In Australian politics, branch stacking is the act of enrolling persons to a party by offering inducement, or enrolling persons for the principal purpose of influencing the outcome of internal pre-selections of candidates for public office. Australia is a federation and a constitutional monarchy, with a written Constitution governing the relationship between the national government (usually referred to as the Commonwealth) and the states. ...

Branch stacking is not illegal unless it involves the use of false identities or false electoral enrolments, but it is contrary to the rules of both major parties. Following a scandal in Queensland (see Sheperdson Inquiry), the Labor Party has carried out a series of reforms designed to stamp out branch stacking, with limited success. The Liberal Party is investigating tightening its own anti-branch stacking measures. Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Activities commonly described as branch stacking

Activities commonly considered to be branch stacking include:

• To pay a person's party membership fee as an inducement for that person to join the party
• To pay the membership fee of a person who is unwilling to pay their own membership
• To pay for membership for any person unaware that membership has been taken on their behalf
• To pay membership for a person on the precondition that the member is then obliged to vote in a particular way
• To encourage a person to join a party for the express purpose of influencing the outcome of a ballot within the party
• To enrol, encourage or assist a member to enrol on the electoral roll at an address that is not their principal address.
• To organise or pay for concessional rate fees for a person who is ineligible for that rate
• To recruit members who do not live at the claimed address of enrolment

Instances of alleged branch stacking

During 2005 there has been an internal dispute in the Victorian branch of the Labor Party over allegations of branch stacking, related to forthcoming pre-selections for the 2007 federal election. A number of sitting Labor members of the House of Representatives are expected to face challenges from candidates enjoying the support of the Labor Unity faction, which in 2004 regained control of the Victorian branch from the rival Socialist Left faction. The Socialist Left has accused Labor Unity of branch stacking in several seats. Labor Unity has countered with allegations that the Socialist Left has also engaged in branch stacking over a long period. Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... The next Australian legislative election is expected to take place in 2007. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... The Labor Right is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party (the Right) that makes up the more economically liberal and socially conservative members of the ALP. The Right claims to represent the social democratic (as opposed to socialist) element within the party. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Socialist Left faction of the Australian Labor Party (the Left) is an organised political faction that advocates within the party for traditionally Labor interventionist and socialist economic policies. ...

In the Labor Party branch stacking tends to take the form of mass recruitment of members of particular ethnic groups to form branches which are easily directed by leaders of one faction or another. In Victoria both factions have laid charges of branch stacking against each other's office-bearers before internal party tribunals. The Socialist Left initiated court proceedings against Labor Unity over proposed changes to party rules in the lead up to the pre-selections, but the matter was resolved out of court in August.

During 2005 there have also been allegations of branch stacking in the Liberal Party in Victoria, which is currently choosing candidates for the Victorian state election due in 2006. The Liberal Party branch in Scoresby in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne was suspended as a result of these allegations. Member recruitment drives by some Liberal federal Members of Parliament (MPs) have been described as branch stacking, but these members deny this; George Seitz was alleged by The Age to have run an extensive branch stacking operation in his electorate. Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Scoresby is a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, in the state of Victoria. ... Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3. ... George Seitz (born 1941 in Novi Slankamen, Serbia and Montenegro) is a Labor Member of the Legislative Assembly in Victoria, Australia. ... The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ...

The prevalence of branch stacking in both major political parties comes at a time when memberships of political parties in Australia is at a historic low. Some have suggested that branch stacking, and rules put in place to counter branch stacking, are a cause of this. But smaller party memberships also make branch stacking easier to carry out.