The civil war inside the Greens is set to escalate with leaked internal emails raising questions about the power of "faceless" party officials to dictate how MPs vote in Parliament.
Fairfax Media revealed last week that all nine of NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon's federal colleagues had signed a letter of complaint about her behaviour during the Gonski 2.0 funding negotiations.
More NSW News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:05
Greens senator suspended
Greens senator suspended
Senator Lee Rhiannon will be barred from taking part in some Greens party room decision making until her NSW wing makes a series of reforms.
Up Next
Police seriously injured after teen attack
- Video duration
- 01:49
- Video duration
- 01:49
Police seriously injured after teen attack
Police seriously injured after teen attack
Teen allegedly kicked a Sydney police officer in the city's north-west.
Up Next
Mike Baird's emotional moment
- Video duration
- 02:08
- Video duration
- 02:08
Mike Baird's emotional moment
Mike Baird's emotional moment
The former NSW Premier has broken down after seeing his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. It's not the first time however, he's gotten emotional.
Up Next
Two charged in Lake Haven murder
- Video duration
- 00:30
- Video duration
- 00:30
Two charged in Lake Haven murder
Two charged in Lake Haven murder
Two men have been charged with murder after the death of Jayden Mason on the Central Coast last month, with another behind bars for 'concealing a serious offence'.
Up Next
Jamie Clements slapped with $4000 fine
- Video duration
- 02:01
- Video duration
- 02:01
Jamie Clements slapped with $4000 fine
Jamie Clements slapped with $4000 fine
The previous General Secretary for the NSW ALP, Jamie Clements, has been convicted of unlawfully accessing the electoral roll after he sought confidential details about a voter for a union boss.
Up Next
Motorcyclist jailed for death of cyclist
- Video duration
- 00:28
- Video duration
- 00:28
Motorcyclist jailed for death of cyclist
Motorcyclist jailed for death of cyclist
Ben Smith has been jailed for at least five years, after running cyclist Steven Jarvie off the road at Cowan, north of Sydney in February 2013.
Up Next
Gordon Wood leaves Supreme Court
- Video duration
- 00:31
- Video duration
- 00:31
Gordon Wood leaves Supreme Court
Gordon Wood leaves Supreme Court
Former chauffeur, Gordon Wood, is pursuing damages against the state of NSW, claiming he was wrongfully convicted of the murder of model Caroline Byrne.
Up Next
Gladys Berejiklian announces foster care changes
- Video duration
- 00:52
- Video duration
- 00:52
Gladys Berejiklian announces foster care ...
Gladys Berejiklian announces foster care changes
In March, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced new financial incentives to encourage more parents to adopt foster children.
Greens senator suspended
Senator Lee Rhiannon will be barred from taking part in some Greens party room decision making until her NSW wing makes a series of reforms.
The Greens party room then decided to exclude Senator Rhiannon from contentious policy debates until the NSW branch relinquishes its power to bind MPs to vote against the will of the federal party.
Even senior Greens figures are confused by how the binding process works and whether Senator Rhiannon was in fact bound to vote against the government's school funding changes.
Emails from the NSW Greens federal parliamentary liaison committee – a six-person group set up to "enhance communication" between the state party and federal MPs – highlight the party's opaque decision-making process.
In the leaked emails, committee members agree to bind Senator Rhiannon to block the government's bill even though the group's own terms of reference state they do not have the power to do so.
Greens activist Eliza Scarpellino wrote to fellow committee members on June 17 expressing alarm at reports the Greens were close to striking a deal with the government on school funding.
"I would like to know what the process is for [the NSW Greens] to bind a federal Senator to vote against anything less than the original Gonski?" Ms Scarpellino asked.
In a follow-up email she wrote: "I understand that Party Room is having a meeting tomorrow to finalise their decision on Gonski and as such I would like to hear thoughts from other members of PLC by 5PM THIS EVENING.
"Having read the constitution and ToR [terms of reference] I believe it is well within the role of Fed PLC to bind Lee to voting against for anything less than the original Gonski."
Committee member Bruce Knobloch replied: "I agree that Lee is bound. I hope that our party room are working closely enough with the [Australian Education Union] leadership so we land safely, but if not Lee needs to have endorsement to vote on policy."
The committee's terms of reference state any advice given to MPs is "not binding".
If a Greens MP is likely to vote against their federal colleagues, the terms of reference say the matter should be referred to the State Delegates Council for consideration.
Senator Rhiannon told Fairfax Media: "The way our state party handled the recent school funding bill was a case for celebration not condemnation.
"I don't think all wisdom lies with MPs and I value my engagement with Greens members."
Asked if she was bound to vote against the government she said: "I felt bound by Australian Greens policy.
"The Greens NSW constitution obliges its MPs to do their best to advance our policies. The various Turnbull packages were a step backwards. My view was confirmed by the Greens NSW Education Working Group and the Parliamentary Liaison Committee."
Factional enemies of Senator Rhiannon describe such committees as "politburos" unrepresentative of the party's broader membership.
"This is all happening in secret," a Greens source said. "These people are totally unaccountable."
NSW Greens MP Justin Field said the state party should maintain the right to bind federal MPs but must cast a "critical eye" on how the process works.
"These sorts of decisions should not be made within small working groups, but should undergo a genuine grassroots process that is broad and transparent," he wrote in a blog post.