Fed: Democrats leader warns she ll be a tough negotiator

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2001
Fed: Democrats leader warns she ll be a tough negotiator

Newly-elected Democrats leader NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA has warned she will be a tough
negotiator and has no qualms about fighting for the party's core principles.

Senator STOTT DESPOJA, former party deputy, defeated MEG LEES in a rank and file ballot
announced in Adelaide last night.

Senator STOTT DESPOJA says she did not anticipate making radical changes but was still
focused on getting the GST removed from books.

She told ABC Radio she rejects the idea the Democrats will have little power to force
change ahead of this year's federal election.

She says the government's backdown on beer excise was a win for the Democrats, and
changes have been seen in relation to petrol excise and the Business Activity Statement.

Senator STOTT DESPOJA says the Democrats are still about the core value of keeping
governments accountable, keeping them to their promises.





New South Wales Senator ADEN RIDGEWAY was elected deputy of the party ahead of Senator
ANDREW BARTLETT, making him the first Aboriginal Australian to hold a leadership position
in a federal political party.

AAP RTV sal/pc

KEYWORD: DEMOCRATS (SYDNEY)

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