Thinking About Joining?

Thinking About Joining? FAQ

Wondering what it's like to become a party member? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions below. And if you're not quite ready to join, discover the many other ways to get involved or support ACT Labor.

Becoming a member

Am I eligible to join?

If you are a resident of the ACT, Jervis Bay Territory, or Norfolk Island and 15 years old or over, you are eligible to join (provided you are not a member of any other political party). You can find more information about membership eligibility in the ACT Labor Rules in section B.3.

I'm not a citizen, can I still join?

Yes, you can be a member of the party however you will not be able to participate in candidate preselections.

I'm living overseas, can I still join?

No worries! You can join as an ‘overseas’ member, as long as you are still on the ACT electoral roll. Overseas members qualify for the concessional rate. If you are based overseas just put down the address you are registered with in the ACT in your application. You can put down an international address as your preferred mailing address.

After you join

What can members do?

Members are responsible for selecting and campaigning for the candidates who run in ACT and Federal elections. This is one of the great privileges of being a member of ACT Labor, but it’s not the only way to get involved in the democratic process. Campaigning, either during elections or in your community, is an exciting way to get involved in the party.

Members can volunteer as part of an election campaign by joining the team of a candidate and heading out into the suburbs visiting voters and talking to them about Labor’s values and policies. This is a great way to meet other members and learn new skills.

It’s also a really great feeling to get out into the community and fight for the election of a candidate. Campaigning on an issue is also a really exciting way to get involved in the community. Sometimes a sub-branch or a group of members will identify a problem in their community e.g. run down playground, and they will organise a campaign around solving that problem. The ALP provides training to members who want to campaign, keep an eye out for training sessions as they get advertised.

What happens once I join?

Once you complete our online join form we will process your application on our end. This normally takes between 2-5 business days. Once your application has been processed you will receive a couple of emails which will include your member number, a new member pack, and information about your local sub-branch.

Within your first few months, you will also be invited to a new member event by Party Office which is a good chance to meet other new members, ask questions, and find out about opportunities in the party. You will receive your member card in the mail within 12-14 business days. If you have any questions after you sign up to get in touch with our Membership Engagement Officer at [email protected].

Fees and Donations

How much does membership cost?

Labor party memberships are managed by each state and territory branch. Here in the ACT, we offer 3 payment options based on your circumstances. To make things a bit more simple, we have automatic renewals which means we won’t keep asking you to renew your membership and card details.

General $16.50 per month

Union members & part-time workers $11 per month

Concession $33 per year (retired, full-time students, casually employed, under 18s, overseas, and concession)

What do fees contribute to?

Your payments help to keep our party member-driven and independent of relying on corporate donors. ACT Labor regularly funds events, campaigns and training to help win elections and implement Labor policy in our community.

Is membership tax deductible?

Yes. You will receive an annual statement each July to help you claim the deduction. Membership fees fall under the political contributions category. More information can be found on the ATO website.

Are donations tax deductible?

Yes, political party donations of up to $1,500 can be claimed as a tax deduction, see the ATO website for details.

About Labor

Who are we?

The Australian Labor Party is the largest political party in Australia. Born out of the trade union movement and built on shared beliefs of equality and social justice. We are part of a movement that is dedicated to delivering a better life for all Australians through democratic socialism.

How is Labor organised?

Labor organises itself along a root and branch structure that delegates authority to members from the community level all the way up to the national level.

At the local level, ACT members join local sub-branches and participate in policy committees. These are the basic building blocks of ACT Labor and are the places where much of your activity in the party will take place. Local sub-branches are where members meet, discuss, and debate political issues, make decisions and campaign in the community. We have 17 local sub-branches that cover all of Canberra’s suburbs and you can decide to participate in any sub-branch of your choosing.

Policy committees are places where members with a passion for policy can meet and discuss, debate and create policy for consideration by the wider party. ACT Labor has 12 policy committees ranging in topics from economics to social justice to foreign affairs.

From these places, you can get involved in various decision-making forums that represent the views of the party across the ACT as a whole, including our Annual Conference which is the place where ACT Labor’s major decisions are made and our policy positions are determined.

How is Labor structured nationally?

Labor has state and territory branches that affiliate to the national Australian Labor Party. Each branch operates independently and has its own set of rules.

Members can join the state or territory branch in which they are enrolled to vote. If you move you can transfer your membership from one branch to another.

Getting Involved

What are local sub-branches?

Sub-branches meet every month to discuss and debate political issues, organise campaigns or events, and make decisions to be considered by the Branch Conference or other groups within the Party. New members are placed into their closest sub-branch based on the suburb in which they are living in, but members are free to choose to attend any sub-branch.

What are policy committees?

Policy committees are groups of members who meet regularly to discuss, debate, and create policy around a particular topic or portfolio. They are a great way to engage with specific areas of policy that are of interest to you.

What are action networks?

There are a number of action networks run by Labor members that work to make change within Labor. These groups are not official parts of the party but play an important role in providing a space for members to take action. Some examples include:

The Fabiens
Emily's List
Rainbow Labor
Labor Environmental Action Network (LEAN)
Labor Women's Network

Joining a local election campaign

There are a lot of volunteer and campaigning opportunities both in and outside of an election year. Campaigns regularly need volunteers for community events and campaign activities like phonebanking, doorknocking and poll booths.

Not ready to join?

How else can I get involved?

We know that joining a political party can be a big decision for some. If you’re not quite ready to join the Party there are other ways to stay in touch and support the party.

Sign up for our mailing list
You can sign up to our email list to stay up to date with what’s happening in ACT Labor, hear from Labor MPs, and find out about upcoming opportunities or events.

Get in touch with your local MP
Our elected members are there to represent their communities. If there is something in particular you want to talk about we encourage you to reach out to your local member. You can find all your Labor representatives here.

Donate
Your donations help to keep our party member-driven and independent of relying on corporate donors. ACT Labor regularly funds events, campaigns, and training to help win elections and implement Labor policy in our community. Click here to donate now.

I have more questions

If you’ve got some questions or just want to find out more about the party and what being a member involves, get in touch with our membership team to have a chat.