Rosa Parks Would Not Accept The Current Liberal Party Rules, Argues Powerbroker

Apparently the situation is also just like South Africa's apartheid.

A Liberal powerbroker has argued for urgent rule changes within the party, likening the current situation to South Africa's apartheid regime and saying US civil rights hero Rosa Parks wouldn't be happy about it.

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Prominent members of the NSW Liberal party want to change the rules, which currently give some members more say in the pre-selection of office bearers and election candidates than others.

Leading the charge is Walter Villatora, president of Tony Abbott's Warringah Federal Election Conference, who issued a booklet to members ahead of a meeting on the changes this weekend.

"The current situation is akin to South Africa's apartheid," writes Villatora. "We have two classes of members; a few members with power and most with none."

ABC 7:30 / Via abc.net.au

He goes on to say that Rosa Parks, who defied intimidation by sitting at the front of a segregated bus in racially divided America in 1955, would not take the rules that govern NSW Liberal candidates.

Jeff Kowalsky / AFP / Getty Images

"At a recent FEC meeting to elect an office bearer, as chair I had to awkwardly request that about 70 per cent of the membership move to the back of the room because they were unavailable to vote."

"I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that Rosa Parks would not have accepted this segregation in 1955."

On another page of the booklet, Villatora includes pictures of all the people who support a change to the rules. There are 25 political figures, with four women and just one person of colour.

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Ross Cameron @RossCameron4

@MarkDiStef There is no matter on which I feel more conviction than one member one vote. It is strongly, urgently in citizen's interest.

11:06 AM - 12 Oct 2016