Once seen as the Australian Labor Party (ALP)’s most successful state, New South Wales (NSW) is now experiencing its longest period under a Liberal Party–led state government since World War II. Little remains of NSW Labor’s political hegemony despite having governed the state in the postwar era for nearly as long as the Social Democrats governed Sweden.

Since its landslide loss in 2011 — its worst result in a century — NSW Labor has struggled to regain its dominance at a state level. The problematic nature of NSW Labor is well documented and repeated national interventions into the state branch further demonstrated the need to overhaul the party. The party machine, colloquially known as Sussex Street, after the address of the party headquarters, has been identified as the source of many of its problems.

Campaigners for party democracy are rightfully vocal about the need to change Sussex Street. However, many advocates for party reform focus single-mindedly on reducing the influence of Labor-affiliated trade unions. This strategy is misguided and alienates potential allies in affiliated unions. Rather it is the gerrymandered rank-and-file component of the party’s state conference that should be the immediate focus of party democracy campaigners in NSW.