Byron Greens Host NSW State Delegates Conference in Mullumbimby
From Left: Giovanni Ebono,Lee Rhiannon, Jeff Johnson,Jan Barham at the Greens SDC in Mullumbimby
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On the 26th and 27 June The NSW Greens held a State Delegates Conference at
Mullumbimby. The SDC is the is the "glue" that binds all the groups in
NSW together. The Conference determines Greens policies and provides a
valuable networking opportunity for greens members .
In this video Giovanni Ebono (candidate for Richmond) talks with Lee
Rhiannon (Federal Senate candidate for NSW) about the purpose and value of
he SDC
Lee Rhiannon explained that it is a key body in the NSW Greens, held every two months, five or six a year, it really is a glue that holds the NSW Greens together. This Conference is where the Greens have a voice, as the local groups come together and make key decisions that determine policy, and it also helps them to work out how the party can work more effectively with its members of parliament and its local councillors.
Lee went on to say that there are just over 50 local groups across NSW, who can send delegates but other Greens members are all welcome, anybody can speak - the delegates have voting rights but everyone works hard to gain consensus on all the issues talked about.
When asked how the local groups are organised, she replied that there are various ways that this happens. Some are determine by their boundaries, according to local councils and some by state boundaries. She spoke further that this reflected a lot of history. “I always think it's interesting that the very first Greens party that took that name in Australia, was the 'Sydney Greens'. That was the first registered Greens Party and we're actually celebrating the 25th anniversary, this year.”
Giovanni then reminisced about that time in the Northern Rivers, when the Northeast Forest Action Group fought to save the Nightcap Rainforest, that was a seminal moment in the formation of the Greens as well, he said. Lee agreed wholeheartedly, she said “because there was a win there and it inspired people, and there were a whole lot of movements at that time, not just in the environment but in Gay Liberation, Women's Liberation, the unions struggles, and a lot of disillusionment with the labour party as well. So, people came to us from a whole number of different perspectives.”
Giovanni then made the point that all those things are still on the agenda this weekend at the conference. Lee agreed and went on to say that she found the conferences to be an excellent opportunity not only because of the agenda but also for the networking. As she said “You get a sense of where the party's at, and as a Greens MP I've found that really invaluable, to know - what people's thinking on issues are, how we work with them.”
Giovanni asked Lee about the process of getting ready for a Federal Election.
Lee told him that they already have a Federal Election Campaign Committee consisting of people from the state conference who are elected to that body, much like a decision-making strategy working body, that takes forward the campaign for the elections, whilst still working closely with local campaigns. But she went on to re-iterate that “it is the local campaigns that really are the foundation of how we work when it comes to election time, because it is our local campaigns that determine preferences, do their own pre-selection, have a huge say in policy control their finances.
And she closed by saying that this process really sets the Greens apart from Labour and the Coalition and really shows how the Greens work, that we are committed to our own members having a say in determining all these things.
Lee continued, “one of the Greens' four principles is Grassroots Democracy and right now at this conference we are seeing it in action, so it's pretty good.”
