Party Networks, Contestation and Intra-Party Democracy

This paper uses the case study of the Australian Labor Party to examine the proliferation of intra-party networks over the past fifteen years. These networks (such as Labor for Refugees and the Labor Environment Action Network) initially coalesced around controversial policy issues and operated as a new avenue for intra-party contestation by ‘outsider’ party members. Over time a wider variety of networks has emerged, including instances of greater alignment with institutional party (electoral) objectives. These networks have contributed to some substantial policy developments, such as the ALP’s decision in 2015 to commit to a fifty per cent renewable energy target by 2030, as well as providing numerous examples of unsuccessful interventions. This paper situates the emergence of intra-party networks within two strands of research. Firstly, the case study offers empirical evidence to test the theorised evolution of the ‘network party’ which has been imagined to replace traditional federated and delegatory structures with more centralised, thematic, and informal networks (Heidar and Saglie, 2003; Margetts 2006). Secondly, the changing composition of intra-party networks will be compared with traditional typologies of interest groups such as Wyn Grant’s description of insider and outsider groups (Grant 1989). This comparison will question whether the ecology of internal party interest groups reproduces or contradicts the logic evident in broader civil society. The paper constructs a descriptive account of the evolution of intra-party networks through textual analysis of party conference papers, material produced by networks themselves, and media content analysis of related coverage. Interviews with key individuals in the party networks and institutional structures will provide qualitative depth to the analysis of network behaviour and organisational objectives.