Party Leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja example essay topic

Rebel Australian Democrats senator Andrew Murray says he has massive support in the party and he won't resign. (AAP) Murray blames Stott Despoja for crisis Renegade Democrats senator Andrew Murray has blamed leader Natasha Stott Despoja for the crisis engulfing the party, suggesting she should not have issued him with ultimatums to return to the fold. He also expressed regret if his stance was hurting what he said was an already seriously troubled party. Senator Murray is refusing to return to portfolio responsibilities until Democrats senators meet to discuss his plan to resolve what he calls management and professionalism issues. Senator Stott Despoja has called for a face-to-face meeting with the rebel West Australian after yesterday challenging him to return to active duty or stand for the leadership. "Bear in mind, this is a crisis which has been created by the reaction of Senator Stott Despoja in particular, because the Senate isn't sitting yet, nothing hangs on a day here or a day there", Senator Murray told ABC radio, in a reference to her issuing ultimatums.

He said the crisis could not be blamed only on him, pointing to the fact that just two of the seven people who had led the Democrats, including the incumbent, remained party members. "It's not just me. Anyone who thinks this is my problem is just not paying attention to what's happening", he said. Senator Murray reiterated he was acting honorably by outlining what he believed needed to happen to move the party forward. He said he had made himself readily available to colleagues, suggesting a range of dates he could partake in either face-to-face meetings or telephone hook-ups. "Instead I got an amazing outburst yesterday with extravagant language about ultimatums and demands and conditions and threats, none of which I've made, and here we are", he said.

Senator Murray said he believed the party was in serious trouble before the current crisis, but expressed regret if his actions were hurting the organisation. "If what I'm doing makes things worse, then I regret it, but if what I'm doing is necessary to make things better, then I support it", he said. He said he resented the attention on the issue, saying there had been very little media interest in some of his major parliamentary work, including his handling of the Democrats' debates about tax reform. "Here we have essentially a dispute in a minor party about issues of direction and management and professionalism and it's turned into a national circus", he said. "I don't like it one bit".

Murray to meet Democrat party room A resolution to the Australian Democrats crisis may be in sight when rebel senator Andrew Murray meets his former party room colleagues for the first time today since exiling himself last month. The long-running saga continued yesterday after a weekend meeting of the party's national executive ended with a call for Senator Murray to rejoin the party room and resume his portfolio duties. National president Liz Oss-Emer described as unacceptable Senator Murray's proposal to stay an Australian Democrat but sit on the backbench. Ms Oss-Emer also said Senator Murray's proposals to reform the party and its parliamentary wing could only be implemented in accordance with the party's constitution. A spokeswoman for Senator Murray said today's meeting was a victory over Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja who had ruled out any such meeting until the West Australian senator rejoined the party room. Rebel Australian Democrats senator Andrew Murray has rejoined the party room, ending his two-week, self-imposed exile.

But his decision to return to the fold came amid confusion over whether or not conditions were imposed by the West Australian. Senator Murray said his return came with an agreement for the party to urgently consider 10 motions related to the organisation of the Democrats that were raised by Queensland Senator John Cherry. However, party leader Natasha Stott Despoja said Senator Murray's return was unconditional as had been demanded by her and by the party's national executive. "I've expected unconditional re-entry and this morning we did not have re-entry based on any conditions or discussions", Senator Stott Despoja said. "That was made clear at the beginning. "I expect nothing less than unqualified and unconditional support for my leadership and for the leadership team of myself and (deputy) Senator Aden Ridgeway.

"I expect nothing less than full support for the democratic decisions of our membership. "And I expect nothing less than full support for the membership, our structures and, of course, the party room". But Senator Murray said the 10 motions to be reconsidered were expected to go before the next party room meeting. He said his approach to the crisis within the Democrats had always been that it was "the issues which are important". "I had assumed that there would be no willingness to address the issues and that would oblige me to remain on the backbench", Senator Murray told AAP.

"That is no longer the case". Senator Stott Despoja said at Monday's meeting Senator Cherry did raise some issues with the party room. But she said she had not agreed to anything in relation to those concerns. In the meantime Senator Stott Despoja said she now expected Senator Murray to resume his full portfolio responsibilities but conceded he would be serving what could be described as a "probationary period."Clearly, based on comments that have been made about me, my leadership and my party I have every right to watch and see the performance of Senator Murray both in his portfolio work and his commitment to the party", she said. Senator Murray quit his portfolios and announced his intention to sit as a Democrat back bencher two weeks ago after fellow Senator and former party leader Meg Lees quit the party altogether. At the time he said he was disgusted with the treatment of Senator Lees and also said he no longer had confidence in the leadership of Senator Stott Despoja.

Crean down, Democrats bottom out Support for the ALP has taken another dive while the Democrats have bottomed out at three per cent, according to the latest News poll. The poll, published in the Australian, shows support for Labor dropped from 40 to 37 per cent in the two weeks to last weekend. The only good news for the ALP was that support was flowing to independents or fringe parties rather than the Coalition - which was stable at 41 per cent - or the top three minor parties. But ALP leader Simon Crean has no such consolation as his personal approval rating dropped four points to 20 points while Prime Minister John Howard's rating jumped from 51 percentage points to 55.

Support for the Democrats appears to have bottomed out at three per cent as that party's woes continue, while the Greens are double that on six per cent. One Nation remains on one per cent as it has for most of the year. The poll comprised 1146 interviews conducted last weekend. Bartlett willing to work with Murray Australian Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett said he would be able to work again with his dissident colleague, Andrew Murray, despite harsh words spoken recently. The self-exiled Senator Murray is due to make up his mind today whether he will stay with the Democrats. Relations between the Perth-based senator and his party have been rocky at best following more than a week of internal tensions in the wake of the resignation of one-time party leader Senator Meg Lees.

In the heat of the debate, Senator Bartlett called Senator Murray gutless and beyond redemption. Senator Bartlett said it was now up to his colleague as to whether he felt they could work together again after the spat. "Of course it's possible. Politics is like that", he told Channel Seven. "But it's a decision for him and we " re waiting to see what he says". He could not comment on whether Senator Murray would return.

"That's totally in his hands and I can't really comment on that. I obviously don't know but all of us want the situation resolved one way or another", Senator Bartlett said. He said all members of the party wanted Senator Murray to stay and had asked him to come back. He stressed that party leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja had not made the demand of Senator Murray alone. "The request that was made from the party room was made by the whole party room and not just by the leader, and the response will be to the party room and not just the leader", he said. Chipp downs Dems lower house bid The Australian Democrats should forget about trying to win lower house seats and concentrate their efforts on the Senate, the party's founder Don Chipp said.

Mr Chipp said the nature of lower house seats meant there was little room for honest debate in that house. "My advice to the Democrats, for what it's worth, is to forget this talk about trying to win seats in the lower house", he told ABC television. "Concentrate on the role of trying to keep the bastards honest in the Senate. "If you have a House of Representatives seat, you need 50 per cent plus one other vote". That meant every vote was precious and most seats were borderline, Mr Chipp said. "If you support something unpopular, you tend to lose a few votes.

Then you start to quiver. I've seen them quiver. "If you talk about abortion or any of those controversial subjects in Canberra, they all run for cover. "That's why we have very little honest debate there".

Mr Chipp also gave a glowing endorsement to party leader Natasha Stott Despoja, saying she was doing a great job in tough circumstances at the moment. "I want to pay a tribute to Natasha. This young woman, 32, going through all sorts of hell on earth with personal problems, comes back to Australia with a crisis and has handled the whole thing magnificently", he said. He said current exiled Senator Andrew Murray could not remain an exile. "He can't do that.

Natasha has said quite clearly and specifically, and I commend her for it to be so clear, 'You can't do that Andrew, you can't have the cake and eat it too. "Either you " re in or out, and I think that's right". Ridgeway denies uni helped his campaign Australian Democrats deputy leader Aden Ridgeway has denied allegations University of NSW (UNSW) resources were used to help his 1998 election campaign. Neville Perkins, who briefly worked as director of UNSW's Aboriginal Education Program, has alleged his predecessor Anne Martin used the centre to help Senator Ridgeway when she was his campaign manager. Mr Perkins has written to the federal government seeking an inquiry into alleged mismanagement by centre staff and misuse of facilities over a number of years. "Apparently some of the university's senior executive staff were not only aware of this serious situation, but they may have also condoned or ignored it", the Sydney Morning Herald quoted from Mr Perkins's letter.

"I respectfully suggest that you also initiate an independent high-level inquiry into... the alleged misuse of the facilities and resources of the university's Aboriginal Students Centre by some staff of the university for an Australian Democrats Senate election campaign and for purposes other than Aboriginal students's support". Senator Ridgeway's spokeswoman said he reaffirmed a denial given to the newspaper. "I categorically deny any wrongdoing or impropriety as suggested in that letter", he said. on Saturday he said through his spokeswoman: "However, I offer my full cooperation in any further investigation if necessary". The spokeswoman said the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) had concluded there was no corruption. "There are these agencies looking at it but they have to look at every complaint.

It's no confirmation of any wrongdoing", she said. Senator Ridgeway told the paper Mr Perkins - who was not kept on as director after his probation period - had a chequered employment history and an axe to grind. The allegations were investigated by UNSW's internal audit office in 1999 and found to be without foundation. But Mr Perkins has raised them again with the ICAC, the NSW Auditor-General and the ombudsman. The university confirmed an internal investigation was underway into the allegations. "We carried out an investigation (into the allegations) and could not substantiate them", a university spokeswoman said.

"We kept the ICAC informed on the findings, and they then decided not to make formal investigations into the matter". Further issues had since been raised and another investigation had been launched, she said. "The university's internal audit office is inquiring into these matters", she said. But exactly when the inquiry would report is not known.

"I could not put a timeframe on that, but an external auditor has been brought in to help expedite the process", she said. Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja has thrown her support behind her deputy. "I support my deputy leader", she said. Democrats mull Murray's extension plea Australian Democrats senators have gone to ground as they mull over what to do about Democrat-in-exile Andrew Murray's plea to have two more days to decide his political future. Earlier this week, his six remaining colleagues - after former leader Meg Lees quit the party on July 26 - set a deadline of tomorrow to respond to the party's ultimatum to come back into the fold or quit. But Senator Murray has written to his colleagues to say he needs more time.

"I am unable to respond by Sunday. I will try to respond by COB (close of business) Tuesday", his letter said. The other six have resolved not to make any statement, at least on Saturday. After Senator Lees's resignation from the party, Senator Murray went into self-imposed exile, withdrawing from the party room and ditching his portfolio responsibilities to sit on the party's backbench.

Leader Natasha Stott Despoja earlier told ABC Radio the deadline would stand and no extension was necessary. "At this stage I have no reason to believe the deadline won't be met but that's a discussion that we " ll have on Sunday", Senator Stott Despoja said. But after a morning telephone hook-up with the other five senators - deputy leader Aden Ridgeway, Andrew Bartlett, John Cherry, Lyn Allison and Brian Greig - they resolved to remain silent. "There " ll be no statement today", Senator Stott Despoja's spokeswoman said. "Senator Stott Despoja is keen for her colleagues to consider this issue. "They " re considering his proposal".

She was uncertain when a response might be forthcoming. Senator Ridgeway's spokeswoman also said there would be no comment. Each Democrats senator has responsibility for a raft of portfolios and Senator Murray's colleagues are keen for him to continue sharing the load rather than forming a backbench of one. He had been in charge of accountability, business and corporate affairs, customs, electoral matters, finance and administration, small business, taxation and workplace relations. With Senator Lees gone and Vicki Bourne's Senate term ending on June 30 following her election loss last November, a reshuffle was already required to share their work around. Stott Despoja stands firm on Murray deadline Australian Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja has said she would not extend a Sunday deadline for renegade Senator Andrew Murray to outline his future with the party.

Senator Murray, who describes himself as a Democrat in exile, has told the party he will be unable to meet the Sunday deadline, instead saying he is most likely to respond by the close of business on Tuesday. But Senator Stott Despoja said she'd heard nothing that justified extending the deadline. "Well I think the party room's original decision was a very reasonable one", she told ABC television. "And I have heard nothing yet to make me change my mind.

"So I will look forward to hearing from Senator Murray on Sunday, as planned.".