Branch Guide Prepared by: National Executive 12 th April 2017
The Party CountryMinded is being established to restore an uncompromised political voice for rural and regional Australia on the premise that: A viable rural sector is vital to the future of the Country Increasingly the Country s economy is reliant on a viable rural sector The policies that will sustainably resolve issues facing rural Australia will benefit all sectors of the economy The current party first endemic in today s political representation does not and cannot effectively reflect the needs of rural and regional Australia CountryMinded is founded on traditional values that underpin the culture of the Country. These values define the way we think about our country, our people and our nation and our name describes this way of thinking. CountryMinded seeks to re-establish these old values and in modern politics and foster statesmanship and real leadership to provide a meaningful and effective political conscience. CountryMinded was founded for our farming families and all who rely on their viability now and for the future, but the cause is much bigger than this. Indirectly, the Party s platforms will provide benefit to all sectors of the economy. Vision statement A prosperous and resilient rural and regional Australia, contributing to a stable broad based Australian economy and society. Mission To ensure Australian politics and society in general is informed about and considerate of the real value and importance of a prosperous rural and regional sector from a social, economic and environmental perspective. To enforce the social contract that should exist between elected politicians and their electorate. This will include fighting the party first culture that is endemic in many other parties through bold public comment where it is observed. To deliver a strong and uncompromised political voice for rural and regional people, industries and communities. Structure of the Party The Party is a flat structure with a single entity empowered to register in state and federal electoral jurisdictions as and when it is qualified and to similarly contest these elections. There is a single membership group described by local, state and federal divisions. In order to facilitate better local consultation and engagement the Party will establish local Branches.
The Branch will be the primary vehicle for member and community engagement for the Party. This will be a two way engagement allowing local people to feed issues and feedback into the Party as well as providing a useful vehicle for dissemination of Party materials at the local level. Further to this the Branches will form a key component of candidate preselection processes as well as being integral to the election campaign process supporting local candidates. The Branch reports to Head Office for the purposes of funding and disclosure and financial reporting. Branches are requested to forward meeting records and dates to Head Office for record keeping and advertising purposes. Head Office will ensure all branch requests are tabled for Management Committee consideration. The Constitution A copy of the Constitution will be available on request. It is the prime governing document for Party decision making, though this guide is designed to be used as an operating manual for the Branch. Branch objectives Each activity that the branch undertakes should be centred on:- Building the membership. Providing support to the local community. Providing local perspectives and feedback to the National Executive and Party policy. Generating donations and support for both the broader Party and the local campaign. Building a network of volunteers for campaign activities. Creating ongoing interest in the activities of the branch and Party. Supporting your local candidate Branch Meetings The meeting itself need not be overly formal, but you should at least follow the conventions of meetings, including the appointment of a Chairman to control the meeting, the preparation of an agenda and the recording of minutes of the meeting. Meetings should address issues of local interest. Notice of Meetings Notice of the time, place and agenda of the meeting should be given to all members of the branch with as much notice as possible, preferably a minimum of one week. A copy of this notice needs to be sent to the Head Office at admin@countryminded.org.au so that the Executive can try to attend and the meeting can be promoted through regular Party channels Attendance Meetings should be inclusive and open to non-members where possible. New or prospective members should be welcomed and introduced to the other members present and to the candidate in your area.
At your first meeting you should first elect your Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. Details of your office bearers must be forwarded to the Party by emailing the attached form to admin@countryminded.org.au. Planning Make plans for the branch. This should include:- measurable goals to build the membership of the branch. preparation of a report including details of:- o the current Members of State and Federal Parliament, local Councillors, etc and their performance to date. o the social and political demographic profile of the area. o key business and industry in the area. o key support of like-minded groups. o other groups and political organisations (an assessment of the opposition). o advertising opportunities. o media outlets and key contacts (newspaper and magazine editors, TV and radio presenters etc). o advertising sites. o community events Fundraising targets. Media management (ie how you will monitor and respond to local radio and newspapers as a branch). Attendance at key community events. Develop a list of supporters / potential supporters. Minutes The minutes of the meeting need to be recorded in a suitable electronic format. A copy of the minutes of your meeting should be provided to the Head Office within seven days of the meeting. Role of the Chairman The main role of the chairman is to plan and conduct interesting and orderly meetings. Some additional considerations for the chairman include:- Observe the meeting procedures. Make new members feel welcome. Start on time and finish promptly. Program of guest speakers. Allocating particular areas of responsibility to various members of the committee. Directing discussion and allowing each member to express their point of view. Decide on a fixed time and place for your meetings. Draw up a programme for meetings and key activities for the next quarter/year etc. Follow up with members who have stopped attending meetings. Uphold the rules of the organisation as stated in the Constitution.
Purpose of the meeting sharing of ideas with the intention of coming to an agreed position. Role of the Secretary The secretary is responsible for taking the minutes of the meeting and keeping them safely in a folder or book. The minutes should reflect what discussions took place, what resolutions were proposed, what decisions were made. Other duties include:- Distribute the minutes of the previous meeting. Note the incoming and outgoing mail. Keep an attendance register of who attended the meeting. Coordinate activities of the branch meetings. Take membership records and payments and forward to Head Office. Role of the Treasurer The Treasurer is responsible for keeping an accurate record of the income and expenses of the Branch. This is vital if the Party is to meet its reporting requirements to the ATO and under the funding and disclosure laws. Records are required for all financial transaction, including:- Purchase of stationery. Recording of donations and invoices received. Sourcing of quotes for goods and services required for branch and campaign activities. Payment of invoices. Liaison with Party office for banking procedures. Development of a budget for the Branch. Bank Accounts The Party is required to meet stringent reporting to both the ATO and to the electoral commissions (both State and Federal). There are criminal penalties for misreporting, for the failure to properly report and where reports are required but not furnished. Nil returns are also required. Should your branch wish to open a bank account please email head office at admin@countryminded.org.au and they will provide advice on establishing your bank account. Bank accounts: - Will be named CountryMinded XXXXX Branch (where XXXXX denotes the Branch name). The signatories to the account will be the Branch Treasurer and the Branch Chairman. All Branch income is to be deposited into the bank account as soon as possible after receipt. All Branch expenses are to be paid from the bank account. Invoices should be collected and matched to the payments made and a copy should be forwarded to Head Office. Head Office may also require originals to meet reporting requirements to the ATO and electoral commissions. You will require the following in order to open a bank account for a new Branch: -
Signed minutes of the duly constituted meeting at which the treasurer of the branch was appointed. Completion of the application to open a bank account form. Proof of Identity checklist for the signatory. Financial Statements and Audit While the Branch will have primary control of its own funds, it will be constituted under the CountryMinded structure. As such the funds are legally deemed to be funds of the Party and so the Party will need accurate records of branch income and expenditure to ensure good compliance with the relevant electoral funding and disclosure rules. The Branch Committee should also prepare a quarterly return (financial statement) to be forwarded to the National Executive within two weeks of the end of the quarter with supporting invoices and tax receipts for all transactions. This financial statement should incorporate, at a minimum, the information in the attached GST quarterly return. Annually, financial statements audited by a suitably qualified and independent person will also be required. In order to ensure the Party is able to meet its Financial and Disclosure reporting requirements, each Branch Committee should ensure it puts in place the following controls over its finances:- All expenditure proposals should be tabled and minuted at a committee meeting prior to incurring expenses. Only approved expenses are to be incurred using Party funds. The treasurer must ensure that an adequate form of bookkeeping is maintained. A simple cashbook would be a suitable starting point. Other income likely to be received will include donations and monies raised through fund raising. The Treasurer of each Branch Committee must keep formal account of all income. Cash payments for goods and services should be kept to a minimum and the acquittal of all purchases must be by the presentation of an invoice and a tax receipt. The Treasurer is to ensure that invoices/receipts are obtained, kept for each expense paid and forwarded to the Head Office with the quarterly return. This will allow the Party to meet the electoral commission reporting requirements as well as claiming GST. Any reimbursements to members for expenses incurred on behalf of the Branch should also require the underlying receipt/invoice to be provided to the branch. Branch notes To run a successful branch you should also take account of the following considerations:- Keep members informed of upcoming events and activities in support of the candidate. Begin to organise the resources you will need for your electorate campaign. Keep a copy of material that you receive in your letterbox and through local media. Members of a branch must be on the Electoral Roll. Initially branches should be set up on the basis of a geographical region centred roughly on State Electorates and/or Federal Electorates, city or towns.
Identify all of the organisations in your area, at all social and economic levels (e.g. media outlets, Lions and Rotary Clubs, community organisations, business organisations and Chambers of Commerce, sporting groups, school and church organisations, welfare groups and social clubs). Make a plan to contact the people you know in each of the above organisations. If you don t know someone, find someone who does and ask them to refer you to their contact person. If you still can t find someone in the organisation, make a cold call to the group or organisation and ask them to set up a meeting. Invite local business leaders to meet with your branch. Get a map of the relevant state and federal electorate districts and boundaries.
CountryMinded Branch Details Branch Name: Local Government: State Electorate: Federal Electorate: Chairman: Secretary: Treasurer: Email: Fax: Address: Bank Account: Members:
CountryMinded Branch Meeting Summary Branch: Date: Venue: Attendance: Agenda Items: Resolutions: Notes: