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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Lee Rhiannon writes to Greens asking for suspension to be lifted | Lee Rhiannon writes to Greens asking for suspension to be lifted |
| (7 months later) | |
| NSW senator says the Greens leader, Richard di Natale, knew she was opposed to the school funding bill and calls for ‘current tensions’ to be resolved | |
| Gabrielle Chan | |
| Thu 6 Jul 2017 07.46 BST | |
| Last modified on Tue 15 Aug 2017 06.01 BST | |
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| Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has called on her party room to review her expulsion, claiming her leader, Richard Di Natale, and colleagues were well aware of her opposition to the school funding bill. | Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has called on her party room to review her expulsion, claiming her leader, Richard Di Natale, and colleagues were well aware of her opposition to the school funding bill. |
| The New South Wales senator has written to all Greens NSW members via email and Facebook, to call for a resolution of the “current tensions” in the lead-up an Australian Greens national council meeting on Friday night and a Greens NSW state delegates council this weekend. | The New South Wales senator has written to all Greens NSW members via email and Facebook, to call for a resolution of the “current tensions” in the lead-up an Australian Greens national council meeting on Friday night and a Greens NSW state delegates council this weekend. |
| “I am disappointed that Greens party room members wrote a letter of complaint about me to national council, without informing me, nor providing me with a chance to respond to their criticism,” Rhiannon writes. | “I am disappointed that Greens party room members wrote a letter of complaint about me to national council, without informing me, nor providing me with a chance to respond to their criticism,” Rhiannon writes. |
| “It was obvious that such a letter attacking me would be leaked to the media and commence a furore that is damaging the Greens. Sadly this is what happened. | “It was obvious that such a letter attacking me would be leaked to the media and commence a furore that is damaging the Greens. Sadly this is what happened. |
| “The party room also did not take up my request for a conflict resolution process. It then decided to suspend me from party room on ‘discussions and decisions on contentious government legislation’ until their ultimatum, that the Greens NSW should no longer be able to bind its MPs to vote in a particular way, is met. | “The party room also did not take up my request for a conflict resolution process. It then decided to suspend me from party room on ‘discussions and decisions on contentious government legislation’ until their ultimatum, that the Greens NSW should no longer be able to bind its MPs to vote in a particular way, is met. |
| “I am disappointed by the suspension and feel that it is unjustified. It is also unclear what it means and how it will operate.” | “I am disappointed by the suspension and feel that it is unjustified. It is also unclear what it means and how it will operate.” |
| Di Natale told Guardian Australia the best way to resolve the issue was through democratic internal processes and not publicly. | Di Natale told Guardian Australia the best way to resolve the issue was through democratic internal processes and not publicly. |
| Rhiannon was expelled from her national party room after she printed a leaflet urging people to lobby against the Coalition’s school funding legislation while her colleagues were negotiating on the issue. | Rhiannon was expelled from her national party room after she printed a leaflet urging people to lobby against the Coalition’s school funding legislation while her colleagues were negotiating on the issue. |
| Her party room colleagues argued that she had not told them of her position and all nine signed a formal complaint to their national council, which told them to deal with it. Rhiannon has said she was bound by her state organisation to vote against the school funding bill and had done nothing wrong. | Her party room colleagues argued that she had not told them of her position and all nine signed a formal complaint to their national council, which told them to deal with it. Rhiannon has said she was bound by her state organisation to vote against the school funding bill and had done nothing wrong. |
| The party room resolved the temporary expulsion was to last until the Australian Greens national council worked with Greens NSW to end the practice of binding its MPs to vote in a certain way. | The party room resolved the temporary expulsion was to last until the Australian Greens national council worked with Greens NSW to end the practice of binding its MPs to vote in a certain way. |
| While all 10 Greens members ultimately voted against the bill, di Natale and the education spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, negotiated for $5bn in extra funding and an independent school funding review body as recommended by the Gonski panel. | While all 10 Greens members ultimately voted against the bill, di Natale and the education spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, negotiated for $5bn in extra funding and an independent school funding review body as recommended by the Gonski panel. |
| The Coalition government passed the bill with crossbench support. | The Coalition government passed the bill with crossbench support. |
| Two days out from the NSW state delegates council, Rhiannon has doubled down on her opposition to the Gonski 2.0 package, which she described as moving the nation further away from “Greens policy on funding of public schools and our commitment to the original Gonski”. | Two days out from the NSW state delegates council, Rhiannon has doubled down on her opposition to the Gonski 2.0 package, which she described as moving the nation further away from “Greens policy on funding of public schools and our commitment to the original Gonski”. |
| Rhiannon said she reflected opposition to the bill from the Greens NSW education working group, the federal parliamentary liaison committee, the state MP education portfolio holder, Tamara Smith, the Australian Education Union and the NSW Teachers Federation. | Rhiannon said she reflected opposition to the bill from the Greens NSW education working group, the federal parliamentary liaison committee, the state MP education portfolio holder, Tamara Smith, the Australian Education Union and the NSW Teachers Federation. |
| “The Greens leader and party room were well aware that the Greens NSW and I had serious concerns about Gonski 2, including an amended package that would still fall well short of the existing funding agreements for public schools. The party room was also undecided,” she said. | “The Greens leader and party room were well aware that the Greens NSW and I had serious concerns about Gonski 2, including an amended package that would still fall well short of the existing funding agreements for public schools. The party room was also undecided,” she said. |
| “I was happy to take back a proposed agreement to the Greens NSW for quick consideration, but such a package never materialised.” | “I was happy to take back a proposed agreement to the Greens NSW for quick consideration, but such a package never materialised.” |
| Rhiannon described the impact of NSW MPs being bound by party decisions as grossly exaggerated and said she had a great deal of flexibility when the party room considered bills. | Rhiannon described the impact of NSW MPs being bound by party decisions as grossly exaggerated and said she had a great deal of flexibility when the party room considered bills. |
| “It is extremely rare for the Greens NSW to make a specific decision to bind my vote on a bill,” Rhiannon said. | “It is extremely rare for the Greens NSW to make a specific decision to bind my vote on a bill,” Rhiannon said. |
| The Australian Greens national council will hold a special meeting on Friday night to discuss the dispute while Greens NSW state delegates council will meet over the weekend with representatives from most of the 59 local groups or branches to decide whether to abide by the resolution from the national party room. | The Australian Greens national council will hold a special meeting on Friday night to discuss the dispute while Greens NSW state delegates council will meet over the weekend with representatives from most of the 59 local groups or branches to decide whether to abide by the resolution from the national party room. |
| The full resolution, supported by all MPs apart from Rhiannon, says: “The Australian Greens party room request that national council work with Greens NSW to end the practice of NSW MPs being bound to vote against the decision of the Australian Greens party room.” | The full resolution, supported by all MPs apart from Rhiannon, says: “The Australian Greens party room request that national council work with Greens NSW to end the practice of NSW MPs being bound to vote against the decision of the Australian Greens party room.” |
| WA Greens senator Rachel Siewert and Victorian senator Janet Rice will address the NSW meeting. | WA Greens senator Rachel Siewert and Victorian senator Janet Rice will address the NSW meeting. |
| Sources said it was highly unlikely the NSW state delegates council would vote to change the constitution but it could agree to make the processes for binding an MP more transparent. | Sources said it was highly unlikely the NSW state delegates council would vote to change the constitution but it could agree to make the processes for binding an MP more transparent. |
| It is unclear whether this would meet the requirements to allow Rhiannon back into the party room on contentious discussions. | It is unclear whether this would meet the requirements to allow Rhiannon back into the party room on contentious discussions. |
| The NSW state delegates council could also debate a motion urging state organisation to withhold funding until Rhiannon, as its representative, could take part in contentious discussions. Greens NSW provides 30% of total funds to the national organisation. | The NSW state delegates council could also debate a motion urging state organisation to withhold funding until Rhiannon, as its representative, could take part in contentious discussions. Greens NSW provides 30% of total funds to the national organisation. |
| Rhiannon said she was disappointed that the original complaint had been leaked to the media. | Rhiannon said she was disappointed that the original complaint had been leaked to the media. |
| “I sincerely hope the party room can review its decision and together with the Greens NSW and Australian Greens national council find a constructive way to resolve the current tensions,” she said. | “I sincerely hope the party room can review its decision and together with the Greens NSW and Australian Greens national council find a constructive way to resolve the current tensions,” she said. |
| Australian Greens | |
| Australian politics | |
| Gonski reforms | |
| New South Wales politics | |
| Lee Rhiannon | |
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