Minutes/National Council/2014-01-15

Meeting Minutes This document is a record of a meeting. Do not edit this document without contacting the relevant group first.

Agenda

• Previous meeting's minutes (Chair)
• Previous action items (Mozart)
• NC members going incommunicado (Brendan and Mozart)
• Confirm Griffith By-Election nomination motion (Brendan)
• Claim for reimbursement (Brendan)
• ADA Forum attendance (Mozart)
• Non-profit constitutional amendment (Mozart)
• One year anniversary promotion (Brendan)
• PDC member resignations, removals and additions (Mozart)
• PDC responsiblity for inquiries (Brendan)
• Congress 2014 details (Mozart)
• Campaign stategy for Griffith (Brendan)
• Banking plans (Mark)

Attendance

National Council

• Simon Frew (President) (Chair)
• Brendan Molloy (Councillor)
• Mozart Olbrycht-Palmer (Acting Secretary)
• Glen Takkenberg (Registered Officer)
• Melanie Thomas (Deputy President)
• David Campbell (Councillor
• Mark Gibbons (Deputy Treasurer) (late with apologies)

State/Territory Coordinators

• Glen Takkenberg (ACT)
• Melanie Thomas (Qld)

Apologies

• Ben McGinnes (NC/Vic Coord)

Minutes

Previous meeting's minutes

• https://pirateparty.org.au/wiki/Minutes/National_Council/2013-12-18
• No issues found.
• See motions.

Previous action items

• Inquiry working group email templates were finished and are in use.
• Ben McGinnes is unable to attend this meeting due to power outages.
• Constitutional amendment to be voted on at this meeting.

NC members going incommunicado

• It's difficult not being able to contact people when they're needed.
• People go on breaks and do not inform the NC.
• People wait several days and several attempts at contact before actually saying they're not available.
• Something needs to be done to mitigate this.
• Reading emails at least nightly is a must.
• It's best to email whenever you're going to be away for more than a day or two.
• Proposal to create a code of conduct for Party officers.
• Would put everyone on the same page as to what the baseline commitment is.
• Electronic Frontiers Australia has a code of conduct.
• General agreement that this would be a good step forward.
• See action items.

Confirm Griffith By-Election nomination motion

• There ought to be an improved emergency motions system.
  • See action items.
• Motion was passed by the National Council via email due to its urgent nature.
• The National Council is voting to confirm the accuracy of the motion.
• The motion is recorded in these minutes.
• See motions.

Claim for reimbursement from Brendan

• Brendan sent a bank cheque to Melanie from his personal account because it would take too long to go through the three-signature procedure to get party funds.
• He is now seeking reimbursement for $1,000 plus postage and bank cheque fees.
• Should total approximately $1,020.
• Will provide receipts to the treasurer when he can.
• See motions.

ADA Forum attendance

• ADA Forum is on February 14th this year.
• Brendan suggested Mozart go on behalf of PPAU.
• Brendan himself will be going on behalf of EFA.
• Mozart will put in a reimbursement claim for the cost of the ticket.
  • Will pay transport and other costs himself.
• Brendan: "It's time to be a big boy party. This year we're going to get a new batch of membership fees. We can afford a bus fare and ticket."
• No motion needed at present.

Non-profit constitutional amendment

• Has been announced to the members.
• Has been shown to the National Council.
• Purpose is to allow the Party to benefit from non-profit status.
• Requires a three-quarters vote in favour (7 of 9).
• See motions.

One year anniversary promotion

• On Friday we'll have been a registered political party for a year.
• Proposal that for seven days we have a pay-what-you want membership promotion.
• Was going to propose free, but it's more fun to make it $0 or more.
• General agreement that this is a good idea.
• The new sign up form is not done yet, but it should be by the end of the weekend.
  • Should be done by the end of the weekend.
• The current form can be modified easily to accomodate the promotion.
• The new form will be launched with the promotion active.
• Membership renewal form should be done this weekend.
  • Will allow everyone to get enrolled into state branches.
• See motions

PDC member resignations, removals and applications

• Joe Miles and Melanie Thomas have resigned from the PDC due to other committments.
• Rodney Serkowski has not attended any PDC meetings since Congress.
  • For the purposes of meeting quorum, it would be best to remove him from the Committee.
  • The door is open for reapplication if he returns.
• See motions
• The National Council thanks Rodney for his services to the PDC over the years, and to the Party as a whole as its founder.
• There have been three applications for membership:
  • Trevor Dadson
  • Laura Killian
  • William McLean
• See motions

PDC responsibility for Inquiries

• Throwing it out to the Party isn't working — there have been very few expressions of interest.
• The PDC is the most adept to deal with policy work like writing responses to inquries.
• Proposal is to make it a responsibility of the PDC.
• General agreement in favour.
• An inquiries working group under the PDC would be a good idea.
• The responsibility for managmenet would be given to the PDC.
• The National Council is relied on for way too much.
  • People are actually now saying "nah, the NC will do it."
• See motions.

Congress 2014 details

• Details of the venue requirements will be provided to Melanie.
• Proposal for a provisional budget of up to $1,000 for venue hire.
  • General agreement that this is appropriate
• There will likely be a need to hire other equipment locally:
  • Quotes will be found closer to the event.

Campaign strategy for Griffith

• Proposal to do a Pozible campaign, aiming to get around $5,000
• Melanie should direct the focus, given it's her electorate.
• National Council should focus on logistics mostly.
• How to vote cards are being designed, we'll need content.
  • Brendan happy to write content, if Mel can provide the direction.
    • Focus on civil liberties, asylum seekers, same-sex marriage, climate change, bikie laws.
  • Brendan and Mel to go through the details when possible.
  • Need a good photo to put on the A4 how to vote cards.
• Brendan will work on Pozible wording tomorrow.

Banking plans

• Proposal is to open an ANZ Business Extra account and an ANZ Business Online Saver account.
• We will benefit from a fee waiver overlay that is granted to non-profits.
• Money should sit in the Online Saver account, and only be moved to the transaction account when needed.
• We also need a corporate credit card.
• There is a bonus interest rate offer until January 31.
• Questions:
  • Multiple signatories for online transactions? — Yes.
  • Corporate credit card at no extra cost? — Yes.
  • Bank cheque requests online without all having to go into a bank? — Yes.
  • Multiple signatories for transfers between accounts? — Unsure.
    • It's a security issue if we have a rogue agent transfer money into the transactions account.
    • Doesn't seem to be any special difference that would differentiate transfers between accounts from normal transfers.
    • We're probably safe, but needs to be confirmed.
• General agreement toward opening the accounts and credit card, contingent on there being multiple signatories required to move money between the savings and transactions accounts.
• The proposal is to authorise Mark to open the accounts and card if the question regarding multiple signatories is answered in the affirmative.
• See motions.
  • See action items.

Motions

• MOTION: Accept the minutes from 2013-12-18.
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 6 (Brendan, Mozart, Melanie, David, Simon, Glen); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

• MOTION: Confirm that the following emergency motion passed the necessary majority of the National Council: "Waive the requirement to run the two-phase ballot as the nomination period closes on Thursday 16 January, and there is one nomination, Melanie Thomas; and accept this nominee as the Pirate Party candidate for Griffith, Qld. This motion will be recorded in the minutes of the very next National Council meeting. The members will also be immediately informed of the outcome of this vote by the Returning Officer."
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 6 (Brendan, Glen, Mozart, Simon, David, Melanie); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

• MOTION: Reimburse Brendan Molloy $1,000 plus postage and bank cheque fees for providing that sum for the nomination of Melanie Thomas for the Seat of Griffith.
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 6 (Brendan, Simon, David, Melanie, Glen, Mozart); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

• MOTION: To enact a temporary, operational amendment to the Party Constitution to ensure it meets the requirements of a non-profit organisation by inserting the proposed Article 1(2): "Pirate Party Australia is a non-profit organisation. The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely in furtherance of its above-mentioned objects and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation."
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 7 (Brendan, Mozart, Glen, David, Melanie, Simon, Mark); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries

• MOTION: On the one year anniversary of Pirate Party Australia's registration, we shall run a pay-what-you-want promotion for new applicants for membership for 7 days.
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 7 (David, Brendan, Simon, Mozart, Glen, Melanie, Mark); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries

• MOTION: Accept the applications for membership to the PDC from Trevor Dadson, Laura Killian, and William McLean.
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 7 (Glen, Simon, Mozart, Mark, Melanie, Brendan, David); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

• MOTION: Add to the PDC ToR under "Powers and Responsibilities/The Committee", the item: "Must manage and produce responses to inquiries and reviews."
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 6 (Simon, Mozart, Melanie, Glen, Mark, Brendan); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

• MOTION: Direct Mark Gibbons to open ANZ Business Extra and ANZ Business Online Saver accounts, and acquire a corporate debit card, conditional on transfers between those accounts requiring multiple signatories, with Simon Frew, Melanie Thomas, Ben McGinnes and himself as signatories, requiring at a minimum of three signatures for transactions.
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 7 (Brendan, Mozart, Mark, Melanie, David, Glen, Simon); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

• MOTION: close meeting.
  • Put by: Brendan
  • Ayes: 6 (Brendan, Glen, Mozart, Melanie, Frew, Mark); Nays: 0 (); Abstains: 0 ()
    • Motion carries.

Action items

• Brendan and Mozart to prepare a code of conduct for the next meeting as a by-law.
• Brendan and Mozart to prepare an emergency motions by-law.
• Brendan to provide Mark with a copy of the current constitution.
• Mozart to provide Mark with a signed copy of the meeting's minutes.
• Brendan to provide Mark with details of bank signatories.

Notes

Requirements for Congress

• Seating for up to 50.
• Space for tables for up to 9 people in a panel
• Ability to store equipment securely overnight
• Bright, white room lighting (warm yellow or "mood" lighting is not acceptable)
• Business grade internet connection e.g. SHDSL, Fibre, Metro ethernet (please explicitly check with the venue, residential ADSL2+ or "cable" is not adequate for 25+ people to share, let alone streaming video and audio)
• Plenty of accessible wall sockets
• Adequate local parking and proximity to public transport
• Restaurants and pubs nearby
• Bonuses
  • Projector
  • Lectern
  • Built-in PA
  • Complimentary water!