Minutes/National Council/2020-06-09

NC Meeting June 9th 2020

Start 20:30 AEST

Attendance

 * David "twisty" Read (Councillor)
 * Alex Jago (Secretary)
 * Miles Whiticker (President)
 * Dave "Satch" Kennedy (Councillor)
 * Brandon Selic (Councillor)
 * Bryn "mandrke" Busai (Dispute Resolution Committee)
 * John August (Deputy President emeritus)

Agenda

 * Previous Minutes
 * Congress update
 * Belenios
 * George Floyd, and related things happening
 * Jobkeeper payment and maintaining current levels

Previous Minutes

 * https://pirateparty.org.au/wiki/Minutes/National_Council/2020-04-28
 * https://pirateparty.org.au/wiki/Minutes/National_Council/2020-05-12
 * See motions

Congress working

 * Initial email is mostly done
 * https://pirateparty.org.au/wiki/Pirate_Congress_2020
 * https://emailpad.pirateparty.org.au/load/2020-congress-initial-announcement
 * Alex wants to exhort people to put their hands up for NC lest the Party die
 * Alex asks whether we need to use Eventbrite this year
 * Miles: "Might as well"
 * Alex will be putting the motions that passed the floor last year
 * Other people may wish to re-put their motions that did not pass last year - that's their prerogative
 * Alex is willing to present the financial statement in lieu of there being a Treasurer
 * Miles: we need a big tech working meeting to get everything working fully.
 * Video from Councillors, look into mechanics to allow other people to address Congress.
 * Alex suggests something along the lines of https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/discord-video-chat-capture.76708/
 * Major agenda item for next time: getting this done.

Belenios

 * Best option Alex has found for a new voting system
 * https://gitlab.inria.fr/belenios/belenios
 * See motion
 * Need to get an install happening
 * "Aye and if it sucks we'll vote to use something else" -- Miles

George Floyd and related issues

 * Alex: PPAU should hold a position on it all.
 * Miles: can base it on our core principles easily
 * Biggest protests in a while, lots of people and social distancing means more space taken ;)
 * Satch: The straw that broke the camels back... Alone he wasn't a good man. It highlights a systemic problem in Australia with our own indigenous population. Almost a quarter of our prison population, and ~15% of deaths in custody. It's a dicey situation, perhaps we should hold off making public announcements until we see the outcome? At the same time, I'd like to support something regarding police brutality and the discrepancy in treatment of African-Americans in comparison to Caucasians in the U.S. The toxicology reports show he was out of his mind on Meth and Fentanyl at the time of his arrest. It's not excuse for police brutality.
 * Brandon: important issue. Remember that we still have a pandemic going on. Stay at home if you're at risk. Protesting is OK, just get tested and isolate afterwards.
 * JohnA: we have systemic racial injustice both in Australia and the US. That's the core here.
 * Miles: "protest good, distancing good, covidsafe dumb, racism bad"
 * Alex: I will turn this into messaging, and also link EFF's Surveillance Self Defense

Jobkeeper and #keeptherate

 * Brandon: lots of chatter from people who've been doing well (actually have food, rent, medication) under JobKeeper, worried they'll be back below poverty line soon
 * PPAU should therefore support #keeptherate (aka #retaintherate)
 * Some Labor politicians may need additional pressure
 * (right-wing politicians will need infinite pressure)
 * Alex: when I talk about Basic Income I say "Australia's welfare system needs a 180 attitude change".
 * Miles: Unemployed Workers Union running excellent campaigns, check them out
 * Alex: OK, we'll put out some messaging there

Motions

 * MOTION: Approve the previous minutes for April 28th and May 12th as presented, noting that May 12th was inquorate.
 * Ayes: 5+2 (BB, AJ, MW, DR, JA, BS, DK).
 * Motion carried at 20:47.


 * MOTION: use Belenios for this year's elections
 * Ayes: 5 (AJ, DR, DK, MW, BS).
 * Motion carried at 21:28.


 * MOTION: close the meeting
 * Ayes: unanimous; meeting closed at 21:38