Factional Control
In a 2005 speech prominent Left Faction member, John Faulkner described the factional system in Australian Labor as being less about ideology and more about patronage. Faulkner pointed out that Unions did not control the ALP but rather the factions which control the party also control the Unions. Furthermore, he described the typical career path for aspiring political apparatchiks "a university degree in law or industrial relations, a paid job in a union, leadership in a union, various positions in the ALP (including paid positions) culminating in a State Secretaryship or the like, nomination to the Senate or to a safe House of Representatives seat." Unions retain 50% of the votes at ALP conferences, and the majority of union secretaries are from the Labor Right.
Read more about this topic: Labor Right
Famous quotes containing the word control:
“For the mother who has opted to stay home, the question remains: Having perfected her role as a caretaker, can she abdicate control to less practiced individuals? Having put all her identity eggs in one basket, can she hand over the basket freely? Having put aside her own ambitions, can she resist imposing them on her children? And having set one example, can she teach another?”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)