Confident Democrats champion civil rights for election
By Cosima Marriner
January 17 2003
The Democrats are confident they will win at least one seat in the upper
house in the NSW election by tapping into voter unease about the Carr
Government's tough anti-terrorism laws.
The party is using its three-day national conference, starting in Sydney
today, as the springboard for its election campaign, and will announce its
candidates and policies.
"Clearly we have a real chance of winning one extra seat in the upper
house," the party's federal leader, Andrew Bartlett, said.
The Democrat campaign will focus on security and civil rights in response
to voter concern that the State Government's moves to beef up police and
security powers - such as the new law that allows police to search without
a warrant - could result in an abuse of basic freedoms.
"The Carr Government has an appalling record - the worst in the country -
for using terrorism and security issues to dramatically increase the powers
of government and to put the actions of government and government
authorities beyond the basic accountability of the law," said Mr Bartlett,
who will detail the party's stance in his keynote address tomorrow.
Also taking centre stage will be the results of the party's strategic
review, which will be presented at the conference's end.
The review, which was begun nine months ago by Mr Bartlett's predecessor,
Natasha Stott Despoja, has taken on greater significance in light of the
ructions that threatened to destroy the Democrats in August.
One of the review's results is the planned scrapping of the party's
internal disciplinary body, the national compliance committee.
The body was strongly criticised following Senator Meg Lees's decision to
quit the party last July. It had been investigating her beforehand and
threatening to expel her over comments she made about the full sale of Telstra.
Replacing the committee will be a more conciliatory body that favours
arbitration rather than disciplinary action for resolving internal party
disputes.
However, the policy of allowing all members a vote in leadership contests,
rather than limiting it to the party room like the Liberal and Labor
parties, will be maintained.
"Member participation has always been a key part of the Democrats," Senator
Bartlett said.
He added that the party was now working effectively.
"We're very focused and co-ordinated and united. We've still got work to do
rebuilding support amongst the public."
Senator Bartlett said the review had also reaffirmed the Democrats as a
centre-left party that "focuses on engaging in workable solutions instead
of simply being a party of opposition".
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/16/1042520723507.html