Why Australian Young Labor reform matters

Across the world, the declining electoral fortunes of social democratic parties have led to discussions about the need for internal party reform. In Australia, the National Review has framed the ALP’s debate about party reform, to be had at this year’s National Conference in December.

Since the Review’s release, there have been many discussions across the ALP about the merit of primaries, direct election of President and National Conference delegates and the role of trade unions within the party. There has been one glaring omission from ALP reform debate though. Absent from the National Review was any mention of the role of young people currently within the ALP or how to keep them in the party. In particular, nothing was said about the current or ideal role of Young Labor.

Young Labor has a mixed reputation depending on who you talk to. Some think of Young Labor as a joke, others highly regard it as providing the on-the-ground campaigners that help win elections. Whatever one thinks of it, excluding Young Labor from the reform discussion ignores an important fact. Young Labor shapes a large section of the party membership. Many future parliamentarians, ministers and party leaders are a product of Young Labor. How people learn to operate in Young Labor, what they experience and what behaviours are normalised often shape how they act in later years. Some of the worst behaviours within Young Labor have been highlighted in the media in the past and it isn't hard to infere its future impact.

While the National Review spoke about the "need for a change to long established patterns of behaviour and culture," it did not recognise that much of that culture and many of those behaviours are shaped and reinforced by people's experiences in Young Labor. Changing the culture of Young Labor is likely to lead to change elsewhere in the party. The best catalyst to bring about that change that in culture is by reforming of Young Labor through the adoption of direct elections by rank-and-file members at all levels.

By introducing direct elections, individuals running for positions will need a platform and talk about what they will deliver if elected. People will need to present their case and convince people to support them on the basis of merit. It will encourage a shift towards debates about ideas and values and being active on issues that matter to young people such as improved education policies, marriage equality, abolition of youth wages rather than whether you have the votes of a handful of aligned delegates.

Such a shift from an insular behind-the-scenes approach towards a more outward approach of engagement and campaigning should be encouraged within the ALP. It will encourage a culture of greater accountability to members and in the long-run, the party will be better off for it because those important political skills needed during election campaigns and in Government will be developed.

Direct elections for Young Labor must be conducted under one member one vote (OMOV). A vote should be given to every member under the age of 27 who has been a member for at least a year so they all have a say in who their local, state and national Young Labor Executives are, who their Young Labor delegates to Young Labor, State and National Conference are and who the President is at a state and national level. The move by the NSW ALP to adopt an online vote for the newly established Policy Forum provides a model of how direct elections for Young Labor could be conducted, addressing concerns about the financial cost of direct elections.

Young Labor reform is far from impossible as it is easier than reforming the rest of the ALP. The ALP National Executive has the power to reform Young Labor and bring about this change. Everyone needs to realise the importance of reform and to seriously consider it. The future electoral success of the Labor Party might just depend on it.

Posted in: alp,labor,party reform,young labor