Constitution...
We believe that no political Party can be successful without a good Constitution. This explains why so many (perhaps, most) "celebrity Parties" ultimately fail. No matter how clever, how charismatic, or how financial, it is not about the leader. It is about the strength and the commitment of the organisation or the team that is being built. And that can only come from structure and principles set out in a good Constitution.
Ultimately, Can the Party survive without the "leader"? Ask yourself, What would happen to a football team or a cricket team if the team could never change the captain? Yet that is how some political Parties are run. Everything revolves around the captain, the "leader", the MP, the Senator...
On the other hand, Australian Voice is built around one of the fairest and most democratic Constitutions of any political Party in Australia. It focuses on the members, not on the "leader". It empowers all members to become involved, to make decisions, to show initiative, to speak for others as part of a team.
- It is not afraid of different ideas, so policies come from the grassroots, not the executive or the Party elite.
- It is not afraid of "losing control", so it has no need to micro-manage every detail of the Party.
- It has confidence in the commonsense of members, so it's candidates are chosen by local members, not by the "leader" or by a hand-picked executive.
- It develops its future leaders progressively from within its own membership, so it does not seek "high profile" candidates to "parachute" into winnable seats or feel the need to poach other Parties' Members of Parliament.
- It whole-heartedly believes its own values, so it does not rely on a "figurehead" or a "celebrity politician" for its identity or for its ideas.
- It is not building a war-chest to save or promote the leader's career, so it will deal fairly and even-handedly with its supporters and its candidates, rather than exploiting them to collect a bigger cheque from the Electoral Commission after elections.
- Every member is valued, not just those who are compliant with the "leader's" wishes.
Great leaders believe they work for their team.
Average leaders believe their team works for them
Alexander Den Heijer