Fed: Labor national exe to meet this week

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2001
Fed: Labor national exe to meet this week

CANBERRA, Dec 10 AAP - Reforming policy development will be top of the agenda for the
ALP national executive meeting this week.

To be held on Thursday, the meeting will be the first post mortem since the party's
third successive federal election loss last month.

The focus will be on party policies and structures and the executive will take their
lead from an internal report by secretary Geoff Walsh detailing reasons for Labor's November
10 election loss.

New deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin indicated the party would work on including party
members more fully in policy development, reconsider how the national conference was run
and reassess the make-up of national policy committees.

The role of unions in the ALP would also be up for discussion at the meeting following
calls from both inside and outside the party for change.

The party has been under pressure to reduce its union ties amid fears the government
will target the many union leaders now sitting as Labor MPs.

Opposition Leader Simon Crean committed Labor to a major policy review after the party's
primary vote tumbled to 37.8 per cent at the November 10 election, its lowest level since
1934.

Labor will also seek community input on policy through roundtables and meetings with
local branches and industry groups.

AAP eg/jmd/sb

KEYWORD: LABOR DAYLEAD

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