SA First
Encyclopedia
SA First is a now-defunct South Australia
n political party formed in 1999 by dissident Labor
Member of Parliament
Terry Cameron
. The Party contested the 2002 South Australian legislative election, but failed to have any candidates elected to the Parliament of South Australia
.
, proportional representation
, more sitting days and fewer political perks. It also formed a broad range of policy initiatives which were more or less moderate and liberal
in their scope.
The Party was notable for allowing each MP a conscience vote on each piece of legislation before Parliament.
The annual State Conference consisted of delegates elected by the branches and was the governing body of the party, with the power to determine policy, preselect Upper House candidates and elect the State Executive.
The State Executive was an 11-member body elected largely by the Conference. There were positions of President, Vice-President and State Secretary, elected by a preferential majority of Conference for a two-year term. It followed the Labor Party model of political power lying in the hands of the Secretary rather than the President; the President directed debate and the State Secretary directed the everyday operations of the Party. There were six General Members elected by proportional representation
for a one year term. The positions of Youth Representative and Parliamentary Leader were ex-officio.
The state was divided up into branches, based around one to nine electorates. Each branch was allocated delegates to State Conference based on one delegate per 10 members (with a cap of 7 delegates to help prevent branch stacking or undue influence by one branch). Branches had an equal say in the preselection of candidates, with a 50% weighting of the vote with State Conference. (cf. Australian Labor Party where the branches have only a 25% weighting, and the Liberal Party where the SEC/FEC preselection college has a 100% weighting).
Youth Members (25 and under), in addition to being members of their local branch, were also automatically members of SA First Youth, which elected delegates to Conference based on its membership and elected a member of the State Executive directly. This 'double representation' helped youth membership and participation within the wider party immensely, with almost 1/3 of delegates from the youth wing of the party as well as 1/3 of the State Executive members.
There were also standing committees such as the Policy Committee, which drafted policy under the direction of a Policy Convener appointed by State Conference.
, the Australian Labor Party and on equal par with the Australian Democrats
. It attracted members from both sides of the political divide who were looking for a new, moderate political party in which to participate, as well as people who had no prior political experience.
and 2 in the Legislative Council
at the 2002 election. They received between 7.5% and 0.6% of the primary vote in the various Lower House seats and 1% of the vote in the Legislative Council. Their average vote where they fielded a candidate was 2.8%. They failed to win a seat, however post-electoral analysis shows the party missed out by only 2,000 votes.
on 18 March 2006. His preferences were directed towards minor parties in the first instance, and then interestingly for a former Labor Party state secretary, towards the Liberals ahead of Labor.
Many members went on to join other political parties, primarily the Liberal Party
.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n political party formed in 1999 by dissident Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Terry Cameron
Terry Cameron
Terry Gordon Cameron is a former South Australian politician.Cameron entered the South Australian Legislative Council in 1994 to fill an Australian Labor Party vacancy, and then was re-elected as a Labor candidate in 1997. However he resigned from the party in order to support the Olsen Liberal...
. The Party contested the 2002 South Australian legislative election, but failed to have any candidates elected to the Parliament of South Australia
Parliament of South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government....
.
Ideology and policy
SA First positioned itself as a pragmatic, centre-based political party which relied on policy initiatives drawn from the experience of its members and professionals. Its flagship was parliamentary reform, which advocated electoral reformElectoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
, proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, more sitting days and fewer political perks. It also formed a broad range of policy initiatives which were more or less moderate and liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in their scope.
Structure
The structure of SA First consisted of local branches electing a governing State Conference, which in turn elected an administrative State Executive.The Party was notable for allowing each MP a conscience vote on each piece of legislation before Parliament.
The annual State Conference consisted of delegates elected by the branches and was the governing body of the party, with the power to determine policy, preselect Upper House candidates and elect the State Executive.
The State Executive was an 11-member body elected largely by the Conference. There were positions of President, Vice-President and State Secretary, elected by a preferential majority of Conference for a two-year term. It followed the Labor Party model of political power lying in the hands of the Secretary rather than the President; the President directed debate and the State Secretary directed the everyday operations of the Party. There were six General Members elected by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
for a one year term. The positions of Youth Representative and Parliamentary Leader were ex-officio.
The state was divided up into branches, based around one to nine electorates. Each branch was allocated delegates to State Conference based on one delegate per 10 members (with a cap of 7 delegates to help prevent branch stacking or undue influence by one branch). Branches had an equal say in the preselection of candidates, with a 50% weighting of the vote with State Conference. (cf. Australian Labor Party where the branches have only a 25% weighting, and the Liberal Party where the SEC/FEC preselection college has a 100% weighting).
Youth Members (25 and under), in addition to being members of their local branch, were also automatically members of SA First Youth, which elected delegates to Conference based on its membership and elected a member of the State Executive directly. This 'double representation' helped youth membership and participation within the wider party immensely, with almost 1/3 of delegates from the youth wing of the party as well as 1/3 of the State Executive members.
There were also standing committees such as the Policy Committee, which drafted policy under the direction of a Policy Convener appointed by State Conference.
Party members
At its height SA First had over 500 members which placed it as the third largest party in South Australia, behind the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, the Australian Labor Party and on equal par with the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
. It attracted members from both sides of the political divide who were looking for a new, moderate political party in which to participate, as well as people who had no prior political experience.
Parliamentary involvement
Together with fellow Labor-Turned-Independent MP Trevor Crothers, SA First held the balance of power in the South Australian Legislative Council and made it easier for the Liberal Government to pass legislation; previously they had to convince a majority of Labor caucus or the left-leaning Australian Democrats. Its parliamentary leader, Terry Cameron, was renowned for asking numerous questions in parliament and for making extensive speeches, the longest clocking in at over three hours.2002 elections
SA First ran 30 candidates in the House of AssemblySouth Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
and 2 in the Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
at the 2002 election. They received between 7.5% and 0.6% of the primary vote in the various Lower House seats and 1% of the vote in the Legislative Council. Their average vote where they fielded a candidate was 2.8%. They failed to win a seat, however post-electoral analysis shows the party missed out by only 2,000 votes.
Post-electoral history
On 31 December 2002, SA First was deregistered as a political party. Terry Cameron continued to sit as an Independent in the Legislative Council. His term expired in March 2006, but he was not re-elected to the Legislative Council at the State ElectionSouth Australian legislative election, 2006
The state election for the 51st Parliament of South Australia was held in the Australian state of South Australia on 18 March 2006, and was conducted by the independent State Electoral Office.-House of Assembly:...
on 18 March 2006. His preferences were directed towards minor parties in the first instance, and then interestingly for a former Labor Party state secretary, towards the Liberals ahead of Labor.
Many members went on to join other political parties, primarily the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
.