The following are the proposed Clauses 6-9 of the new party’s constitution. They have, as with the other clauses, grown out of a series of discussions and meetings around our Constitutional Committee and Project.These are the heart of the intent of the constitution in that they reflect the desire to practice Socialist Democracy and social inclusion not only in our theories and ideology, but in our own actual internal practice as well.They seek to repudiate traditional models of internal governance that are themselves hierarchical, as well as to constitutionally ensure that the policies of the membership are also, in all forums and contexts, the policies of the party.Highlights:Clause 6 replaces traditional leader driven models with collective leadership and a broadly based and open Executive.Clause 7 ensures that control of the platform and the constitution lies solely in the hands of the party membership. It also ensures that democratic renewal of the officers and views of the party is in place with yearly elections and bi-annual policy reviews. It further embraces the principle of “one member one vote” and applies it to all levels of party decision making.Clause 8 seeks to create councils and party formations that will hold the party to account in it’s goals of diversity, feminist thinking and struggle, the fight against ableism and ageism, the fight for Native and Aboriginal justice and the struggle for LGBT rights and social inclusion.Clause 9 recognizes that party is not and should not be monolithic and embraces caucuses, affiliates and divergent tendencies and currents of thought internally.Section 6: The Executive6:1: The party executive is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the party and is its governing body between conventions.6:2: The party’s Executive shall consist of the following:6:2:1 A ChairpersonThe Chairperson shall chair executive meetings and Policy/General Conventions and will, using Robert’s Rules of Order, be responsible for maintaining decorum, adjudicating disputes, recognizing speakers etc. They will also be responsible for the minutes of such meetings. In the event of a tie vote at an Executive meeting, the Chairperson will cast the deciding vote.6:2:2 Two SpokespersonsThe Spokespersons are responsible for representing the party in public, particularly with the media. They are also responsible for expressing and advocating for the party’s platform, as adopted by the membership, in public forums. Of the two Spokespersons, at least one must be a woman.6:2:3 A Membership Secretary (MS)In addition to responsibilities laid out in Clause 4, the MS is responsible for maintaining the party’s membership records. The MS also is responsible for membership campaigns.6:2:4 An Organizing Coordinator (OC)In addition to the responsibilities laid out in Clause 5, the OC is responsible for overseeing the organizational aspects of the party, the logistics of Executive and General meetings of the party, and for organizing political campaigns.6:2:5 A TreasurerThe Treasurer is responsible for all financial operations of the party, and must report on these fully to all Executive and General meetings of the party. The Treasurer also serves as the representative of the Chief Electoral Officer.6:2:6 A Fundraising Secretary (FS)The FS is responsible for organizing fundraising campaigns.6:2:7 An LGBT RepresentativeThe LGBT Representative is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the LGBT Council as well as for organizing inclusion/outreach efforts around LGBT issues both within the party and the broader community as a whole.6:2:8 A Women’s RepresentativeThe Women’s Representative is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the Women’s Council as well as for organizing inclusion/outreach efforts around feminist and women’s issues both within the party and the broader community as a whole.6:2:9 A Youth RepresentativeThe Youth Representative is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the Youth Council as well as for organizing inclusion/outreach efforts around youth issues both within the party and the broader community as a whole. This person must be no older than 25 years of age.6:2:10 A Diversity RepresentativeThe Diversity Representative is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the Diversity Council as well as for organizing inclusion/outreach efforts around anti-racist issues both within the party and the broader community as a whole. This person is also responsible for ensuring that the articles of Clause 11 are upheld.6:2:11 A Disability RepresentativeThe Disability Representative is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the Disability Council as well as for organizing inclusion/outreach efforts around disability issues within the party and the broader community as a whole. This person will be responsible for ensuring accessibility of official party events and materials.6:2:12 An Aboriginal/First Nations RepresentativeThe Aboriginal/First Nations Representative is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the First Nations Council as well as for organizing inclusion/outreach efforts around Aboriginal and First Nations issues both within the party and the broader community as a whole. 6:2:13 Members-at-LargeThe number and composition of the Members-at-Large will be determined according to Clause 4:66:3 No person may hold more than one position on the Executive at any given time.6:4 The Executive of the party must meet four times per year. These meetings must be rotated geographically. One of these meeting will be held in conjunction with the mid-year Policy Assembly and the other with the Annual General Convention. All members of the party must be notified of the timing and location of these meeting at least three (3) calendar weeks in advance.6:4:1 These meetings will be open to all party members. Party members will be allowed to speak, ask questions and enter into the discussions at these meetings without any hindrance.6:4:2 At these meetings all members of the Executive other than the Members-at-Large will be expected to deliver a report on progress and events in their area since the previous meeting. 6:5 No member of the Executive may, under any circumstances, be barred from participating in anyway at these meetings, nor may they be removed from office except by vote of the membership at the next full Annual Convention.6:6 Notwithstanding Clause 6:5, any member of the Executive who misses two (2) consecutive meetings is considered to have resigned. This may be overridden, in the event that there are acceptable reasons for these absences, by a majority vote of the Executive.Clause 7: Assemblies, Conventions & the Party Platform7:1 The party will hold an annual Policy Assembly (PA) and an annual General Convention (GC).7:1:2 These two conventions will be held in geographically disparate locations and will be at least four (4) months apart. 7:1:3 Each PA and each GC must be held within fifteen (15) months of the previous one.7:1:4 As per the Clause 6, the OC will be responsible for organizing these meetings, the Disability Representative for ensuring their accessibility, and the Chair for chairing them and ensuring that they are recorded. The Executive, if these officers are unable to perform these functions, may appoint someone else to do so. In the event of an emergency vacancy, the authority to appoint someone to perform these functions will fall to the Chair or the OC or the MS in that order. 7:1:5 These meetings will be open to all party members and all members who attend will be delegates with full voting rights. No member of the party may be refused entry or barred from voting/participating in these meetings. There will be no fee for a member to participate. All members of the party must be given at least four (4) weeks notice of a PA or GC.7:1:6 These meetings may also be open to the general public/observers at the discretion of the Party Executive. The fees associated with observer status will also be so decided.7:2 The PA is a meeting dedicated to policy resolutions, amendments and discussions. 7:2:1 In addition to 7:2, the entire Executive will be subject to election/re-election at every GC.7:2:2 Any member of the party may propose resolutions, policy platforms or amendments to the existing platform either prior to or at a PA/GC. Any proposed prior to a PA/GC will be posted on the party’s various websites/forums for discussion. This will be the responsibility of the OC, though any other officer of the Executive may also add resolutions, policy platforms or amendments from members to these forums.7:2:3 Any resolution, policy platform or amendment, if duly moved and seconded from the floor of the PA/GC will be put to a vote by all members of the PA/GC.7:2:4 Any resolution, policy platform or amendment, if passed by a majority vote at these, will become a part of the party’s election platform.7:2:5 The sum total of all resolutions and policy platforms duly passed as per 7:2:4 will be the party’s standing and electoral platform. The party, its candidates and Spokespersons will run on this platform during elections in its totality. It will be the responsibility of the Spokespersons to advance and reflect this platform in their public activities and pronouncements.7:2:6 No section of this platform, in whole or in part, may be modified or revoked in any way by any body or official other than through a majority vote of the delegates at a PA or a GC.7:3 A PA or GC is the sole authority that may amend or make additions to the constitution of the party.7:3:1 All clauses 7:2:2-7:2:6 apply equally to constitutional amendments, with the exception that such additions and/or amendments must be ratified by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates.Clause 8: Party Councils8:1 In addition to its governing bodies, the party will have six (5) councils; a Women’s Council, a Youth Council, a Diversity Council, an LGBT Council, a Disability Council and an Aboriginal/First Nations Council. These Councils will seek to both reflect the aspirations of these communities within the party and to reach out to those outside the party to ensure that the diversity of their ideas are also heard in the struggle to redress the historic and systemic inequalities and injustices faced by these communities.8:1:2 These councils will meet at least twice a year. The responsibility for co-ordinating the activities and meetings of these councils will lie with their respective Coordinators as outlined in Clause 68:2 Membership in these Councils will be open all party members and members of the broader community as follows:8:2:1 The Women’s Council will be open to all women.8:2:2 The Youth Council will be open to all persons 25 years of age and under.8:2:3 The Diversity Council will be open to all those who self-identify as members of racialised, marginalised and immigrant communities.8:2:4 The LGBT Council will be open to all those who self-identify as members of the LGBT community.8:2:5 The Disability Council will be open to all those who self-identify as other abled.8:2:6 The Aboriginal/First Nations Council will be open to members of the aboriginal and First Nations communities.8:3 The function of these councils is as follows:8:3:1 The Women’s Council will work to ensure that the party’s platform reflects a feminist analysis that fundamentally opposes Patriarchy as a systemic problem. It will also work to both reflect the views of and reach out to women and feminists who are not members of the party.8:3:2 The Youth Council will work to ensure that the party’s platform and analysis reflects the perspective of youth, with a special emphasis on the struggles of marginalized youth. It will also work to both reflect the views of and reach out to youth who are not members of the party.8:3:3 The Diversity Council will work to ensure that the party’s platform reflects an anti-racist analysis that works to build a program that will reflect the views of racialised, marginalised and immigrant communities. It will also work to both reflect the views of and reach out to members of these communities who are not members of the party.8:3:4 The LGBT Council will work to ensure that the party’s platform reflects views that fundamentally oppose and seek to overcome homophobia and transphobia as the systemic issues that they are. It will also work to both reflect the views of and reach out to members of the LGBT community who are not members of the party.8:3:5 The Disability Council will work to ensure that the party’s platform and analysis reflects the views and specific needs of the many diverse communities made up of those who identify as disabled or other abled. It will also work to reach out to members of these communities who are outside of the party.8:3:6 The Aboriginal/First Nations Council will work to ensure that the party’s platform reflects the views and struggle of the community in its fight to redress over 500 years of racist and imperialist oppression. 8:4 The views, activities, aspirations and resolutions of these Councils will be reflected back to the broader party as a whole through the Coordinators on Executive, who will be responsible for representing these opinions and ensuring that all policy platforms and resolutions brought forward by the Councils are advocated for as proposed at PAs and GCs.Clause 9: Affiliates and Caucuses9:1 The party recognizes that there exists within it currents of thought that are and will be different from and complimentary to the broader consensus and platform. The party, therefore, accepts and encourages both the affiliation of sister groups, parties, union locals and other organizations and the creation of such groupings within the party itself9:2 Affiliates and Caucuses, while they have no specific right to representation collectively within the party, are recognized as groupings and formations within the party. As such, they can both reflect the views of their members back to the party and they can both advocate for the party in the broader community while maintaining their identity. During all Executive, PA and GC meetings of the party they will granted the right to set up information tables/distributions within the meeting itself.9:3 All Affiliates and Caucuses are expected to respect the Constitution, fundamental values and platform of the party when operating within a party context or advocating for the party.9:4 An Affiliate or Caucus will gain official recognition when:9:4:1 It has ten (10) members of the party who have adhered to its petition to affiliate or form a Caucus. This petition must be presented to the OC and, upon verification, must be accepted by the OC.9:4:2 or it has been accepted as an Affiliate or Caucus by a majority vote of the Executive.9:4:3 Once an Affiliate or Caucus has been recognized, it can only be dechartered by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at a GC9:5 All Affiliates and Caucuses will be entitled to send two (2) Active Observers to all Executive meetings of the party. While they will not be allowed to vote, they will have the right to enter discussions and pose questions. This right cannot be revoked or hindered in anyway as long as the Affiliate or Caucus remains chartered.There are no only two remaining clauses to be put forward, on the distribution of party funds and the party’s Code of Ethics and Conduct.
