The ACT branch of the Labor Party is on the hunt for a new president after Louise Crossman quit the role in January.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Crossman, who was elected to a two-year term in October 2014, moved to Sydney in January, creating a casual vacancy for the position. The party's branch council will vote on a successor this week as the vacancy happened less than six months before Labor's annual conference in June.
ACT Labor branch secretary Matt Byrne said there had been no nominations for the role, as of last week. Nominations will close half an hour after the council meeting begins and a vote will take place if more than one nomination is received.
Senior vice president Thomas McMahon is acting in the role during the vacancy.
About 600 party members voted for the presidency in a direct election in 2014, with another rank and file vote due to take place before the next party conference.
Mr Byrne said the vacancy was not a concern for the party, despite federal and ACT elections both due this year. The president is the official spokesperson for the party, representing members and serving on the executive and chairing major meetings and committees.
"If it had happened later in the year, it may have been an issue but administratively the branch runs as normal," he said.
"We have vice presidents who act in the role as needed."
Mr Byrne thanked Ms Crossman for her service.
"Louise was a really experienced party official. She brought with her a lot of experience as a rank and file activist and as someone who had also been a candidate in elections before," he said.
"She was a real champion for involving new members and bringing new members into the party and also for engaging them in the party's work. It is a loss that she has moved on."
Ahead of the October 15 territory election, Mr Byrne said Labor's candidates were busy doorknocking and talking to voters about community concerns and issues. He will lead the election campaign.
The Assembly's final sitting period before the election ends on August 11. The government's caretaker period will begin on September 9, and continue until the election of the chief minister on the first sitting day of the Legislative Assembly following the election.
"At this stage, the formal campaign period essentially kicks off when caretaker mode starts in the Legislative Assembly," Mr Byrne said.
This week, new Assembly member Jayson Hinder will be declared the winner of the count-back election to replace retiring backbencher Mary Porter.
