Socialist Party Australia - Constitution

Adopted May 2003 National Conference

SOCIALIST PARTY – THE AUSTRALIAN SECTION OF THE COMMITTEE FOR A WORKERS’ INTERNATIONAL

CLAUSE 1 - AIMS AND PRINCIPLES

PART 1 - The Socialist Party stands on the basis of the genuine ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky. We recognise that the struggle for socialism is an international struggle and we therefore promote international solidarity between working class people to achieve a world socialist federation. Only the achievement of socialism internationally can utilise the world’s resources to end want and insecurity and allow every individual to develop their potential to the full.

PART 2 – The Socialist Party is a revolutionary socialist organisation which bases itself on the working class and fights for the establishment of a socialist society in Australia, based on the public ownership of the major sectors of the economy under democratic workers control and management.

PART 3 – The Socialist Party bases itself on struggle, solidarity and socialism and aims to promote these ideas within the broader labour movement and in working class community organisations.

CLAUSE 2 – INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATION

PART 1 – The Socialist Party is affiliated to the Committee for a Workers’ International and works with other sections towards the building of a new revolutionary socialist international. It is therefore also binding to the CWI Statutes.

CLAUSE 3 – MEMBERSHIP

PART 1 – Any person who accepts the aims, principles, and Constitution of the Socialist Party, and agrees to participate in its work under the direction of its official bodies, is eligible for membership. The most important activity for any comrade to participate in is the Branch meeting, and all members are expected to attend Branch meetings as often as possible. Comrades are expected to make regular financial contributions and be active in party work.

PART 2 – Applications for membership must be made to a Branch and ratified by the Branch Committee. If there is no Branch in a particular area, a new member will be a national member rather than a Branch member. The National Executive Committee shall ratify national memberships.

PART 3 – All members are expected to promote the ideas of the Socialist Party and seek to recruit new members. Members will be expected to identify with and sell copies of ‘The Socialist’ as well as other Socialist Party publications. Members must also seek to raise money for the fighting fund to help build the party. All members must belong to the appropriate trade union or student organisation and will pledge to involve themselves in other working class organisations when necessary.

PART 4 – All members are expected to be both active in party work and make regular financial contributions to the treasury. To maintain financial membership Branch members are expected to make weekly financial contributions at a Branch level. National members are expected to make weekly financial contributions at a national level. The actual sum of these contributions will be agreed on between the individual member and either the Branch or National Treasurer. The National Conference will set a minimum weekly payment and this will include membership fees to the Committee for a Workers’ International.

PART 5 – Members that are three months in arrears with their contributions will be considered unfinancial members, and will therefore not have the right to neither vote nor be elected to any committee, nor be elected as a delegate to any conference. Those that are twelve months in arrears will have their membership lapsed. The National Committee will also review the membership and financial status of the membership list at least every twelve months.

CLAUSE 4 – PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

PART 1 – The Socialist Party is organised as one national section of the Committee for a Workers’ International, covering the whole of Australia.

PART 2 – National bodies take precedence over regional bodies. The highest body of the Socialist Party is the National Conference.

CLAUSE 5 – NATIONAL CONFERENCE

PART 1 – A National Conference of the membership shall be held at least once a year.

PART 2 – The National Conference will until otherwise be agreed by conference, comprise of all members, and be convened by the National Committee.

PART 3 – Draft resolutions and political reports should be submitted to the membership at least two weeks prior to the National Conference. Emergency resolutions may be submitted before and at the conference, but will be voted on subject to conference agreement.

PART 4 – At the beginning of each National Conference, a presidium of at least three members will be elected to run the conference. This presidium shall present its proposed order of conference at the beginning of National Conference, for ratification or amendment.

PART 5 – No binding mandate can be imposed on any delegate to conference. Decisions on all questions including amendments to the Constitution shall be made by a simple majority vote. Any proposed changes to the Constitution should be circulated at least one month prior to conference.

CLAUSE 6 – SPECIAL CONFERENCES

PART 1 – Special Conferences with the same authority as the National Conference may be called at any time by the National Committee.

PART 2 – The National Committee must convene a special Conference at the request of one third of the membership within three months of the request being received.

CLAUSE 7 – NATIONAL COMMITTEE

PART 1 – The National Committee shall be elected at the National Conference. The National Committee will have the authority of the National Conference between conferences. It shall consist of a National Secretary and a National Treasurer as well as other officers as determined by the National Conference.

PART 2 – The National Committee will have the responsibility of overseeing and developing the organisation on a national basis. Its role includes setting the overall political direction of the organisation. The National Committee shall meet no less than once every three months.

PART 3 – The National Committee will be elected by the slate method by the National Conference. It will comprise of at least one member from each state or territory where Branches exist.

PART 4 – The National Committee shall have the authority to coopt members between conferences and set up such bodies as appropriate to further the aims of the Socialist Party. Such bodies will be subject to, and will report to, the National Committee.

PART 5 – The National Committee will be responsible to, and will report to, the National Conference and can be recalled by a specially convened National Conference. The National Committee shall be convened by the National Executive Committee.

PART 6 – A special National Committee meeting must be convened by the National Executive Committee at the request of one third of the National Committee members.

CLAUSE 8 – NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PART 1 – A National Executive Committee shall be elected by the National Committee and shall have the authority and responsibility of that body between committees. It shall have the day-to-day responsibilities of overseeing and developing the work of the organisation on a national basis.

PART 2 – The National Executive Committee will be responsible to, and will report to, the National Committee, and can be recalled by the National Committee.

CLAUSE 9 – BRANCH STRUCTURES

PART 1 – The basic unit of the Socialist Party is the Branch, which is based on an area or workplace group. When a Branch is of sufficient size, it may decide to divide itself with the agreement of the National committee. A Branch must be recognised by the National Committee before it has the status as a Branch of the Socialist Party.

PART 2 – Each Branch should meet at least fortnightly but it is strongly recommended that Branches meet on a weekly basis. When a Branch is of sufficient size, it should elect a Branch Committee at an annual general meeting or a specially convened meeting of the Branch. The Branch Committee should include as a minimum a Branch Secretary and a Branch Treasurer, as well as other officers as the Branch deems appropriate. The Branch is responsible for implementing the decisions of higher bodies in their area and directing local activity. Specially convened meetings must be convened by the Branch Secretary at the request of not less than one third of the Branch membership. Such meetings can replace or reelect the branch officers or Branch Committee.

PART 3 – Branches shall have the right to send motions to the National Committee, and in cases of urgency, the National Executive Committee.

CLAUSE 10 – DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND DISIPLINE

PART 1 – All policies, strategies and tactics of the Socialist Party will be determined after the fullest and most democratic discussion involving the membership.

PART 2 – While fulfilling the conditions of membership, all members and minorities have the right to present dissenting views within the Socialist Party, both verbally and in writing. All members have the right to appeal to higher bodies against any decision with which they disagree. This includes the right of access to internal bulletins and mailing lists. After exhausting all possible procedures for discussion members have the right to form factions around specific issues and ideas where disagreement exists.

PART 3 – All leading Committees are elected and are accountable to the body that elected them. Leading Committees shall explain their decisions and encourage lower bodies to express their views, raise problems and make suggestions.

PART 4 – Decisions made by majority vote are binding on all members. Leading bodies have the right to make decisions binding on lower bodies.

PART 5 – Members violating these decisions shall be subject to disciplinary action. The National Committee shall have the power to discipline members whose conduct or actions are detrimental to the Socialist Party. Disciplinary measures can include statements of condemnation for the relevant action, removal from office, suspension or expulsion.

PART 6 – Any member subject to disciplinary procedures shall have the right of appeal to the National Conference. The disciplinary action shall in the meantime remain in full effect pending the result of the appeal.

PART 7 – All members involved in public work shall act in accordance with the democracy and discipline of the Socialist Party and shall not benefit financially from their position.

PART 8 – All meetings are to be minuted and the minutes made available to the members of the body concerned and by agreement by that body to the broader membership. Each body shall be responsible for the security of their minutes and records, so that these documents may not be used to the disadvantage of Socialist Party members.

PART 9 – Full time workers for the Socialist Party will be appointed by the National Committee.

PART 10 – All officers and full time workers of the Socialist Party shall be subject to immediate recall by the National Committee, National Conference or any other Special Conference.

PART 11 – Full time Workers who have a grievance or complaint about their conditions of employment can appeal to the National Committee or National Conference or any Special Conference. Full time workers will work under the direction of the National Committee. Wages for full time positions will be set by the National Executive Committee and reviewed on an annual basis. Financial contributions will not be required from full time workers for the Socialist Party.

PART 12 – Where a genuine grievance between members can not be resolved between them alone, the Branch Committee shall be called upon to institute an appropriate process for resolution. If members feel their grievance has still not been satisfactorily addressed, they have the right to appeal to the Control Commission. If the member is still dissatisfied with the outcome they have the right to appeal to the National Committee.

CLAUSE 11 – CONTROL COMMISSION

PART 1 – The Control Commission shall be elected at the National Conference. It shall not comprise of either National Committee members or full time workers of the Socialist Party. The Control Commission shall comprise of a panel of comrades to enable it to function effectively at a national level.

PART 2 – The function of the Control Commission is to: A) Investigate any complaints or special enquiry which may be referred to it by either the National Committee or the National Executive Committee. It shall report back to these committees with the results of its investigations and enquiries. B) To investigate complaints of individual members or Branches against disciplinary measures taken against them by higher organisations, and submit their recommendations to the National Committee for final decision. C) To attempt to resolve any grievance between members that Branch Committees have been unable to resolve.

CLAUSE 12 – FINANCES

PART 1 – Branch Treasurers shall be responsible for overseeing finances at a branch level. The National Treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing finances at a national level. All treasurers are subject to immediate recall by the body that elected them.

PART 2 - Branches Treasurers shall, as a minimum, issue quarterly financial reports, but monthly reports are strongly recommended. The National Treasurer shall also issue quarterly financial reports to the National Committee. And a full financial report shall be issued to the National Conference.

PART 3 – A Financial Auditor will also be elected by the National Conference. The Financial Auditor shall not be either a full time worker for the Socialist Party or a member of a Branch Committee nor National Committee.

PART 4 - The role of the Financial Auditor is to investigate any complaints about finances or about any treasurer or individual member of the Socialist Party in regards to finance. The Financial Auditor shall make recommendations to the National Committee. Complaints about finances or about any treasurer or individual member shall be made to the National Executive Committee.