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PARTIES, FUTURES, EVERYTHING: Success comes in many forms
By TJ

We're not short on discussion when it comes to the state of eAustralia's activity levels and recent commentary on the subject with Callum, Rusty and Jeff have prompted me to write about this as part of a larger canvas.

It's no secret that when it comes to activity per capita (on paper) we don't rank well among the more established nations. It's hard to argue that eAus hasn't seen better days. All doom and gloom put aside, one of the key issues that gets little attention in the discussion on party activity, in particular, isn't recruitment or "baby boom", but how to draw out the support base already in the parties.



I'm going to cite some facts and each person can draw their own conclusions about their own destiny in the game. My view comes from being a long-time Party President, Senator and as a former CP - though the latter has little to do with party mechanics compared to the bulk of their job function (and unless they're a PP at the same time as CP). It might provide a few tips to current PPs and would-be aspirants who have a burning fire under them to do something about activity levels.



Observation #1: The current state of the parties (based on the recent Senate election


KnightHawks Military Council (KHMC)

Rank 2 in Top 5 / 29 votes / 26 members
Voting effectiveness: 111.5% of party vote turning out to election
Blessing and curse: 11.5% of the vote outside the party


Australian Democratic Party (ADP)

Rank 1 in Top 5 / 25 votes / 35 members
Voting effectiveness: 71.4% of party vote turning out on election
Blessing and curse: A fluctuating 20-30% never show



Australian Parliamentary Party (APP)

Rank 3 in Top 5 / 22 votes / 25 members (at time of election - now 22)
Voting effectiveness: 88% (at time of election)
Blessing and curse: A consistent 95-100% vote; obvious to counter against


Australian Revolutionary Party (ARP)

Rank 4 in Top 5 / 13 votes / 19 members
Voting effectiveness: 68.4% of the party vote turning out
Blessing and curse: Critical minority government support; weak in government; loss of founding principles a factor.


Australian National Party (ANP)

Rank 5 in Top 5 / 8 votes / 14 members
Voting effectiveness: 57.1% of the party vote turning out
Blessing and curse: Oldest political party still running; under new leadership; slump ongoing; needed Senate votes in coalition votes.




Observation #2: Some party history, strengths and weaknesses

KnightHawks Military Council (KHMC)

KHMC received not only the voting equivalent of all party members, but at least 3 outside or independent votes. On one hand the party is running optimally, but it's clear from the return it needs to expand or factionalise as a matter of using its outside attraction - or it will eventually bleed to other parties as a net gain with little effort.

The KHMC have learned from a long, cold winter in the trenches that capitalising on public sentiment and providing well argued, reasoned alternatives is better than trolling the political environment for support. Such is volatile and support is soft.

Weakening regimes bleed more numbers than they gain and the KH changed a fundamental paradigm, long held in eAus politics, that debate and coalition is worth more in the long term than sacrificing for momentary sole gain. It can, however, lose this position as fast as it gained it, if it doesn't keep to its word.




Australian Democratic Party (ADP)

ADP is the epitome of having prime real estate opportunity as eAus's Top 1 party, but an easy target for take down. Realistically, it's top position in party ranking's is moot because of this.

One attributing factor could be more political than mathematical, as the ADP have played a leading role in government for the better part of a year. Over time, voter apathy turns against every reigning party in the search for change.

The victim in these situations is the frontrunner as they have everything to lose. The long-time alliance with the APP has been a saving grace for the ADP, but the same can be said of the former. Long-time position in government and senate policy-making turns over for all parties.

The positive side to the ADP's current position is when the wheel turns back to them, they are in a strong position to rebuild. Numbers drop during the opposition period, but the trend always proves strong for revival, as it did for the KHMC as they were the long-time minority shareholders at the table.




Australian Parliamentary Party (APP)

The history of the APP would be fairly painted as an institutional one, starting with its shake up of the way government operated. Under the foundation of key figures greenimp and Marcos Arolia, et al., the APP sought to change the way the civilian system worked in everything, from Senate laws, to the Constitution and even the way the party selected its candidate for Prime Minister. On some issues, the APP tapped into some popular sentiment in the country at the time of their foundation and it attributed to their prosperity.

The key challenge to the system was party-line voting. The APP, of which I was once a member, prided itself on a more Westminster-style approach to parliamentary activities. Issues and Bills of Law were discussed in the party room and a member vote was taken, once positions were resolved, the party united in the Senate. Even those who opposed moves in the party room stayed loyal to the democratic result of the caucus.

An appealing move was the election of the party portfolios. Members nominated a spokesperson who had an interest in each area of policy, who would spearhead the party's agenda on the Senate floor. It provided an exciting role play in the experiment of elected democracy.

This was also its downside. If party members came in, especially those looking for party blessing but didn't carry the most honourable intentions, this placed the good of the party in jeopardy many times. It most critical era came during the Chile wave and the crucial decisions Senate took in supporting the reigning Prime Minister. There was a clear conflict of interest at the time, which I won't go into. However, it struck to the heart of what made the APP so popular.

It never recovered from that era and as key people fell away, elected Prime Ministers abandoning their posts or went inactive in office over successive terms, it cast serious doubt that the APP could govern - let alone would.

In saying that, the previous political success turned from a position of principle and organisation, to more traditional eRep-style administration. With it, gone were the glory days.




Australian Revolutionary Party (ARP)


The ARP was founded on the international "Revolutionary Party" brand as established by Cody Caine and Molly Jo, along with their cohorts of that era. It came to eAus around 2012 and rose to prominence at a time when the eUS and eAustralia were still friendly, before came the era when we ended up in opposite alliances and tensions mounted towards our establishments. Though it repaired on some level, the once coveted diplomatic relationship would never return. Our successive foreign policy positions saw to that.

Home, at one point or another, to an era of warlords and Prime Ministers who, without the ARP, just wouldn't be elected, were Flatty, Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen (Larni Kaddlestorm), Molly Jo et al. For a small amount of time, even I had my stint in the ARP.

During this time, up until end of 2013, the ARP was a year-long cyclone that could master everything it set its sights on (except Senate for the most part - that was still all me LOL!)

Like the APP, the ARP rode on the back of public sentiment at the time, disenfranchised by policy and long-held government at the other end of town (this was on the back end of the long-time Sir_C0nstant ANP era).

The loss of Molly Jo from the frontlines have hurt the party, no question. Molly went through a number of setbacks during her time and the public were generous in their support of her. Nonetheless, her absence has drawn question of the party's integrity to run solo as an autonomous unit, certainly given its significantly weakened position in comparison to the days on high.

I believe that the Revolutionaries can rise again. Emphasis on the word "can". Under today's active players, a strong coalition between them, KHMC and ANP is an obvious move. Given party numbers and voting patterns there it's nonsensical taking aim at the ADP and APP single-handed. Any party taking that line would lose.




Australian National Party (ANP)

The ANP's longest running motto was "Always been there for eAustralia". It is one of the country's continuously, longest running parties. It was PTO'd once and the party rebranded a new political org as the ANP during 2013, but re-gained its original political base in short order.

Long-time Party Presidents include former Prime Minister Sir_C0nstant, Mark Brennan, Infin and DocterDry (aka Discrate). The ANP has frequently coalesced and even today enjoys a strong relationship with the KHMC. This was based on the long-standing connection between the KH party and the KH military unit, of which many ANP members were active in during the unit reign of the Late Shane "Sam Cougar" Miller and Sir_C0nstant.

The ANP today is a shadow of its former self. While it has been the successful underdog clawing itself back above the Top 5 line many times, it has been unable to attract the envied powerbase it once had during and following the infamous Australian-Indonesian Wars.

Its strongest asset has been continuity, branding and personal vote holding of prominent eAussies including Infin and LanyIsLost. Infin's long-running patronage of the established entity has been responsible for steering it away from total collapse.

ANP have also been a strong ally of the pro-Australia movement, focusing on region gains with military co-ordination where previous foreign policies have seen us wiped.

The relationship enjoyed between the ANP and KHMC provide the former with ongoing support infrastructure in elections, especially the legislature, where the KHMC's voting bloc is overflowing.




Observation #3: Strategies for future growth and strength


1. Not everything has been emphatically tried and discovered. To be certain, not effectively or at least with sufficient oomph.

2. What may work for one party, won't work for all. Before you ask - no, it's not a brand, reputation, history or "personalities" thing. Each party has its own unique recruitment ability relative to current strength, position and volatility. In short - a strength can turn out to be a weakness, as much as a weakness can be turned into a strength.

3. I am constantly amazed what can happen when the brightest minds come up with a retail plan for growth and succeed in doing so to their advantage. Equally, I shake my head when I see a shopfront with everything going for it, just crash and burn.

As a rule: Don't try and move the mountain without first getting the blessing of the villagers below. Equally, don't tell Babylon that Atlantis is rising before it's there. If you want to make a splash, let the moment it happens be the occasion.

All too often efforts are stymied because someone jumped the gun and alerted the opposition, or put out a premature article/release giving time for others to mobilise.


4. Probably should be the number 1 rule. Make sure you know how to count supporters. If banking on a particular result, organise for a whip (1 or more) to survey the party and supporters. In most cases, staying out of the fire on an uncertain move now, may open up a win when support is more solid.

It can also help if support is given elsewhere now and that crowd may end up supporting you come the turn of the wheel - turning what could have been a fight into a cake walk - allowing you to turn attention from politics to the actual task(s) at hand.



Follow these principles and your party will be on its way to greatness.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning"
- Albert Einstein

Cheers,
T. J.