PM Morrison Wins NSW Preselection Supreme Court Case

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Court of Appeal
Supreme Court
New South Wales
Case Name: Camenzuli v Morrison
Medium Neutral Citation: [2022] NSWCA 51
Hearing Date(s): 1 April 2022
Date of Orders: 5 April 2022
Decision Date: 5 April 2022
Before: Basten JA; Leeming JA; Payne JA
Decision: Dismiss the statement of claim filed on 15 March 2022

in the Equity Division, removed into this Court by order
made on 30 March 2022 and remitted by the High Court
of Australia on 31 March 2022.
Catchwords: ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS – jurisdiction of courts –

justiciability – whether party pre-selection process
justiciable – application of Cameron v Hogan (1934) 51
CLR 358; [1934] HCA 24 – whether statutory provisions
create an interest in members allowing Court to enforce
procedures under Party Constitution
ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS – unincorporated

political party – pre-selection dispute – where
constitution of a party authorises Federal Executive to
intervene in the management of a State Division –
whether “management” includes “management and
control” – whether power to endorse candidates for
election is exercise of management function – whether
power to endorse candidate subject to Constitution of
State Division
Legislation Cited: Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW), s 26

Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1934 (Cth), ss 71,
72A, 72B; Pt XI
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Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth), ss 4, 4C, 123,

124, 125, 129, 129A, 132, 133, 136, 139, 140, 141,
163, 166, 168, 169, 169B; Pt XI, XIV, XX
Constitution, ss 75, 76, 77
Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), ss 39, 40, 44, 78B
Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16
Cases Cited: Asmar v Albanese [2022] HCASL 71

Asmar v Albanese [2022] VSCA 19
Asmar v Albanese (No 4) [2021] VSC 672
Baldwin v Everingham [1993] 1 Qd R 10
Butler v Mulholland (No 2) [2013] VSC 662
Cameron v Hogan (1934) 51 CLR 358; [1934] HCA 24
Edgar and Walker v Meade (1916) 23 CLR 29; [1916]
HCA 70
Johnson v The Greens NSW [2019] NSWSC 215
LNC Industries Ltd v BMW (Australia) Ltd (1983) 151
CLR 575; [1983] HCA 31
Mulholland v Australian Electoral Commission (2004)
220 CLR 181; [2004] HCA 41
Ruddick v Commonwealth of Australia [2022] HCA 9
Setka v Carroll (2019) 58 VR 657; [2019] VSC 571
Texts Cited: JRS Forbes, Justice in Tribunals (The Federation

Press, 5th ed, 2019)
Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Joint

Select Committee on Electoral Reform, First Report,
September 1983
Category: Principal judgment
Parties: Matthew Louis Camenzuli (Plaintiff)

The Hon Scott Morrison MP (First Defendant)
Christine McDiven AM (Second Defendant)
The Hon Dominic Perrottet MP (Third Defendant)
The Hon Alex Hawke MP (Fourth Defendant)
The Hon Sussan Ley MP (Fifth Defendant)
Trent Zimmerman MP (Sixth Defendant)
The Hon Philip Ruddock AO (Seventh Defendant)
The Hon John Olsen AO (Eighth Defendant)
Representation: Counsel:
S Robertson / A R Langshaw / B May (Plaintiff)
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G O'L Reynolds SC / D A Ward (First, Second, Third

and Eighth Defendants)
S Duggan (Seventh Defendant)
Solicitors:
Pryor Tzannes & Wallis Solicitors (Plaintiff)
Thomson Geer Lawyers (First, Second, Third and
Eighth Defendants)
Clayton Utz (Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Defendants)
Harpur Phillips (Seventh Defendant)
File Number(s): 2022/00074168
[Note: The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 provide (Rule 36.11) that unless the
Court otherwise orders, a judgment or order is taken to be entered when it is
recorded in the Court's computerised court record system. Setting aside and
variation of judgments or orders is dealt with by Rules 36.15, 36.16, 36.17 and
36.18. Parties should in particular note the time limit of fourteen days in Rule 36.16.]
HEADNOTE
[This headnote is not to be read as part of the judgment]
On 4 March 2022, the Federal Executive of the Liberal Party resolved to

exercise a power of intervention under cl 12 of the Party’s Federal Constitution.
The resolution appointed a committee of three persons with the power to select
and endorse candidates for three seats in NSW for the forthcoming federal
election. On 6 March 2022, the committee endorsed the three sitting members
as Liberal Party candidates.
Clause 12.3(a) provided that, where the Federal Executive believes that a
specified ground for intervention existed, it “may resolve to take over the
management of that Division in accordance with this clause.” Clause 12.3(b)
conferred broad powers of management but provided that “neither the Federal
Executive nor the … committee shall have power to amend the Divisional
Constitution”.
On 15 March 2022, the plaintiff, a member of the State Council and State
Executive of the NSW Division, applied to the Supreme Court for a declaration
that the committee’s resolution was invalid. The plaintiff submitted that the
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internal party processes of pre-selection raised justiciable issues because the

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) (“Electoral Act”) created statutory
rights and obligations relating to a party’s nomination and endorsement of
candidates. The plaintiff further submitted that cl 12 only conferred
management powers upon the Federal Executive and the committee and did
not support a power to endorse candidates. Alternatively, the endorsements
were invalid because the power was not exercised in accordance with
processes required by the Divisional Constitution.
The primary issues before the Court were:
(1) whether the proceedings gave rise to a justiciable matter; and
(2) if so, whether the committee exceeded its power under the Party’s Federal
Constitution.
The Court (Basten, Leeming and Payne JJA) held, dismissing the
proceedings:
Issue 1 – justiciability
(1) Cameron v Hogan is binding authority that disputes arising from the
application of the rules of an unincorporated political party are not justiciable.
The role and manner of operation of political parties has not changed materially
since Cameron was decided. The provisions in the current Electoral Act
providing for party registration, candidate nomination and endorsement, and
public funding do not purport to affect the general internal operations of political
parties. Accordingly, it is not correct to state at a high level of generality that
the statutory changes have now taken political parties “beyond the ambit of
mere voluntary associations”. The public interest in the operation of major
political parties does not justify judicial intervention in internal party disputes
generally. Whether a dispute within a political party is justiciable must be
determined in each case with respect to relevant provisions of the Electoral
Act: [43]-[44], [46], [48]-[49], [52], [56], [64], [66].
Cameron v Hogan (1934) 51 CLR 29; [1916] HCA 70; Setka v Carroll (2019)
58 VR 657; [2019] VSC 571; Asmar v Albanese (No 4) [2021] VSC 672,
followed;
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Baldwin v Everingham [1993] 1 Qd R 10; Asmar v Albanese [2022] VSCA 19,

not followed;
Edgar and Walker v Meade (1916) 23 CLR 29; [1916] HCA 70; Mulholland v
Australian Electoral Commission (2004) 220 CLR 181; [2004] HCA 41; Butler v
Mulholland (No 2) [2013] VSC 662; considered.
(2) The provisions under the Electoral Act relating to the nomination and
endorsement of candidates do not create justiciable statutory rights or interests
based on internal party processes of pre-selection. The Electoral Act requires
registered parties to nominate registered officers. A person only enjoys a
particular status under the Electoral Act when the registered officer
communicates the party’s endorsement of that candidate to the Electoral
Commission. The registered officer merely conveys decisions of the political
Party with respect to nomination and endorsement to the Electoral
Commission. The Electoral Act requires the Electoral Commissioner to look to
written communications from the registered officer as determinative statements
of the outcome of the party’s processes. The nomination and endorsement
provisions do not confer statutory rights upon candidates at the anterior stage
of preselection: [52]-[54], [59]-[62].
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth), ss 166, 169, 169B, considered.
(3) The dispute is not justiciable because the Liberal Party Federal
Constitution does not have contractual force: [65].
Cameron v Hogan (1934) 51 CLR 29; [1916] HCA 70, applied; Johnson v The
Greens NSW [2019] NSWSC 215, referred to.
Issue 2 – interpretation of Liberal Party Federal Constitution
(4) Although it was not necessary to determine the interpretation of the

Federal Constitution, it was desirable to do so in the interests of finality: [70].
(5) The phrase “management and control” can be taken as a singular concept
to express the scope of a power. Alternatively, the Federal Constitution may
refer to “management” with respect to the affairs of the organisation and
“control” with respect to a person or organisation: [72]-[77].
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(6) The effect of the exercise of the intervention power is to bypass the
Divisional Constitution, which does not amount to an amendment of the
Divisional Constitution. In any event, the powers and procedures in the
Divisional Constitution that govern pre-selection are subject to the Federal
Constitution under cl 8.2 of the Federal Constitution: [79], [81]-[82].
JUDGMENT
1 THE COURT: This matter has been heard as a matter of urgency in the face of
an impending Federal election. The plaintiff, who is a member of the State
Council and State Executive of the NSW Division of the Liberal Party of
Australia, sought to impugn the validity of steps taken by the Federal Executive
which, by resolution of 4 March 2022, established a committee with power to
endorse three incumbent Liberal members of the Parliament as Liberal
candidates to recontest their seats. The plaintiff challenged the validity of the
resolution of Sunday, 6 March 2022 exercising the power of pre-selection. The
substantive argument turned on the correct construction of the Party’s Federal
Constitution and, in particular, cl 12.3.
2 Before coming to the point of construction, it is necessary to address the

justiciability of the issue in this Court. The first, second and third defendants
(being the members of the committee established by the Federal Executive,
the “committee defendants”) contended that the issue raised is purely one of
construction of the internal rules regulating the operation of an unincorporated
association, albeit a national political party, being a matter held by the High
Court in Cameron v Hogan1 to be non-justiciable.2 That is, success on the
issue raised would not entitle the plaintiff to a declaration, injunction, or other
form of relief, the Federal Constitution not creating in members or office
holders rights enforceable in a court.
1
(1934) 51 CLR 358; [1934] HCA 24.
2
The eighth defendant (the National President) had common representation with the committee defendants;
the seventh defendant (the State President) and the fourth-sixth defendants (the sitting members) were
separately represented but did not take an active role in the proceedings.
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Procedural Issues
Parties
3 In proceedings which have been heard as urgently as the present (the
statement of claim was filed barely a fortnight ago) it is unsurprising that there
are unresolved procedural issues. In accordance with what has occurred in
other comparable cases, the plaintiff sought orders appointing persons to
represent (a) members of the New South Wales Division of the Party who were
not already joined, and (b) members of the Federal Executive who were not
already joined. This was opposed. Further, although the statement of claim
sought only declaratory relief, at the hearing the plaintiff proposed an
amendment seeking injunctive relief preventing the registered officer
requesting the Electoral Commissioner to print the names of the purportedly
endorsed candidates on the ballot papers. (The significance of this, which
turns on s 169 and s 169B of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) (the
Electoral Act) will be explained below.) This had not hitherto been flagged,
although it was said to be a response to the events of the previous 48 hours,
when there were two applications under s 40 of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) to
remove this proceeding into the High Court. We dismissed an application for
what was candidly acknowledged to be ex parte injunctive relief against a non-
party, and advised that we would deal with the substantive issues urgently, and
allow the parties (and others) to be heard as to further procedural orders and
relief to the extent necessary.
4 Ordinarily, questions of parties, the form of the pleadings and the nature of the
relief sought would be resolved prior to a final hearing. In the exigencies of the
present litigation, and in circumstances where there was a clear dispute
between two capably represented parties who had co-operated to achieve a
highly expedited final hearing, this was a clear case for promoting the
command in s 56 of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) to resolve the real
issues in the proceedings justly, quickly and cheaply.
Section 78B notices

5 Upon receiving the plaintiff’s submission in reply, on 30 March 2022, the
committee defendants identified a perceived need for the service of notices
under s 78B of the Judiciary Act. That reasoning involved two steps. The first
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arose from the contention that the operation of the Federal Constitution was
justiciable because the relevant provisions engaged the operation of Pt XIV of
the Electoral Act. The second step turned on the fact that the Court, in dealing
with the Electoral Act, would be dealing with an issue arising under a federal
law and would therefore be exercising federal jurisdiction. 3 Further, while the
issue of justiciability in relation to state law would not involve a constitutional
issue, where federal jurisdiction was engaged the issue was said to give rise to
a question as to the scope of the term “matter”, being the source of jurisdiction
of the High Court under ss 75, 76 and 77 of the Constitution. Section 78B(1) of
the Judiciary Act provides that where a cause pending in a State court involves
a matter arising under the Constitution or involving its interpretation, the court
is not to proceed unless and until notice has been given to the Attorneys
General of the Commonwealth and of the States specifying the nature of the
matter, and the Attorneys have had a reasonable time to consider the question
of intervention in the proceedings or removal of the cause to the High Court.
6 The issue was raised by the committee defendants on the evening of

29 March; on 30 March the Court directed that notices be served on the
Attorneys by 2pm that day. The hearing was delayed from 31 March 2022 to
1 April 2022.
7 It is true, as counsel for the committee defendants submitted, that the time
allowed for consideration of the notice was unusually brief. Nevertheless, the
Court was satisfied that the Attorneys had had a reasonable opportunity to
consider the matter. The Court was told without objection that five State
Attorneys General, including the New South Wales Attorney, had received the
notice and advised that they would not intervene. The prospect of an
intervention by the Attorney General of a Territory in those circumstances was
remote. The Commonwealth Attorney-General was evidently conscious of the
litigation and the date it was listed for final hearing because of her application
to remove it to the High Court which was made and determined on 31 March
2021. Further, the underlying issue as to the role of the Electoral Act in creating
a justiciable issue for disaffected members of political parties had already been
raised in a number of cases, which will be discussed below. In particular, the
3
See LNC Industries Ltd v BMW (Australia) Ltd (1983) 151 CLR 575; [1983] HCA 31.
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matter had been the subject of an appeal in the Victorian Court of Appeal, and
an urgent special leave application filed in the High Court in the previous week.
It might therefore be assumed that the Attorneys, and in particular the Victorian
and Commonwealth Attorneys-General, to the extent that they were interested
in intervening in such proceedings before they reached the High Court, were
already on notice of the issues being raised.
Removal to this Court

8 The directions hearing on 30 March 2022 took place whilst the proceedings
were listed in the Equity Division. A member of this Court gave directions. One
involved the removal of the proceedings to the Court of Appeal, a matter which
had originally been sought by the parties, but before appropriate grounds could
be formulated to support the motion. The Court had refused an earlier
application for removal in a matter involving the same parties and disposed of
by Ward CJ in Eq on 25 February 2022.4 Although at that stage no challenge
had been raised as to justiciability, the judge addressed the issue and the
submissions she had received, which favoured the conclusion that the matter
before her was justiciable. The issue then in dispute was limited to a
construction of the interaction of the Party’s Federal Constitution and the
Constitution of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party (Divisional
Constitution).
9 On the same day that Justice Ward handed down her judgment, the Victorian
Court of Appeal handed down judgment in the matter of Asmar v Albanese.5 It
was arguable that statements in that matter, though not determinative,
favoured the conclusion that the present matter would be justiciable. A single
judge in a Division might properly have considered that conclusion binding. As
the committee defendants sought to challenge that conclusion, it was
appropriate to remove the matter to this Court, so that a full consideration of
the reasoning of the Victorian Court of Appeal could be permitted. 6
4
Camenzuli v Hawke [2022] NSWSC 168.
5
[2022] VSCA 19 (T Forrest, Whelan JJA, Forbes AJA).
6
On 31 March 2022 the High Court refused special leave to appeal this decision: Asmar v Albanese [2022]
HCASL 71. The reasons for the refusal did not include a finding on justiciability, which the leave applicant did
not challenge because it was favourable to her.
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Removal to High Court and remittal

10 At the directions hearing on 30 March 2022, the committee defendants
submitted that the Court should stay its consideration of the matter until an
application by them to remove the matter to the High Court was determined. At
that stage, no directions as to listing had been given in the High Court and no
indication given as to whether, and if so when, the proceedings in this Court
might be removed to the High Court. As all parties urged the expeditious
disposal of the matter, with finality, it was by no means clear that vacating a
hearing date in order to allow the application for removal to go ahead would
achieve that result. If the High Court decided to remove the matter, it would
have been able to do so at any point until this Court delivered judgment. Once
judgment is delivered, an expedited application for special leave to appeal
could be considered. On the other hand, if the matter were not removed, days
would be wasted in circumstances where, according to the plaintiff, the
selection process for candidates remained unconcluded with but a short period
before an election which must be held by the end of May 2022.
11 As it turned out, the removal application was heard by the High Court on
31 March 2022. The Commonwealth Attorney General made her own
application to remove the matter which, pursuant to s 40(1) of the Judiciary Act,
she was entitled to do as of right. Chief Justice Kiefel therefore ordered that the
whole matter before this Court be removed (while noting that the constitutional
issue sought to be raised might be described as “tenuous”), but proceeded
immediately to remit the matter to this Court. Accordingly, the jurisdiction of this
Court derives from either the general investment in s 39(2), or the specific
investment following the making of the remittal order in s 44(3)(a), of the
Judiciary Act, or both. There was no dispute that, the whole matter having been
removed, it was the whole matter which was remitted. It is clear that this Court
is exercising federal jurisdiction.
Evidence
12 At the hearing, the committee defendants tendered two volumes of written
material comprising 583 pages. The material was admitted as Exhibit A subject
to relevance. Some documents were referred to by both parties. Most of the
material comprised emails between various officers and entities within the
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Liberal Party, together with the Constitutions of each State Division of the
Party. While the bulk of the material was not addressed, it was said to be
potentially relevant to discretionary matters as to relief and costs. As no party
objected to any of the material, the convenient course is to allow the admission
of the bundles marked Ex A to stand and remove the qualification.
Priority amongst issues

13 With respect to the two principal issues, there is a potential dilemma. If the
proper construction of the Party’s Federal Constitution is not a matter for the
Court, it should not embark on that exercise. However, whether or not it can
undertake that exercise (the justiciability issue) depends in part upon the
characterisation of the substantive issue. Accordingly, in order to address the
question of justiciability, it will be necessary and therefore appropriate to
consider certain terms of the Party’s Federal Constitution.
Relevant provisions of the Party Constitution
14 Although the submissions drew attention to various provisions in the Party’s

Federal Constitution and the Divisional Constitution, the focus of the argument
was directed towards the power of intervention conferred by cl 12 of the
Federal Constitution. Clause 12 is headed “Intervention”; cl 12.1 sets out
“Intervention Grounds” in respect of a Division. Subclause (a)(iii) reads as
follows:
“(a) For the purposes of this clause, the following constitute Intervention
Grounds in respect of a Division:
…
(iii) the existence of circumstances that, in the opinion of the Federal
Executive, substantially prejudice the ability of the Party to effectively
contest or win a federal election.”
There was no factual issue concerning the opinion of the Federal Executive as
to satisfaction of that ground. The plaintiff accepted that the powers in cl 12.3
were engaged.
15 The operative provision, cl 12.3, read as follows:
“12.3 Intervention in the Management of a Division

(a) Where the Federal Executive believes that one or more of the
Intervention Grounds exist in relation to a Division, the Federal
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Executive may resolve to take over the management of that Division in

accordance with this clause.
(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a), the Federal Executive may:
(i) appoint an administrator or committee to take over the
management of that Division which administrator or committee
has the powers specified by the Federal Executive and must
comply with the terms of reference specified by the Federal
Executive;
(ii) rescind or amend any decision made by the relevant
Division’s Executive or governing or other body of that Division;
and
(iii) terminate the taking over of the management of the
relevant Division,
provided that neither the Federal Executive nor the
administrator or committee shall have power to amend the
Divisional Constitution of the Division concerned.
(c) Where the Federal Executive resolves to take over the
management of a Division pursuant to paragraph (a) the Federal
Executive must specify the following:
(i) the ground or grounds upon which such resolution is
based;
(ii) the period of such taking over which is not to exceed two
years;
(iii) the term of appointment of any such administrator or
committee which is not to exceed two years;
(iv) the purpose of the taking over;
(v) the powers and terms of reference of any administrator or
committee;
(vi) the frequency of reports from any administrator or
committee to the Federal Executive which must be not less
than each three months after the taking over; and
(vii) confirmation that in the opinion of the Federal Executive
the taking over the management of the Division concerned is in
the interests of the Party as a whole;
(d) Every resolution under this clause must be passed by an
affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the Federal Executive
members present and voting, including a simple majority of the
Division Presidents or their proxies present and voting.”
16 The issues of construction raised by the plaintiff were threefold. First, it was
observed that the operative power conferred by par (a) was “to take over the
management of” the relevant Division. It was submitted that “management” did
not encompass “control” and that, where it was intended that both should be
conferred, the Federal Constitution referred to both. Secondly, it was submitted
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that the concept of “management” did not involve the pre-selection of

candidates for election otherwise than in the manner provided for in the
Divisional Constitution. Thirdly, the powers conferred by par (b) expressly
stated that neither the Federal Executive nor a committee established by it
should have the power to “amend” the Divisional Constitution. That was said to
confirm the plaintiff’s construction that the committee was bound to manage the
NSW Division in accordance with the terms of the Divisional Constitution.
17 It is necessary to turn to the provisions of the Electoral Act to understand how it

can be said that the pre-selection of candidates engages with the operation of
the Electoral Act. That question was an essential part of the plaintiff’s
contention that the ruling of the High Court in Cameron v Hogan (that the
internal rules of an unincorporated association were non-justiciable) did not
preclude the hearing of his claims.
Electoral legislation
Victorian legislation – as in force in 1934
18 Cameron v Hogan was concerned with the exclusion of Mr Hogan as a
candidate endorsed by the Australian Labor Party for a Victorian State election.
It was decided when the Electoral Act 1923 (Vic) and The Constitution Act
Amendment Act 1915 (Vic) governed State elections. The plaintiff must
demonstrate a material change in the legislative framework governing elections
in order to found an argument that the ruling of the High Court no longer
governs the internal affairs of unincorporated political parties.
19 The Electoral Act 1923 made no reference to political parties, nor indeed to the
process of nominating candidates. The Constitution Act Amendment Act 1915
included brief provisions relating to the qualifications of members (and by
inference candidates) and the need to be nominated by 10 electors. Political
parties were not referred to.
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) – as in force in 1934

20 It is convenient to note the provisions of the Electoral Act as in force at that
time. Although the Court in Cameron v Hogan made no reference to any
electoral legislation, presumptions as to the nature and operation of political
parties were probably influenced by that legislative context.
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21 Like the Victorian legislation, the Electoral Act then made no provision for
political parties. Part XI dealt with nomination of candidates, both for the
Senate and the House of Representatives elections. It prescribed qualifications
and provided for nominations to be in accordance with a prescribed form and to
be signed by not less than six persons entitled to vote at the election for which
the candidate was nominated: s 71(b). Candidates for election to the Senate
were able to have their names grouped in the ballot papers “in the manner
prescribed in this Act”: s 72A. Grouping was by consent of the candidates. At
that stage, the Act did not provide for any particular order in which grouped
names were to be listed. By an amendment in 1940, a new s 72B provided for
the candidates in a group to notify the electoral officer for the State of the order
in which their names were to appear on the ballot papers.
22 It is readily apparent that, in 1934, no statute made provision for political

parties to have any role in the electoral process. As a matter of practice, it may
well be that Senate candidates in a group which involved members of one
political party would nominate the order in which their names should appear, as
was expressly provided for in the 1940 amendment. The statutory position may
be described as antithetical to the formal involvement of political parties in the
electoral process.
Electoral Act – current provisions

23 The Electoral Act has changed significantly since Cameron v Hogan was
decided in 1934. The critical provisions for present purposes are those
concerning the registration of political parties in Pt XI and the provisions
relating to nomination of candidates in Pt XIV.
24 Part XI was inserted in 1983. It provides for the registration of political parties
for the purposes of the Act: s 124. A “political party” is defined to mean “an
organization the object or activity, or one of the objects or activities, of which is
the promotion of the election to the Senate or to the House of Representatives
of a candidate or candidates endorsed by it”: s 4. An “organization” may be an
association or other body of persons, or it may be a body corporate: s 4. An
“eligible political party” is a political party that either has a member of
Parliament as a member or has at least 1,500 members and is established “on
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the basis of a written constitution (however described) that sets out the aims of
the party”: s 123(1). The significance of the departure in s 123 defining an
eligible political party by reference to its “aims” from the definition of political
party (by reference to objects or activity) is unclear.
25 There are procedural provisions for dealing with applications, and there are
criteria on the basis of which the Electoral Commission may refuse to enter
either a name or a logo on the register: ss 129, 129A. There are provisions for
deregistering a registered political party, including in circumstances where the
party has not endorsed candidates for an election over a specified period:
s 136(1).
26 Part XI provides for a range of decisions to be made by the Electoral

Commission in relation to the registration or refusal of an application for
registration, and other matters, including decisions with respect to names and
logos. Section 141 provides for a review of such decisions, by way of
application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. There is no requirement in
Pt XI relating to the internal structure of a political party, nor specifying
requirements in relation to its rules or the content of its constitution, beyond
requiring that it be written and, by inference, specify the objects, activities or
aims of the party. The constitution itself is not placed on the register. The
register merely contains a list of the names of, and details concerning,
registered political parties: s 125(1), s 133(1).7 There is no prohibition on
amending a constitution, nor requirement of notification of amendments. No
issue arose in the present proceedings in relation to any aspect of Pt XI.
27 Part XIV deals with nomination of candidates, and states that no person shall
be capable of being elected as a Senator or Member of the House unless duly
nominated: s 162. It specifies qualifications of candidates by reference to age,
citizenship and entitlement to be an elector: s 163. Section 166 provides the
procedures for nomination:
166 Mode of nomination

Nominations of single candidates as Senators or members
7
It may also be included on a “Transparency Register” created under Part XX dealing with election funding and
financial disclosures: s 125(2).
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(1) Subject to subsections (1A), (1AA), (1B) and (1C), a nomination

may be in Form C, CA, D or DA in Schedule 1, as the case requires,
and must:
(a) set out the name, place of residence and occupation of the
candidate; and
(b) be signed by:
(i) not less than 100 electors entitled to vote at the
election for which the candidate is nominated; or
(ii) the registered officer of the registered political
party by which the candidate has been endorsed for
that election.
…
(5) Where:
(a) persons to be nominated as candidates in a Senate
election wish to have their names grouped in the ballot papers;
and
(b) those persons have been endorsed for that election by
different registered political parties;
the nominations of the candidates may be combined in such
manner as the Electoral Commissioner approves.
28 Nomination thus requires the completion of a form which is to be signed either
by a specified number of electors entitled to vote at the election for which the
candidate is nominated, or by “the registered officer of the registered political
party by which the candidate has been endorsed for that election”: s 166(1)(b).
Section 166 assumes a process undertaken by a registered political party for
the endorsement of candidates. It does not prescribe any process for
endorsement. Whilst s 166(5) provides for a combined nomination of
candidates, the “grouping” of candidates on a ballot paper is dealt with under
s 168. The request is to be made in writing and signed by the candidates
themselves, not the registered officer, which suggests that such a request may
not be necessary in respect of a combined nomination by a registered party.
29 Section 166 thus permits nominees to be endorsed by a political party, the

endorsement being conveyed by the signing of the nomination form by the
registered officer of the party. The term “registered officer” is defined in s 4C of
the Electoral Act, which reads:
4C Registered officer of political party
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a reference in this Act to the registered

officer of a registered political party is a reference to the person shown
in the Register of Political Parties as the registered officer of the party.
Note: A person must not be the registered officer or a deputy
registered officer of more than one registered political party at a
particular time (see subsection 126(2B)).
(2) A reference in Part XIV or XVI to the registered officer of a
registered political party includes a reference to a person for the time
being nominated by the registered officer of a party as a deputy
registered officer of the party for the purposes of this Act.
(3) A nomination under subsection (2):
(a) must be in writing, signed by the registered officer and
lodged with the Commission; and
(b) must specify the name and address of the person
nominated and bear the signature of that person; and
(ba) must include a signed declaration by the person
nominated that subsection 126(2B) is not contravened by
lodging the nomination of the person as the deputy registered
officer; and
(c) may be revoked at any time by the registered officer by
written notice lodged with the Commission.
(4) A nomination of a person as a deputy registered officer under
subsection (2) is invalid if subsection 126(2B) is contravened by
lodging the nomination of the person as the deputy registered officer.
30 The role of the registered officer is similar to that of the proper officer of a
company or similar entity. He or she is nominated by the political party to be
the person through whom communications are channelled both to and from the
Electoral Commission. An application for registration of an eligible political
party must be signed by the person who is to be the registered officer of the
party and must set out his or her name and address: s 126(2)(c). In dealing
with an application for registration, the Electoral Commission is required to give
a document seeking certain particulars to the person who is to be the
registered officer: s 132(5). Upon registration, the name and address of the
registered officer is entered in the register: s 133(1)(a)(iii). The register is open
for public inspection: s 139. Generally, where the Electoral Commission is
required to give written notices, the notice is given to the registered officer:
s 140(1).
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31 The plaintiff’s submissions placed weight on the fact that s 169 of the Electoral
Act now provides for the party name to be printed on the ballot paper next to a
candidate endorsed by that party. Section 169 reads as follows:
169 Notification of party endorsement

(1) The registered officer of a registered political party may request
that the name, or the registered abbreviation of the name, of that party
be printed on the ballot papers for an election adjacent to the name of
a candidate who has been endorsed by that party.
(3) A request under subsection (1) must be:
(a) in writing; and
(b) signed by the person making the request; and
(c) given to the Electoral Commissioner with the nomination of
the candidate.
(4) Where:
(a) a request has been made under subsection (1) in respect
of candidates in a Senate election; and
(b) the candidates have made a request under section 168
that their names be grouped in the ballot papers for the
election;
the request under subsection (1) may include a further request
that the name of the registered political party that endorsed the
candidates, or a composite name formed from the registered
names of the registered political parties that endorsed the
candidates, be printed on the ballot papers adjacent to the
square printed above the line in relation to the group.
(5) In this section, registered abbreviation, in relation to the name of
a registered political party, has the same meaning as in section 210A.
32 The Electoral Act also provides for the “verification” of party endorsement in the
following terms:
169B Verification of party endorsement

(1) For the purposes of this Act, subject to subsection (2), a person
shall be taken to have been endorsed as a candidate in an election by
a registered political party if:
(a) the candidate is nominated by the registered officer of the
party; or
(b) the name of the candidate is included in a statement,
signed by the registered officer of the party, setting out the
names of the candidates endorsed by the party in the election
and lodged with the Electoral Commissioner before the close of
nominations for the election; or
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
(c) the Electoral Commissioner is satisfied, after making such

inquiries as the Electoral Commissioner thinks appropriate of
the registered officer of the party or otherwise, that the
candidate is so endorsed.
33 The significance of s 169B will be addressed below. However, it is convenient
to note at this stage that, although the heading refers to “verification” of party
endorsement, it is in fact a deeming provision. Where, relevantly, a candidate
is nominated by the registered officer, for example, on a form signed by that
officer in conformity with s 166(1)(b)(ii), the endorsement by the party is
presumed.
Cases addressing justiciability

34 Against this statutory background it is convenient to turn to the cases
concerning justiciability. Two preliminary observations are in order. First, the
joint reasons in Cameron v Hogan did not conclude that no issue as to the
operation and management of a voluntary association could be the subject of
proceedings in a court. (Starke J expressed himself in more absolute terms, 8
but it is doubtful that he was departing from the accepted principles identified in
the joint reasons of Rich, Dixon, Evatt and McTiernan JJ.) The joint reasons
acknowledged that proceedings might be brought to enforce a proprietary
interest in property held by a voluntary association and to enforce contractual
rights between members (if any). The procedural difficulties noted by the joint
reasons9 may be put to one side for present purposes. There might also be an
action in tort if members of the association took steps in reliance upon an
attempted expulsion from membership which steps were resisted. Further, as
noted in subsequent cases, the apparent approval of a power of intervention at
the instance of a member of a registered industrial organisation demonstrates
the significance of the statutory scheme within which a particular association
operates.10
35 Having determined that of two interpretations of the rules relied upon by the
plaintiff in that case neither was warranted, the joint reasons continued:11
8
Cameron at 384.
9
Cameron at 372.
10
Edgar and Walker v Meade (1916) 23 CLR 29 at 43 (Isaacs J); [1916] HCA 70; Cameron at 372.
11
Cameron at 376.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
“Hitherto rules made by a political or like organization for the regulation of its
affairs and the conduct of its activities have never been understood as
imposing contractual duties upon its officers or its members. Such matters are
naturally regarded as of domestic concern. The rules are intended to be
enforced by the authorities appointed under them. In adopting them, the
members ought not to be presumed to contemplate the creation of enforceable
legal rights and duties so that every departure exposes the officer or member
concerned to a civil sanction.”
36 The subsequent case law over more than 50 years has been referred to by
Dr JRS Forbes and need not be addressed.12 The plaintiff’s basis for
distinguishing Cameron v Hogan was the changed statutory scheme for the
regulation of political parties. The issue, however, is not whether the Electoral
Act has changed significantly since 1934 (which it clearly has), but whether the
changes warrant intervention in a particular case. The applicant asserted that
because the legislation now gave political parties a statutory status, he had an
interest within the reasoning in Cameron v Hogan.
37 The starting point for this analysis was the judgment in Baldwin v
Everingham.13 As in the present case, Baldwin concerned a pre-selection
decision. Dowsett J concluded that the level of statutory recognition of political
parties led to the conclusion “that disputes concerning the rules of political
parties registered under the Commonwealth Electoral Act are now also
justiciable.” That was because the Parliament “in conferring legislative
recognition upon political parties has taken them beyond the ambit of mere
voluntary associations.”14
38 Twenty years later, in a Victorian case, Butler v Mulholland (No 2),15 Robson J
addressed a dispute within the Democratic Labor Party as to who was the
secretary of the party and the person responsible for providing details to the
electoral officer for registration under the Victorian legislation. Robson J stated:
“[104] It can be seen, therefore, that the identity of the secretary and his
authority to make an application to the Commission for registration of the
political party are important issues for the proper working of the Victorian Act.
[105] In my opinion, the issue of who is the Secretary of the DLP in the
Victorian State branch is a justiciable issue. Similarly, the Secretary can only
act with the authority given to him under the Constitution of the DLP and in
12
JRS Forbes, Justice in Tribunals (The Federation Press, 5th ed, 2019) at [3.54]-[3.56].
13
[1993] 1 Qd R 10.
14
Baldwin at 20.
15
[2013] VSC 662.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
accordance with the instructions of the State Executive. The membership of

the State Executive is therefore an important issue, which it is in the public
interest to resolve. In my opinion, the determination of the issue of who
constitutes the State Executive is also justiciable.”
39 This reasoning both identified a specific issue requiring resolution to allow the
statutory scheme to operate, but also relied on an amorphous concept of the
public interest, arguably reflecting the reasoning in Baldwin.
40 In dealing with the position of the registered officer, Robson J concluded:
“[139] Under the Act, there is no requirement that the registered officer be
any particular member of the State Executive or member of the party. The
application for registration is made by the party. Applications for a change to
the Register of Political Parties under s 51 of the Act are also made by the
party. The Act does require the applications to be signed by the Secretary.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, it is a matter for the State Executive as to who
should be registered as the registered officer. In my opinion, the Secretary
should obtain a decision from the State Executive as to who the registered
officer should be. The Secretary’s function is to carry out the decisions of the
State Executive, save where the Constitution otherwise provides.”
41 Baldwin has been subjected to critical analysis in some subsequent cases.
Setka v Carroll 16 involved a challenge to the expulsion of the plaintiff from the
Australian Labor Party by resolution of the National Executive. Riordan J, in the
Victorian Supreme Court, held that the dispute was non-justiciable.17 The judge
noted that both Cameron and Edgar were expulsion cases. He rejected the
reasoning in Baldwin that political parties were now to be equated with
industrial organisations registered under the Commonwealth Conciliation and
Arbitration Act 1904 (Cth). Having referred to the relevant provisions of that Act
in force when Edgar was decided, Riordan J continued:18
“[39] Dowsett J considered that his conclusion was consistent with the
rationale adopted by Isaacs J in Edgar and Walker v Mead, being that disputes
concerning the rules of a voluntary organization became justiciable when the
voluntary association attained (what Dowsett J described as) ‘significance in
public affairs’. As a ‘matter for judgment’, he decided that ‘the current
legislative recognition of registered political parties confers such significance’.
[40] With respect to Dowsett J, I am unable to agree that Isaacs J found that
the rules of a voluntary organization became justiciable when it attained
significance in public affairs. Isaacs J expressly found that the justiciability
arose from the following:
(a) The incorporation of the organization under the statute.
16
(2019) 58 VR 657; [2019] VSC 571.
17
Setka at [68].
18
References omitted.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
It is unremarkable that members of an incorporated body are

entitled to enforce the rules of the corporation in the courts. It is
trite law that rules of a corporation are contractual; and ‘[e]ach
member has a contractual right, as against the association, to
have the affairs of the association conducted in accordance
with the rules’.
(b) The legislative purpose of the [Conciliation and Arbitration] Act
required that the rules of the organisation be legally enforceable
particularly with respect to membership.
The legislative intention that the membership of organisations
was to be regulated was evident from the following provisions
in the [Conciliation and Arbitration] Act:
(i) Members of organizations are entitled to preferential
treatment.
(ii) Rules of the organization had to include provision for
admission and termination of membership.
(iii) An organization could be deregistered if the rules do not
provide reasonable facilities for the admission of new
members.
(iv) The Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
was empowered to cancel memberships in prescribed
circumstances.
(v) Organizations were required to provide membership
records to the Registrar.
(vi) The rules of the organization adopted in compliance with
the conditions set out in Schedule B were binding on the
members.
(vii) ‘Every dispute between an organization and any of its
members shall be decided in the manner directed by the rules
of the organization’.
It is not surprising, in these circumstances, that Isaacs J construed the
[Conciliation and Arbitration] Act as conferring a right of action on the
member to enforce the rules against the statutory organization.
[41] Accordingly, the declarations and injunctions granted by Isaacs J were in
aid of two recognised causes of actions being breach of contract and a right of
action under statute.”
42 Riordan J dismissed the requirement of registration under the Electoral Act as
sufficient to justify departing from Cameron:19
“[44] In my opinion, a reading of the Electoral Act demonstrates that the

purpose of a copy of the constitution being provided, at the time of application
for registration, is to verify compliance with the statutory requirements that the
‘Political party’ has:
(a) a written constitution; and
19
References omitted.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
(b) the promotion of the election to the Senate or to the House of

Representatives of a candidate or candidates endorsed by it, as at
least one of its objects.
[45] In contrast to the [Conciliation and Arbitration] Act, I note the following:
(a) Although the Electoral Act provides for the registration of political
parties, it does not incorporate them; and the definition of ‘organization’
includes both a body corporate and an association.
(b) I am unable to discern any intention in the Electoral Act to give
legal force to the constitutions of registered political parties, or to
confer a right of action on members to enforce the provisions of such
constitutions against registered political parties.
[46] In fairness, Dowsett J did not say that he discerned any such intention in
the Electoral Act. He found that the justiciability arose ‘because the
Commonwealth Parliament, in conferring legislative recognition upon political
parties has taken them beyond the ambit of mere voluntary associations’. This
may be so; but the ratio of Cameron v Hogan was that the plaintiff had no
cause of action. Dowsett J does not explain how legislative recognition gives
rise to a cause of action or other ‘ascertainable and enforceable legal right’.”
43 Riordan J also adopted the observations of Dr Forbes that “[i]t is a long leap of
logic from the comprehensive legislative scheme in [Edgar] to the conclusion
that Cameron v Hogan is nullified by ‘funding’ provisions tacked on to an
electoral Act. The public interest in those provisions could be protected, if need
be, by direct reference to the Act, without assuming general jurisdiction over
internal party affairs.”20
44 For reasons further developed below, the reasoning of Riordan J is persuasive.
45 This reasoning was accepted by Ginnane J in Asmar v Albanese (No 4).21

Ginnane J stated:
“[160] The Electoral Acts do not seek to regulate the internal affairs of
political parties, for example, they do not require the Electoral Commissions to
approve amendments to their Constitutions or Rules nor do they prescribe
procedures for resolution of disputes between branches and members and
between branches and the National Executive. The registration procedures
applying to political parties are quite different from those contained in
Commonwealth industrial legislation and applying to industrial organisations.
[161] The funding of, and conferral of rights and imposition of obligations on
political parties required a legislative scheme to ensure that the applicant for
registration was a genuine political party, to gain legislative authority for
providing funding for them and to ensure accountability for that funding. But
those measures do not make internal disputes in the political party justiciable. I
accept that where a dispute exists of the kind presented by Butler v Mulholland
(No 2), as to the identity of the political party’s authorised agent, a court is
20
Forbes, fn 12 above, at [5.11].
21
[2021] VSC 672.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
likely to decide the issue by making an appropriate declaration to enable the

Electoral Acts to operate in respect of that party. But that decision does not
create a principle of wider application extending to all disputes within a political
party or between a branch and the national body. In my opinion, to justify the
Court’s intervention in an internal dispute in a political party, the issue sought
to be determined must have a direct bearing on the proper application and
operation of the Electoral Acts. The plaintiffs’ claims do not have that
character. A disputed issue does not become justiciable by a party relying on
the Electoral Acts if the dispute has little connection with their operation. The
plaintiffs’ claims in this case do not have a direct connection to the application
or operation of the Electoral Acts.”
46 Nevertheless, the Victorian Court of Appeal reached the conclusion that the
validity of the intervention by the Federal Executive in Asmar was justiciable.22
The reasoning supporting that conclusion was relied on by the plaintiff and is
addressed in the next section of these reasons. The reasoning is not
persuasive; indeed, we are comfortably satisfied it is wrong. The reasoning of
Riordan J in Setka, with the agreement of Ginnane J in Asmar (No 4), is to be
preferred.
47 In Asmar v Albanese, the Victorian Court of Appeal stated:
“[154] The constitution of a registered political party has a very limited role
under the Commonwealth Electoral Act. A political party must have a written
constitution which sets out its aims (s 123(1)). A copy of that constitution must
accompany an application for registration (s 126(2)). Nothing more is required
or provided for. There is no requirement to register amendments or to request
a change in registration if the constitution is changed. …
[155] The Electoral Acts are important in determining the justiciability
question to which we will turn below. But, in our view, they do not assist in
determining the question of whether the Branch Rules and, if applicable, the
National Constitution empower the National Executive to act as it did. …”
48 The lack of relevance of the statutory amendments to the construction of the
rules of a party does not necessarily entail the conclusion that the statutory
provisions do not give the rules a particular status. However, it does draw
attention to the possibility that the registration provisions, while recognising the
existence of political parties and their relevance to the electoral process,
nevertheless do not purport to affect their internal operations. As noted by
Gleeson CJ in Mulholland v Australian Electoral Commission:23
“The scheme for registration was first introduced in 1983, and later amended
in 2000 and 2001. It was introduced in the context of legislative provision for
22
Asmar at [215].
23
(2004) 220 CLR 181; [2004] HCA 41 at [1].
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
direct funding of political parties, ‘list’ voting for the Senate, and references to
party affiliations on the ballot paper.”
49 The Chief Justice further observed that the scheme adopted a
recommendation of a Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform. Chapter 3
of the Report concluded that its own recommendation concerning the “list”
system for Senate ballot papers “presupposes the inclusion of political party on
the Senate ballot paper at least”, and would “require the adoption of a system
for the registration of political parties”.24 As recently explained in Ruddick v
Commonwealth of Australia,25 the other contextual factor relating to the
registration of political parties was the provision of direct funding for political
parties.26 Again it is possible in theory that funding could be made conditional
upon compliance with the constitution of a party, perhaps in specified respects.
However, no such linkage was suggested in the present case and none is
obviously applicable.
Plaintiff’s case – justiciability

50 The plaintiff’s written submissions identified two approaches to the question of
justiciability in the case law subsequent to the decision in Cameron v Hogan.
The first, described as “the broader approach”, derived from the reasoning of
Dowsett J in Baldwin v Everingham. As the plaintiff correctly submitted,
acceptance of that broad statement of principle would result in the whole of his
claim being justiciable.
51 He also accepted, however, that recent decisions of the Supreme Court in

Victoria had adopted a narrower approach. Most recently, in Asmar, the
Victorian Court of Appeal, while accepting that not all disputes within political
parties are justiciable, stated that disputes which “really do bear upon the
matters addressed by the legislation” are justiciable.27 The plaintiff relied upon
this statement and the following passage in Asmar with respect to pre-selection
disputes:
24
Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Joint Select Committee on Elector al Reform, First Report,
September 1983, at [3.43]; Mulholland at [2].
25
[2022] HCA 9 at [6] (Kiefel CJ and Keane J).
26
Both Mulholland and Ruddick challenged the constitutional validity of statutory limits on registration of
political parties.
27
Asmar at [211].
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
“[213] It seems to us that pre-selection disputes in relation to federal

parliamentary elections would generally have the necessary direct connection
with the Commonwealth Electoral Act to render them justiciable. This is
because of the close connection between such disputes and the provisions of
the Commonwealth Electoral Act governing nomination and endorsement, and
electoral funding. The registered officer is a role created by the legislation and
one that plays no part (in that capacity) in the internal processes of pre-
selection of candidates. Under the legislation, the registered officer has a
central role in both the nomination of candidates (s 166) and their recognition
as candidates endorsed by the registered political party (s 169B). The
registered officer’s role is to act as the conduit for communicating internal party
decisions to the Electoral Commissioner and the voting public. The purposes
of the legislation would be significantly undermined if an endorsement which
was invalid under the governing constitution of a registered party was to be
given effect because it was immune from challenge.”
52 There are three observations which may be made with respect to this passage.
First, although there is reference to provisions of the Electoral Act dealing with
electoral funding, it is not clear that those provisions are relevant to the
reasoning, which otherwise deals with provisions governing nomination and
endorsement.
53 Secondly, while it is true that the role of the registered officer is created by the
legislation, it is also true that he or she plays no necessary part in the internal
processes of the party in preselecting candidates. The “central role” of the
registered officer in the legislative scheme is limited to conveying decisions of
the political party with respect to nomination and endorsement. That role is
aptly described as a “conduit” in relation to communications between the
political party and the Electoral Commission.
54 Thirdly, there is a sense in which the last and critical step involves an element
of circularity. It is true that the legislative provisions relating to nomination and
endorsement of candidates by political parties could be subverted if the ballot
paper contained incorrect information. However, the ballot paper, it may be
assumed, will contain the information conveyed to the Electoral Commission by
the registered officer. To raise the possibility that that information may be
incorrect because it is “invalid” is to assume that there is an avenue for
challenging the validity of the content of the communication from the registered
officer. But that is to assume the conclusion to the critical question rather than
to answer it.
55 Further, the Court of Appeal in Asmar held:
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
“[217] The identity of the registered officer may not be in dispute here, but the
validity of the pre-selection process which is the necessary precursor to the
nomination and endorsement of candidates by the registered officer under the
Act is in dispute.”
56 The existence of a dispute does not enliven the jurisdiction of the Court to
determine the dispute. There was a dispute in Cameron v Hogan, but the Court
did not have power to determine it.
57 Recognising these difficulties, in oral submissions the plaintiff advanced a more

nuanced argument seeking to connect the particular dispute between him and
the committee members with particular provisions of the Electoral Act, notably
ss 169 and 169B. He submitted in essence that the endorsement by a
registered political party gave a candidate a status which was recognised by
the Electoral Act, and thus constituted a sufficient interest to be enforceable.
58 The process commonly referred to as “pre-selection” leads to the endorsement

of a candidate by a political party. There is nothing new in the process, nor in
the concept of endorsement. It was precisely that process which was the
subject of the challenge in Cameron v Hogan. On one view, all that changed
with the introduction of Pt XIV of the Electoral Act was that the result of internal
processes leading to party endorsement was able to be reflected on the ballot
paper. However, the plaintiff contended that statutory recognition of the
process of endorsement gave rise to a right enforceable at the behest of an
interested party member, to have the court determine the validity of the internal
process by which the endorsement occurred.
59 This nuanced submission had the advantage of being at a level of generality

required for any conclusion that provisions of the Electoral Act have created
legal interests not enjoyed by the plaintiff in Cameron v Hogan. Statements that
pre-selection disputes have a “close connection” with provisions of the
Electoral Act concerning nomination, endorsement and funding 28 fall short of
explaining why a dispute between the members of an organisation whose rules
lack contractual force may become justiciable.
60 However, the difficulty confronting the plaintiff’s submission is that the Electoral
Act makes elaborate provision to introduce certainty in an area which is, by
28
Asmar at [213] at [51] above.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
definition, time-critical and potentially contentious. First, the regime leaves no

room for any doubt as to whether a party is registered, and who is its registered
officer. Secondly, it is true that when a person is endorsed as a candidate in an
election by a registered political party, that person enjoys a particular status,
and that person would prima face be able to bring proceedings to vindicate
rights and entitlements attaching to that status. However, the provisions of
s 169(3) and s 169B(1)(a) and (b) indicate that in many circumstances, that
status turns upon a written communication from the registered officer. That is to
say, the very provisions upon which reliance is placed confirm that the scheme
of the statute is to entitle (and require) the Electoral Commissioner to look to
written communications from the registered officer as determinative statements
of the outcome of the processes of the political party. There is evident sense in
the legislation taking that course: by its nature, pre-selection and endorsement
is apt to be divisive, and in circumstances where the statute permits political
parties to have a wide range of constitutions, ranging from those which are
formally binding upon members to constitutions which create no contractually
enforceable rights or obligations at all, the position of the registered officer is
an important source of certainty in the administration of the Act.
61 The plaintiff invited the Court to find that the concluding words of s 169(1) (“a
candidate who has been endorsed by that party”) were to be understood as
referring to a candidate who has been endorsed by that party in accordance
with the party’s constitution. The plaintiff said that that construction was
strengthened by s 169B(1)(c) which authorises the Electoral Commissioner to
make inquiries in order to be satisfied that a candidate is endorsed by the
party. We do not accept this submission. It is impossible to reconcile the
plaintiff’s construction with the effect of s 169B(1) as a whole, which deems a
person to be taken to have been endorsed as a candidate in an election by a
registered political party if any of its three paragraphs is made out, the first two
of which involve communications by the party’s registered officer. Contrary to
the plaintiff’s submission, the scheme of these provisions is to entitle the
Electoral Commissioner to look to the registered officer as the authoritative
source of information as to the candidates endorsed by the party. The
Commissioner may look further if neither of the first two conditions is satisfied.
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
62 Another way of making this point is to observe that while the “status” of being
an endorsed candidate may be a convenient label, it tends to obscure two quite
different things. It is one thing for the registered officer to advise the Electoral
Commissioner that a person is the party’s endorsed candidate. It is another
thing entirely for a person to be treated by a party as an endorsed candidate at
some anterior stage. The latter, in the case of an unincorporated political party
with a constitution which gives rise to no enforceable rights between members,
cannot be treated as giving rise to any enforceable entitlement in the future
merely because of a hope that the registered officer will in due course advise
the Electoral Commission of the endorsement. In such a case, until and unless
the registered officer has engaged the provisions of the Electoral Act, the
person who has been treated as the party’s endorsed candidate is subject to
the possibility that the members of his or her party might change their minds.
That is an inherent incident of membership of an unincorporated association
with a non-enforceable constitution.
63 The reasoning in earlier cases, including Baldwin, which treated the fact that
the issue was one of public importance as sufficient to render all questions as
to the internal processes justiciable, provides an inadequate basis for
distinguishing Cameron v Hogan. However, the need to determine who is the
officer responsible for taking steps within the statutory scheme may render that
issue justiciable. It need not be addressed in this case.
Justiciability – conclusion
64 The broad reasoning in Baldwin has been followed by single judges in
Supreme Courts in several jurisdictions. However, the correct principle cannot
be expressed at such a high level of generality. There was, in 1934, and still is,
no provision in the Electoral Act requiring that rules be registered with the
Commissioner, nor that changes in rules be notified to the Commissioner.
There is, therefore, no general regulation of the rules of political parties which
might warrant the court intervening whenever a dispute arises with respect to
the operation of those rules.
65 Furthermore, there are rules and rules. Some political parties have rules which
have contractual force. An example may be seen in Johnson v The Greens
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
NSW29 where Robb J noted that s 26 of the Associations Incorporation Act

2009 (NSW) gave contractual force to that political party’s constitution and thus
Cameron v Hogan was inapplicable. In contrast, the plaintiff accepted that the
Federal Constitution of the Liberal Party lacked contractual force.
66 The general public interest in the operation of major political parties provides
no basis for not applying Cameron v Hogan. Indeed, there is no reason to
suppose that, other than statutory changes (which provide no generic
expression of a public interest beyond their specific terms), the role, or manner
of operation, of political parties has changed materially since 1934. If this
conclusion creates immunities from control in matters of significant import for
the operation of a democratic political system, the ability to prevent abuse and
regulate the institutions concerned must lie with the Parliament. Where
deemed appropriate, Parliament has acted, and will no doubt continue to act.
Indeed, the fact that it has so acted underlies those cases which have
concluded that intervention is possible in circumstances not envisaged in
Cameron v Hogan.
67 The question in this case turns upon whether the Federal Constitution requires
that a committee appointed by the Federal Executive with respect to the
management of a particular Division must follow the processes for selection of
candidates identified in the Divisional Constitution. That raises an objective
question of construction. Other questions could arise of quite a different kind.
There could be, for example, a potential challenge to the existence of proper
grounds for intervention. There might be a question as to whether there was
any basis on which the Federal Executive could be satisfied of a matter upon
which it purported to rely. There could be a question as to whether it could rely
upon a matter where it had created the circumstances giving rise to the need
for intervention. These questions do not arise in the present case, but it must
be doubted whether a court, consistently with the principles established in
Cameron v Hogan, could treat such issues as properly raised for judicial
determination in an unincorporated association which did not create contractual
rights between members.
29
[2019] NSWSC 215 at [18].
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
68 There may be questions as to the existence of a matter necessary for the

operation of the statutory scheme, as arose before Robson J in Butler, which
may give rise to justiciable issues, but no such question arises in the present
case.
69 It follows that the challenge to the conferral of powers on the committee

defendants by the National Executive, and the exercise of those powers, gave
rise to no justiciable issue.
Construction of Party’s Federal Constitution

70 As noted above, there is a connection between the submissions on justiciability
of the dispute, and the submissions on the dispute itself. Although we are
satisfied that the issues are not justiciable, in the interests of finality and
against the possibility that we are wrong on the determinative issue, we now
turn to the substantive dispute.
71 Again the plaintiff’s submissions were put with clarity and concinnity.
Expressed in general terms, the plaintiff’s submissions raised an issue as to
the extent to which the Federal Executive is empowered to intervene in the
management of a Division. Whilst it is correct to have close regard to the text of
the Party’s Federal Constitution, it is also important to read the document as a
whole and with regard to the structure of the political party which it establishes.
72 First, the plaintiff submitted that cl 12.3 spoke of taking over the “management”
of a Division, and not of taking over “management and control” of the Division.
It was said, correctly, that in some places the Federal Constitution uses both
terms and in others it refers only to management. Because the document is
carefully drawn, it was submitted that effect should be given to these linguistic
differences. However, there are other ways of reading the document. One is
that the phrase “management and control” is a hendiadys, providing two words
to express the result of an exercise of power. If precise grammatical structure
is significant, it supports that use of the phrase. Thus, cl 8, providing that
“[t]here shall be a Division of the Party in each State and the Australian Capital
Territory consisting of the members of the Party resident in that State or
Territory” (cl 8.1), continues:
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
“8.2 Subject to this Federal Constitution, the management and control of the
affairs of a Division is vested in the State Council of the Division.”
(Emphasis added.)
73 Similarly cl 9.2, dealing with the powers of the Federal Council, states:
“9.2 Powers
Save as expressly provided in this Federal Constitution, and without
limiting the powers of each Division, the management and control of
the federal affairs of the Party is vested in the Federal Council ….”
(Emphasis added.)
74 The use of the singular “is” in reference to the phrase “management and
control” tends to support the view that the phrase engages a single concept.
75 On the other hand, the two words may, in ordinary parlance, involve different
objects. Thus, it makes sense to speak of management of the affairs of a
person or organisation, but to speak of controlling the person or organisation.
This usage appears to be reflected in some provisions. Thus, in dealing with
the Divisions and the powers of executives and officers of the Divisions, cl 8.5
states:
“8.5 Subject to this Federal Constitution and to the control of the State
Council of the Division, the management of the affairs of the Party in each
Division is vested in the Executive of the Division.”
76 In cl 11, dealing with the Federal Executive, power is conferred to “do all things
necessary and essential to the efficient management of the affairs of the
Council”: cl 11.2(b). Whether or not control is exercised over persons or
bodies, whereas affairs are managed, the semantic point provides little
assistance with respect to the proper construction of cl 12.3 upon which the
plaintiff’s case turns.
77 Further, it is tolerably plain that cl 12.3(b) identifies three express powers which
are conferred upon the Federal Executive in the event of the exercise of the
power in cl 12.3(a). One of those powers is the power to “rescind or amend any
decision made by the relevant Division’s Executive or governing or other body
of that Division”. That power is expressed in general terms. It extends to any
decision of any body of the Division. If, as the plaintiff submitted, there is a
distinction between powers of management and powers of control, with only
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
the former being conferred by cl 12.3, that distinction sits ill with the generality
of cl 12.3(b)(ii).
78 Secondly, the plaintiff placed emphasis on the fact that the Divisional
Constitution includes powers and procedures for pre-selecting candidates and
cl 12.3(b) expressly provides that neither the Federal Executive nor the
administrator or committee “shall have power to amend the Divisional
Constitution”. It therefore follows, the argument proceeded, that a committee
appointed to take over the management of the Division must operate in
accordance with the Divisional Constitution.
79 On the one hand, it is clear that the powers and procedures in the Divisional
Constitution which govern the selection of candidates are themselves subject
to the Federal Constitution, in accordance with cl 8.2, set out above. On the
other hand, there are specific powers in the Federal Constitution which
expressly engage with the divisional powers to select candidates. For example,
cl 12.5 provides for the Federal Executive to exercise powers in relation to
candidates already chosen by a Division. In effect, if the personal
circumstances of the candidates were “not taken sufficiently into account in the
preselection process” and “are likely to jeopardise the Party’s prospects of
electoral success” then the Federal Executive may “request the relevant
Division to review the preselection or endorsement of that candidate in
accordance with the appropriate procedures of that Division”: cl 12.5(a).
Following a review and after hearing from the candidate, the Federal Executive
may revoke the selection “and require the Division to take such steps as are
necessary to select or appoint a new candidate”: cl 12.5(b). No similar powers
are identified where the Federal Executive intervenes prior to a pre-selection
process having been concluded, but it does not follow that cl 12.5 is an
exclusive basis of intervention in the selection of candidates.
80 Further, the Federal Constitution expressly deals with limitations on the powers
of Divisions in the selection of candidates. Clause 23 is headed “Selection of
Candidates by Divisions”. The first subclause provides:
“23.1 The Divisional Constitution of each State Division shall provide for
selection of candidates for the Senate and for Federal and State electorates
within that Division, but subject always to the powers reserved to the Federal
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
Council and the Federal Executive by this Federal Constitution. If the

Divisional Constitution of the Division provides that the selection of such
candidates is conducted by some body of the Division other than the State
Council, any such selection shall be reviewable by the relevant State Party
forum provided for in the Divisional Constitution of the State Division and shall
provide that upon such review the relevant Divisional forum shall have the
power to revoke the selection of any candidate for the Senate or any Federal
electorate within the Division and select any candidate in place of any person
whose candidature has been so revoked.”
81 In these circumstances, it is difficult to infer a limitation on the power of the
committee appointed by the Federal Executive in this case, for the purpose of
pre-selecting candidates in particular seats. While it is no doubt true that the
effect of that action is to bypass the selection process provided in the Divisional
Constitution, that does not amount to an amendment to the Divisional
Constitution, but the exercise of a power which is only available in
circumstances where intervention grounds have been established. Clauses
12.5 and 23 provide a basis for the exercise of power in the present case.
82 It is also self-evident and inevitable that intervention varies the effect of a

Divisional Constitution. Thus powers of, say, the State Executive under the
Divisional Constitution will no longer be exercised by the State Executive. But
that involves no amendment of the Divisional Constitution.
83 The plaintiff sought to meet this argument by distinguishing between

management powers vested in executive officers or bodies, such as the State
Council, from the prescribed processes for selecting candidates. While such a
distinction may be available, context and purpose work against its acceptance.
While the basis of intervention in cl 12.1(a)(iii) identified a troubling state of
affairs, it did not identify where the problem lay. It could well be in the
procedures operating in the Division. If so, it would undermine the purpose of
the intervention to allow the Federal Executive to take over management of the
Division without being able to resolve the problem. The proposed constraint on
power finds no justification in the language of cl 12.3, read in the context
described above, including cl 23.
Conclusions
84 The plaintiff’s statement of claim should be dismissed on the basis that the
question identified by the plaintiff is not justiciable. If the Court were entitled to
5KIPGFD[#WUV.++
rule on the validity of the resolution of 6 March 2022 it would reject the
challenge.
85 It is unnecessary to deal with the proposed joinder of new parties, the

amendment of the statement of claim, or the making of representative orders.
Any party wishing to apply for any further order may do so within the time
prescribed by Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16. The plaintiff
sought an opportunity to address on costs. Any proposed order should be filed
with a brief supporting submission (limited to three pages) by 5:00pm on
Friday, April 8. The first, second, third and eighth defendants may reply by
5:00pm on Tuesday, April 12, also limited to three pages.
86 The Court makes the following order:
Dismiss the statement of claim filed on 15 March 2022 in the Equity Division,
removed into this Court by order made on 30 March 2022 and remitted by the
High Court of Australia on 31 March 2022.
********

PM Morrison Wins NSW Preselection Supreme Court Case

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PM Morrison Wins NSW Preselection Supreme Court Case

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New South Wales

Case Name: Camenzuli v Morrison

Medium Neutral Citation: [2022] NSWCA 51

Hearing Date(s): 1 April 2022

Date of Orders: 5 April 2022

Decision Date: 5 April 2022

Before: Basten JA; Leeming JA; Payne JA

Decision: Dismiss the statement of claim filed on 15 March 2022

Catchwords: ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS – jurisdiction of courts –

ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS – unincorporated

Legislation Cited: Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW), s 26

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth), ss 4, 4C, 123,

Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16

Cases Cited: Asmar v Albanese [2022] HCASL 71

Texts Cited: JRS Forbes, Justice in Tribunals (The Federation

Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Joint

Category: Principal judgment

Parties: Matthew Louis Camenzuli (Plaintiff)

G O'L Reynolds SC / D A Ward (First, Second, Third

File Number(s): 2022/00074168

On 4 March 2022, the Federal Executive of the Liberal Party resolved to

internal party processes of pre-selection raised justiciable issues because the

The primary issues before the Court were:

(1) whether the proceedings gave rise to a justiciable matter; and

Baldwin v Everingham [1993] 1 Qd R 10; Asmar v Albanese [2022] VSCA 19,

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth), ss 166, 169, 169B, considered.

Issue 2 – interpretation of Liberal Party Federal Constitution

(4) Although it was not necessary to determine the interpretation of the

2 Before coming to the point of construction, it is necessary to address the

Section 78B notices

6 The issue was raised by the committee defendants on the evening of

Removal to this Court

Removal to High Court and remittal

Priority amongst issues

Relevant provisions of the Party Constitution

14 Although the submissions drew attention to various provisions in the Party’s

15 The operative provision, cl 12.3, read as follows:

“12.3 Intervention in the Management of a Division

Executive may resolve to take over the management of that Division in

that the concept of “management” did not involve the pre-selection of

17 It is necessary to turn to the provisions of the Electoral Act to understand how it

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) – as in force in 1934

22 It is readily apparent that, in 1934, no statute made provision for political

Electoral Act – current provisions

26 Part XI provides for a range of decisions to be made by the Electoral

166 Mode of nomination

(1) Subject to subsections (1A), (1AA), (1B) and (1C), a nomination

29 Section 166 thus permits nominees to be endorsed by a political party, the

4C Registered officer of political party

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a reference in this Act to the registered

169 Notification of party endorsement

169B Verification of party endorsement

(c) the Electoral Commissioner is satisfied, after making such

Cases addressing justiciability

accordance with the instructions of the State Executive. The membership of

40 In dealing with the position of the registered officer, Robson J concluded:

It is unremarkable that members of an incorporated body are

“[44] In my opinion, a reading of the Electoral Act demonstrates that the

(b) the promotion of the election to the Senate or to the House of

44 For reasons further developed below, the reasoning of Riordan J is persuasive.

45 This reasoning was accepted by Ginnane J in Asmar v Albanese (No 4).21