WA Liberals’ searing review finds branch-stacking, factions at heart of crisis [Rhiannon Shine] The Liberal Party is almost broke, broken and in desperate need of change.That conclusion was expressed bluntly and brutally in a self-appraisal, delivered to the public by party elder Danielle Blain, that [found the party was in disarray and needed urgent reform to avoid an irreversible trip to oblivion](/news/2021-08-28/wa-liberals-finds-unethical-and-underhand-conduct-pre-election/100415422) .But the conclusion that the party was a mess was always obvious — at least since voters emphatically rejected it on March 13.The big question is whether the message that now sits before both the Liberals and the public in black and white will be enough to stop the party self-destructing.
Some within the party fear the report will do little to dilute the influence of party powerbrokers, [whose control has been exposed in leaked WhatsApp messages](/news/2021-08-27/the-wa-liberals-stunning-implosion-is-about-to-be-laid-bare/100411550) .The report further highlighted factional manoeuvring.Senior members had paid for multiple memberships, it found, with one unnamed person paying for 68 memberships, and another who paid for 39.
Pure ‘self-interest’ to blame As the report points out, factions are a normal feature of political parties.But if factions use corrupt practices to seize and maintain power or secure endorsement for office — that’s anti-democratic.It calls out “branch-bombing” — whereby powerbrokers stack branches with people who would vote for a particular candidate at pre-selection or for elected positions.
“The corrosive impact of factionalism still plagues the Liberal party,” the report states.The party has another problem — money.”The financial base of corporate supporters has shrunk dramatically since 2016-17 and unless that trend is reversed, the financial viability of the Liberal party is at risk,” it bluntly states.Of particular concern to the review committee was the rate at which donations have fallen from the 500 Club — the WA Liberals’ key fundraising arm, made up of the state’s business leaders — over recent years.
Back in 2008/09 it brought in $425,000 from the club, compared to just $50,000 last financial year.
Add to that the fact that due to the extreme loss of seats, the Liberal party will receive its lowest-ever level of public funding and MP contributions, and things look pretty dire.Doubt over prospect of change Acting quickly to implement some of the 66 recommended changes will be key to restoring faith in the party, and Ms Blain was confident that would be achieved.Ms Blain conceded that State Council was unlikely to endorse all 66 recommendations, but expected necessary changes would be made.
Any changes to the party’s constitution will require 75 per cent endorsement from members at the State Conference in October, and some members are pessimistic about whether meaningful systemic change will be achieved.As the report states, the factions will likely fight to defeat any reforms that threaten their power.”Perhaps the factions should reflect on what [effect] the exercise of their power over the last decade or so has had on the fortunes of the party,” the report’s authors state.”Which has in part, but admittedly not wholly, led to its near extinction.” Related Stories Top Stories Popular Now – 1.- 2.- 3.
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