in accordance with the wishes of her NSW branch – but she will be blocked from voting on contentious legislation when the party has the balance of power. The party room now hopes the BPS will resolve the matter, because Rhiannon will still be able to vote in the Senate in accordance with the wishes of her NSW branch – but she may be blocked from voting on contentious legislation when the party has the balance of power.
They new rules explaining the BPS – seen by Guardian Australia – state that the subcommittee will be established on a “case-by-case basis” to consider specific legislation where the Greens are likely to be in the balance of power in the Senate and where a member of the party room is instructed to take a fixed position. The new rules explaining the BPS – seen by Guardian Australia – state that the subcommittee will form on a “case-by-case basis” to consider specific legislation when the Greens are likely to be in the balance of power in the Senate and where a member of the party room is instructed to take a fixed position against their colleagues.
They say the party room may “at any time” move into the BPS without notice, and those who are not a member of the BPS will have to leave until the normal party room resumes.They say the party room may “at any time” move into the BPS without notice, and those who are not a member of the BPS will have to leave until the normal party room resumes.
They say the BPS membership will consist of “all Australian Greens federal elected representatives who are not bound by state bodies or committees to take fixed positions, or are not exercising a conscience vote”. In reality, that means Rhiannon is the only member of the party who cannot be part of the BPS, because her NSW branch is the only branch that can “bind” the vote of its federal MPs. The BPS membership will consist of “all Australian Greens federal elected representatives who are not bound by state bodies or committees to take fixed positions, or are not exercising a conscience vote”. In reality, that means Rhiannon is the only member of the party who cannot be part of the BPS, because her NSW branch is the only branch that can “bind” the vote of its federal MPs.
The rules say the BPS will protect party room members (ie Rhiannon) from “potential conflicts of interest”.The rules say the BPS will protect party room members (ie Rhiannon) from “potential conflicts of interest”.
The quorum of the BPS will be defined as “half of all Australian Greens federal elected representatives who are not bound by state bodies or committees to take a fixed position, or have not decided to use a conscience vote, and must include the leader or deputy leader”.The quorum of the BPS will be defined as “half of all Australian Greens federal elected representatives who are not bound by state bodies or committees to take a fixed position, or have not decided to use a conscience vote, and must include the leader or deputy leader”.
The Greens have also amended their party-room rules to require Rhiannon to tell her relevant state colleagues of any legislation where the party is in the balance of power.The Greens have also amended their party-room rules to require Rhiannon to tell her relevant state colleagues of any legislation where the party is in the balance of power.
They also require a nominated representative from the NSW branch to immediately tell the federal party room, via the whip, if the NSW branch intends to bind Rhiannon to a particular position.They also require a nominated representative from the NSW branch to immediately tell the federal party room, via the whip, if the NSW branch intends to bind Rhiannon to a particular position.