Rchard Willingham writes of the branch stacking scam that followed the Victorian Labor 2014 conference, when members could join and pay for membership online for the first time.
A lengthy investigation then began in June 2014, with a three-person panel looking at allegations of mega branch stacking scam in three federal seats – Maribyrnong, Gellibrand and Melbourne. Lalor was also affected.
These action followed this report (8 May 2020) that anonymous gift cards were used to pay the dues of hundreds of ALP members close to the plumbers’ union and suburban factional warlords close to Bill Shorten and federal frontbencher Stephen Conroy. It was understood as many as 500 memberships were involved ‘irregular’ payments.
Schneiders and Millar report in on Victorian Labor (30 Oct 2015) suspending its internal elections until Feb 2016 and launching an investigation into a mega branch stacking scam.
Bill Shorten, ALP Leader and Member for Maribyrnong said ‘there is no room in the Labor Party for branch stacking.’
Read Branch stacking: dozens of ALP memberships void – by Richard Willingham, The Age 8 May, 2015 [External link]
Read Labor launches inquiry into mega branch stacking scam – by Ben Schneiders & Royce Millar, The Age, 30 Oct 2015 [External link]
Related readings
Let us now begin, Victorian intervention 1970 – by Race Mathews, Pearls & Irritations, July 2015
A cancerous corruption is eating the ALP – by Race Mathews, Pearls & Irritations, 7 Nov 2015
Towards A Modern Labor Party: Bill Shorten On Party Reform – by Bill Shorten, Per Capita 22 Apr 2014
A review of all the ALP reviews – 50 years of soul searching – by David Barda
Branch stacking the party – by Rosie Elliott, Open Labor, 1 Nov 2021
12 steps to Labor reform – a petition from Open Labor & the Independents
Leave a Reply