CONFERENCE TIME – A WASTE OF TIME

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Conference
2010 National LGBT Conference
Date
28 July 2010
Decision
Remitted

Conference recognises the importance of ‘workshops’ to raise awareness, educate and inform members but not at a cost of conference time. Conference also understands that it is important for Caucuses to meet but not at the cost of conference business.

Conference notes that at last year’s conference and previous years we have rushed through business on the Sunday morning, by ‘reducing speaking times’ and ‘points of order’ being put to move business on. This disenfranchises Branches and Regions who have submitted motions on important issues and those who are moving motions and wish to speak on them.

Conference believes that Workshops and Caucus Meetings should take place outside of main conference business and before the debating of motions that maybe on the topic or issue of the workshop or the Caucus meeting has discussed. In previous years, conference has debated motions on a Saturday morning before a workshop on the issue in the afternoon this is nonsense by holding workshops on a Saturday morning delegates will gain a better understanding of any issues and be more informed to take part in debating these issues on the conference floor.

Conference therefore instructs the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Committee to work and liaise with the Standing Orders Committee to:

1.Move Caucus meetings to a Friday evening following Regional Meetings and/or Saturday mornings prior to workshops to ensure full participation;

2.Organise workshops to be held on a Saturday morning prior to the opening of Conference as workshops are not conference business;

3.Organise the opening of Conference on the Saturday afternoon continuing on the Sunday morning;

4.Fringe meetings should take place at lunchtime or following the end of each day’s business.