2023-08-30
By Sue Etheridge
Australian Greens National Treasurer
I live and work on the unceded lands of the Gubbi Gubbi people and pay respect to elders and ancestors of this country. I recognise that we walk on stolen land and that Sovereignty was never ceded. I also recognise the fight for truth telling, treaty, justice and peace continues.
It has been a very enjoyable year as Treasurer; in large part due to the collaboration with others who have been working hard to improve our processes. I am grateful to my fellow Office Bearers, Australian Greens Staff, State and Territory Treasurers, National Councillors, the Governance and Finance Committee, the Donations Reference Group, and in particular the Strategic Planning Steering Committee who have all worked alongside me and made the year extremely productive and enjoyable.
Financial Report Summary
The Australian Greens reports are consolidated and include all of our activities: operational (administrative), election campaigning, and specific projects.
As at 01/07/2022 The Australian Greens held $1,802,639 CR. Over the year we received $3,788,894 CR in income and spent $4,443,295 DR, which resulted in a net deficit of $654,401 DR.
Our retained balance sheet surplus as at 30/06/2023 is $1,148,238 CR.
Income
Total operating income was on budget, with most income sources also being close to budget. Achieving the Donations and Fundraising Income targets is a testament to the hard work of both the Engagement and Campaign teams.
Expenditure
Overall operating expenses have been fairly well contained at $95,422 (4.6%) over budget. Savings were made with equipment and systems being under budget; however these savings were utilised on unbudgeted other operating expenses.
Balance Sheet Summary
I am pleased to report that our overall financial position remains satisfactory. Most of our assets are 'current' (i.e., cash or equivalent). After accounting for liabilities, some of our net assets are held as reserves for specific purposes, but most is available in cash or cash-equivalent.
Committees and Collaboration
The Governance and Finance Committee continued to meet twice a month, to carry on with the work of Budget-Setting, the finalising of a National Risk Management Register, and preliminary work in preparation for our Strategic Planning Review.
The Strategic Planning Steering Committee met fortnightly to oversee and advance our Australian Greens Strategic Plan 2023-2032. This plan is the culmination of a significant amount of work and input from many members across the party since late 2021 and is the biggest such project undertaken since 2016.
The Donations Reference Group was tasked with reviewing our Donation Processes and Disclosures, and met twice monthly to advance this process.
The group of State and Territory Treasurers continue to meet regularly, and it is a welcoming space for collaboration and collegiality. It has been great to see all the regular faces on our Zoom chats, and to welcome new Treasurers along with farewelling of others.
A big thank-you to everyone involved in these committees/meetings including Alex Breskin, Anne Picot, Ash Brown, Brett Constable, Chris Maltby, Deb Rees, Emi Martin, Emma Barrett, Emma Pringle, Gemmia Burden, Heather Lonsdale, Jayde Lillico, Jesse Smith, Jonathan Parry, Kathy Mazlin, Margaret Keelan, Matt Roberts, Rose Newbury Freeman, Travis Jordan and Viv Glance - your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed and is very much appreciated.
I would like to make a special mention to Brett Constable, whose hard work is invaluable across all of the party, but in particular underpins much of the Treasurer role. I would also like to thank the rest of my fellow Office Bearers; we are a close-knit team who work very well together. I am very fortunate to work with excellent people across the party, both staff members and volunteers, and this past year has been a great example of what we can achieve when we all work towards a common goal.
– Sue