By Robynne Murphy and Stefan Skibicki
WOLLONGONG — In recent weeks, the media has devoted a fair amount of time to "multiple recruitment" or stacking in Labour Party branches, particularly in the Illawarra. The sudden growth of membership appears to come from the disgruntled Macedonian community, who have been campaigning against being referred to as "Slav Macedonian".
Earlier this year the federal government announced it would recognise the former Yugoslav state of Macedonia, and, at the same time, said Macedonians would be described as "Slav Macedonians". When federal Immigration and Ethnic Affairs minister Nick Bolkus came here in April to open the Cringila Community Cooperative, he was greeted by thousands of Macedonians protesting against this label.
Shortly after, the federal member for Throsby, Colin Hollis, condemned the Macedonian community for its "violent" behaviour. The Macedonian community has retaliated by joining branches — en mass — in Hollis's electorate. For example, membership of one of the branches, Warrawong, has shot up from about 25 (once the smallest in the electorate) to over 300; it is now the largest branch in the electorate.
Ilce Musarevski, the new Secretary of the Illawarra Australia Macedonian Assembly, stated in the Illawarra Mercury that his community intended to unseat Hollis; the community intends to either stand one of its leaders for pre-selection or run as an independent. With approximately 10,000 Macedonians in the electorate, this tactic has the potential to significantly influence the outcome of any pre-selection or election.
The Macedonian community has also announced that its members are applying to join the ALP in Paul Keating's federal seat of Blaxland. Keating is accused of initiating the push to use the term "Slav-Macedonian".
In Victoria, branch stacking by different ethnic communities, including the Turkish, Uruguayan, Chilean and Macedonians, has resulted in at least 8000 new members.
While Victorian Labor MP, Andrew Theophanous, claimed that this was "multicultural Australia now saying we are wanting to participate in the political process", Independent MP Phil Cleary said that ethnic groups were angry at the ALP's exploitation of age-old ethnic tensions.
"Representatives from ethnic communities are telling me that they've had enough of ALP warlords exploiting potential ethnic rivalries in the pursuit of preselection votes."
The ABC's recent Four Corners program made it clear that both left and right factions of the Labor Party are shamelessly using ethnic communities in recruitment drives.
While ALP head office is rubbing its hands with glee at the influx of members (not to mention dues), the left and the right factions are scrambling to woo new supporters. In the Illawarra, the old left steering committee has talked some of its former members into reconstituting themselves and have held a few meetings.
Others are also joining the ALP. Paul Matters, south coast labour council secretary, has applied to join and his application will be considered this month. This will be the first time in the history of the SCLC that a secretary has wanted to join the ALP. Secretaries of the SCLC have always been aligned with the former Communist Party of Australia. Other union officials who aren't members of the ALP have been asked to join in a bid to outstack the "opposition".
The left in the Illawarra has traditionally had a significant influence in the union movement. The ALP apparatus, dominated by the right, has always wanted to gain control — by whatever means. It is unfortunate that Â鶹´«Ã½ of the migrant community feel that they have to, or are being convinced that it is essential to join the ALP in order to secure basic community services and democratic rights.