This is the text of a media statement made this afternoon:
This afternoon I am informed that the Queensland Liberal Party State Council purported to expel me from the party of which I have been a member for over 30 years.
This decision has not been properly arrived at, as stated in a letter from my solicitors to Liberal Party State President Warwick Parer. The letter can be downloaded from http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/_0921144650_001.pdf.
The Queensland Liberals should have learnt many lessons from recent events, including the federal election. One of those lessons is that they have too few members, not too many, with party membership the lowest it has been for half a century.
I am a professional journalist and publisher of Australia’s most popular politics website On Line Opinion. I have pioneered the art of using the Internet for qualitative research and just recently completed an investigation into voting intentions in the federal election with The Australian. During the last election I also anchored a current affairs television show for Briz31, and gave many media interviews.
Not once has it been suggested in the material sent to me by the Liberal Party that in any of my commentary or research I have said anything untrue. The inference must therefore be that my comments have been too close to the bone.
The consequence of this decision, if it is allowed to stand, is that by joining the Liberal Party members give up the right to publicly and honestly criticise the party. Rather, they are required to suppress any information that the State Council, or the Disciplinary Committee, might retrospectively decide should be supressed.
It would appear from the Disciplinary Committee’s report that even when behaviour by party members is illegal a member may not draw attention to it.
This is not an acceptable position for a political party which aspires to run the governments of Australia, especially a party whose constitution is founded on the right to free expression, and who receives funding from the public to conduct its election campaigns.
Every time the state and federal liberal parties talk about protecting whistle blowers their hypocrisy will be evident.
A fuller analysis of the party’s position is in my submission to the Disciplinary Committee, which can be downloaded from http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/Disciplinary_Committee_Hearing_14_08_07.pdf.
Once I receive official notification from the Liberal Party, it is my intention to ask the courts to enforce my rights. This is not just a personal matter, it affects everyone interested in open, transparent and effective governance in this country.
A copy of the original charge can be downloaded from http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/Liberal%20Party%20Notice%20-%20Young%2009%2008%2007%20Scanned.doc.pdf.
A copy of the Disciplinary Committee’s report to the State Council can be downloaded from http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/Liberal%20Party%20-%20Disciplinary%20Committee%20Report%20to%20State%20Council%20-%20Graham%20Young%2021%2009%2007.pdf
Graham, I am surprised a useless old codger like Parer knew how to access the internet.
Queensland Liberals are a national laughing stock…the strange thing is they do not sem to realise it.
You may be a bit of a wet liberal but unlike the 85 year olds who sem to be influencing the direction of the Party you have some good ideas.
Stick at it mate!
Comment by exposethefakes — December 9, 2007 @ 7:14 am
Just absolutely amazing. No wonder they haven’t got a hope in hell.
Comment by Bron Larner — December 10, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Graham, transparency within political parties -as you suggest – is just as important as them being open to public scrutiny. One fears for any political party, or any society, that attempts to stiffle debate.
Peter Spearritt
Comment by peter spearritt — December 10, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
Graham,
Why would you want to remain a member of the QLD Liberals? It is an organisation that could not even boil an egg.
The reason for the QLD Liberal’s poor performance comes down to too much silly bickering and, putting all their efforts in campaigning against the Nationals in regional/rural electorates. Instead, the Liberals should be fighting to win back city seats of Labor instead of working to stay in political oblivion.
When I was a member of the QLD Nationals, I saw Liberals refusing to have a mature conversation with us. They demanded to be the senior Coalition member even though they at the time, held only 3 state seats.
The QLD Liberals are an immature bag of ratbags who are interested solely in their own political riches and this, has lead to their downfall. For once, they should start to listen to Terry White.
Comment by Spider — December 11, 2007 @ 8:18 am
I would like to offer my support for Graham. I have been a reader and contributer to his forum and surveys for the last two years and I must admit that I do keep a weather eye on his outgoings. In all this time I have been aware that he has kept a very unbiased assessment of the whole political scene and only criticises when there is some obvious concern or wrongdoing. I have known that he is a member of the Liberal Party however he has been nothing but open minded and objective in his survey results and column!!
Graham probably knows that I am an ALP member and I will continue to participate in his surveys and blog!!
Comment by Steve Mason — December 11, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
I remember John Howard’s comments of describing the Liberal Party as a “broard church”.The word liberal implying freedom to practise your own philosophy as long as it didn’t impinge on the rights of others to practise theirs.It seems that those who want to expel Graham,do not believe in the Liberal Philosophy.
Comment by Arjay — December 11, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
This is truly absurd – hope it gets into the mainstream media. I have been reading your interesting articles and sampling back in past ones, and if they expel you they have completely lost the plot!
Clearly they don’t believe what John Howard said before he was PM – “Truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life”
Comment by Rocket — December 11, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
Thanks for your support everyone. There has been some mainstream media interest, but I am surprised that my hometown newspaper hasn’t picked it up. The Australian has run an article, and local ABC did an interview.
Perhaps when we go to court they’ll pick up interest. Interesting that at the same time the major media groups are running a campaign about the need for more open debate that most appear to be ignoring this incident.
Comment by Graham Young — December 12, 2007 @ 10:35 am
Stick at it Graham. Use your courage, it’s a weapon your antagonists don’t have nor understand.
Comment by keith kennelly — December 13, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Newspaper articles can never be used in court as evidence (except against the newspaper itself). So the “charges” would lack any legal standing based on generally accepted laws of evidence. (John Mills should know this.)
Comment by Peter — December 14, 2007 @ 10:44 pm