NSW: Rank and file to be given a greater voice

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NSW: Rank and file to be given a greater voice

By Linda Silmalis

SYDNEY, April 26 AAP - The first woman chosen to preside over the NSW Labor Party todayadmitted it was a case of "Ursula who?"

Irish-born Ursula Stephens will take over the honorary post from fellow senator StephenHutchins when he resigns in October.

Elected as Senator at the last federal election, Mrs Stephens has served as the stateparty's vice-president for the past four years.

Her selection as president is the product of a compromise deal struck to ease tensionswithin the party's dominant Right faction.

According to party sources, the Right wanted Senator Hutchins to stand aside amid claimshe was not sufficiently independent.

Agreement was stuck on Mrs Stephens taking over the role with Senator Hutchins beingguaranteed the number one position on the NSW Senate ticket for the next federal election.

Mrs Stephens, who was strongly backed by the unions and NSW Labor Party secretary EricRoozendaal, said she felt honoured at being the first woman chosen for the post.

However, she admitted her low public profile would have many outsiders wondering "Ursula who?"

"It's a Catch-22 in that my job as a public servant (party official) has been not tohave a profile," Mrs Stephens told AAP.

"I know that from the outside I'm seen as an unknown quantity but inside the party,I think people regard me as a constructive thinker and driven to finding solutions thatare in the best interests of the party.

"I'm also fair and that's the approach I will adopt as president."

The focus would be on reforming the party in line with the recommendations of the upcomingNSW Wran Review - initiated after the party's disastrous federal election result.

The report is expected to be handed down at the NSW Labor Party conference in May.

Mrs Stephens said the recommendations would entail greater connection with the party'srank and file.

"We must be more inclusive of all groups and we need to be able to bring about greaterparticipation in the party from our rank and file," Mrs Stephens said.

"The kinds of initiatives emerging from the Wran review will actually go some way towardsaddressing the feeling among the rank and file that they are disconnected.

"It is the way that the grassroots tend to have a greater say when the party is inopposition rather than in government.

"The Carr government has now been in for six years.

"The message from the branches out in western Sydney for example are that they feelthey are not getting a say, that their views are not important and we want to includethem in the loop."

Mrs Stephens, who emigrated to Australia with her family from Wicklow as a child, saidher working-class heritage had instilled in her a "fair go" attitude that she would taketo the post.

"I have good relations with all sections of the party, left and right," she said.

AAP ls/arb/ldj/de

KEYWORD: ALP PRESIDENT