Vic: Democrats meet but yet to tackle Andrew Murray issue
ADELAIDE, Aug 10 AAP - The Australian Democrats' national executive today began a weekendof talks aimed at healing rifts within the party, but is yet to tackle the vexed issueof rebel Senator Andrew Murray.
Senator Murray, who has declared himself a Democrat "in exile", was not at the meetingin Adelaide, where motions to expel him from the party are expected tomorrow.
It was reported that party president Liz Oss-Emer and two vice-presidents today removedthemselves from the party's compliance committee - the group blamed by Senator Murrayfor driving former leader Senator Meg Lees away from the Democrats.
Otherwise, party leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja said today's agenda had been "unexciting".
"My focus is on the future of the party and meeting with national executive membersand redistributing portfolios," she told ABC TV.
Tomorrow's decisions on whether to push for Senator Murray's expulsion or agree tohis sitting as a backbencher will be crucial to her party's future.
Senator Murray is refusing to return to portfolio responsibilities until Democratssenators meet to discuss his plan to resolve what he calls management and professionalismissues.
Democrats South Australian president Ian Gilfillan said of this weekend's meeting:"It's like a family adjusting to how to get on in a more mature climate and I think we'vetaken big steps towards that."
He said a meeting between Senator Murray and his party room colleagues on Monday wasa catalyst for the party to heal its rifts and wounds and return to being a working unit.
Senator Murray has blamed Senator Stott Despoja for the party's current crisis, sayingshe had inflamed the issue by issuing an ultimatum for him to return to the party.
AAP sjg/cjh/was
KEYWORD: DEMOCRATS
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