Crikey

TUROSS HEAD BRANCH OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

President: Ken McLeod PO Box 51 Moruya NSW 2537

Mr Bernie Riordan
President, NSW Labor
PO Box K408
Haymarket NSW 1240

Cc: Mike Kelly, MHR.

Dear Mr Riordan,

RE: NSW Legislative Council Vacancy

I refer to the email attached calling for nominations for the vacancy in the Legislative Council, sent 14 October 2008. I replied by email immediately after and asked for a nomination form.

The next morning, 15 October, I received a call from Karl Bitar, who said that he “didn’t want me to waste my $500 nomination fee”, as “it has been narrowed down to 2 or 3 people”, and “you know how it is in organisations when someone is already acting in the position”. I protested that calling for nominations when a selection has already been made is deceptive and unfair, but my protest was not accepted.

I ask you:

1. Is it true that the selection has already been made, before all applications have been received, and before the selection committee was due to meet?
2. Is calling for nominations when the decision has already been made a fraud and a sham?
3. Will only the person(s) already decided upon be considered, no matter what the merits of the other applicants?
4. Is it true that the process is one of favouritism?
5. Is it true that no-one is acting in this position, and to try to draw such a parallel with this issue is specious and deceptive?
6. Is it true that the merits of other potential applicants do not count one bit, and have been discarded before the selection process commences?
7. Is this process designed to fit a pre-designated decision, one that will benefit one of someone’s mates, and will not consider anyone else’s dedication to the Party over decades?
8. Will all recipients of the email be advised, as I was, not to bother applying?
9. Will other applicants have their $500 nomination fee refunded?
10. Will NSW Labor, dedicated to democracy and open and honest processes, inform all members that the selection process was pre-determined?
11. Is 6 days notice adequate for prospective applicants to respond to an email, have the form posted to them, write the application, to post their application in, and then for the application to be processed before being placed before the selection committee?
12. What is the purpose of the $500 nomination fee? Is it to discourage potential applicants? Does processing of an application really cost that much?
13. Is there anything you can to do to ensure that the selection process here will be squeaky clean?

I point out that no matter what Mr Bitar thinks goes on in most “organisations when someone is already acting in the position”, most managers try to run a squeaky-clean selection process, open to review. In my 30 years working for large organisations, I never saw such a shambolic process as this. No wonder that NSW Labor is in the state it is in, if this process is to be accepted as normal.

I look forward to your response.

Yours very sincerely

Ken McLeod

ALP Member 20519
President, Tuross Head Branch of the ALP
Delegate to the State Electoral Council
Delegate to the Federal Electoral Council
15 October 2008