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Part 6: Documentation

⌛Timing

The provisions of this part of the Constitution come into force on the transition date (1 January 2023) apart from
clauses 35 and 36 as they apply to the New State Council

Drafting Panel commentary
At a glance

  • Requires certain party bodies to keep minutes in a certain way.

  • Requires certain party bodies to make their minutes available to members at all times.

  • Provides rules for the redaction of those minutes.

  • Provides for a party handbook of current internal structural information about the party that is available to members at all times.

  • Provides for a party archive of important party information and documentation.

Summary and Explanation

This part provides a new right of members to have access to minutes in a timely manner (clause 35), and requires that minutes of State Council and senior party bodies be in a form which enables a member to understand what was decided.

State Council minutes must also include the branch questions and proposals put to State Council along with State Council’s answers and responses to them (clause 35(4)).

  1. Minutes of meetings​

    1. The following party bodies must keep minutes of their meetings:

      1. State Council, senior party bodies and branches;

      2. those that may approve the expenditure of money; and

      3. others as decided by State Council.

    2. Those party bodies, other than State Council, must give their minutes to State Council.

    3. The minutes of State Council and senior party bodies must:

      1. for each substantive proposalany proposal that is not a procedural or reconsideration proposal passed by consensusthe circumstance in which no member of the party body who is in attendance objects to the proposal being passed, having been given the opportunity to do so—record which members of the party body were in attendance when the proposal was passed;

      2. for each substantive proposalany proposal that is not a procedural or reconsideration proposal put to a vote—record how each member voted and who, if anyone, abstained from voting;

      3. enable a member to understand why each substantive resolutiona proposal that was passed was made; and

      4. 📅When calculating a period of days under this Constitution, the period from 24 December to 9 January is excluded.
        be made within 10 days of the meeting.

    4. The minutes of State Council must include new:

      1. questions received and answers given under clause 12;

      2. proposals received and explanations given under clause 13 and Schedule 2, item 3.

  2. Availability of minutes​

    1. State Council must make the minutes of each of its meetings and the meetings of senior party bodies available to members.

    2. Such minutes may be redacted.

    3. A redaction, including its expiry note, may be made, amended or removed by:

      1. for all minutes—State Council; and

      2. for the minutes of a senior party bodya party body given that status under clause 19(3)—the senior party body.

    4. Each redaction must be accompanied by a note (expiry note) that specifies the party body that made or amended the redaction, and that the redaction:

      1. expires on a certain date;

      2. expires on the occurrence of a certain event; or

      3. does not expire.

  3. Handbook​

    1. State Council must keep a handbook (party handbook) that clearly sets out the information necessary for a member to understand the internal organisation and operation of the Partythe incorporated association referred to in clause 40(1), including a list of party offices and the members who hold them, and the members of each party body.

    2. State Council must make the party handbook available to members.

    3. If a member gives written notice to State Council that their name must not appear in the party handbook in the list of the members of a party body other than State Council, the party handbook must be amended accordingly.

  4. Archive​

    1. State Council must keep an archive (party archive) of important party information and documentation.

    2. State Council may make the party archive available to a member subject to any condition or limitation.