The ultimate aim of participating in politics is to influence policy outcomes.
This is why our policy sessions at State Conference and State Council are among the most anticipated parts of the agenda, attracting participation from all regions of Western Australia.
Each year, the Policy Committee receives numerous queries from enthusiastic members about the structure and flow of our policy sessions.
This one pager is our guide to enable all participants to get the best value out of our policy sessions at State Conference and State Council.
An ideal policy motion should be concise and clear. Its main purpose should be to propose to create new laws, amend existing laws or repeal outdated laws.
Motions that fall outside these three types are generally not ideal for debate.
That said, from time to time, we do receive motions that commend or congratulate a particular decision, whether by government or opposition, without offering a concrete policy proposal.
These are commonly referred to as ‘motherhood statements’. While they have their place, they’re not the most effective use of policy debate time.
Our policy sessions are divided into four categories: Federal, State, Rural & Regional and Administrative.
Policy sessions are conducted in accordance with the standing orders provided in the State Conference booklet.
Movers get 3 minutes to present the motion. Seconders and all others, including the right-of-reply get 2 minutes each.
The order in which debate proceeds from the floor is an argument for, then an argument against and so on and so forth.
The right-of-reply only comes into play if there has been an argument against the motion presented from the floor.
Note that prolonged debates risk going around in circles and aren’t constructive.
We often receive questions from the floor seeking clarity or a comment from a Parliamentary representative where applicable.
While this is permissible, we request that delegates be mindful that conversations that can be taken offline don’t need to be had in the middle of policy debates.
Each motion has a maximum of 15 minutes allocated for debate. To ensure we get through as many motions as possible, we may put the motion to a vote once it is determined that all sides of the argument have had sufficient opportunity to be heard.
If an amendment is proposed from the floor and the mover agrees, we update the wording on the screen without further debate.
If the mover doesn’t agree, the amendment has to be formally moved, seconded, debated and then put to a vote.
If the amendment passes, we debate the amended motion. If it fails, we proceed with debating the original motion as proposed.
Votes are determined by traditional calls for ‘Aye’ or ‘No’.
If the outcome is unclear due to poor acoustics, we move to a show of hands.
In rare cases where a ballot is called for, we must proceed with one, as per party rules.
That said, delegates are encouraged to avoid calling for a ballot unnecessarily, as it consumes valuable time and resources.
Participants are encouraged to keep the arguments presented on the day as concise and relevant to the topic at hand as possible.
Above all, enjoy the sessions. Participating in robust debates is a privilege and a hallmark of Australian democracy.
Dr Sherry Sufi
Chairman - Policy Committee Liberal Party of Australia (WA Division)