Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants the ALP nationally to recruit 8000 extra members and the NSW branch - which holds its annual conference in Sydney this weekend - is aiming to contribute to that figure by recruiting 2700 new members.
Former prime minister Bob Hawke, who is leading the "Recruiting to Win - Bob Hawke Challenge" campaign for the NSW branch, has written to all members asking them to recruit two friends for a membership fee of $5 before August.
Five members will get a chance to have dinner with the Labor stalwart in late August.
Labor has also produced for sale vintage election posters and badges featuring the former leader.
Watch the video and let us know what you think below:
Remember this guy?
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Considered by many as the most Australian of Australian Prime Ministers. This very Australian former Prime Minister appears to be now selling this country, but wait for it; with taxpayer funded facilities to help him close those lucrative deals.
Weeklytimesnow.com.au is reporting as an exclusive (read full article, click here), that FORMER PM Bob Hawke has the all-clear to use taxpayer dollars to organise foreign raids on Australian farms.
Mr Hawke is co-ordinating Chinese company Shanghai Zhongfu's bid to take control of 30,000ha of new irrigation land - and the attached water rights - on northern Australia's Ord River.
Hawke has refused to comment on whether he used his taxpayer-funded office and telephones to negotiate the deal.
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Julia Gillard said what former PMs did with their offices was their business.
While Nationals Senate leader, Barnaby Joyce, said it was important Mr Hawke reveal whether he was using taxpayers' funds, "otherwise he cannot be upset about the conclusions that taxpayers will draw".
AusBuy chief Lynne Wilkinson weighed in by saying using taxpayer-funded resources to sell off Australian assets would be "most inappropriate behaviour".
She also said: "He's already been well and truly paid by taxpayers and that's not appropriate."
A spokeswoman for Mr Hawke admitted calls could have been made from his Sydney office, but denied meetings had been held there.
Department of Finance records reveal Mr Hawke's office's "telecommunications expenses" between January and June last year were $2326.83. Fixed phone line expenses averaged about $300 a month for that period and taxpayers also footed the bill for his mobile phone. Mr Hawke's records for July-December 2011 are due this month.
The Weekly Times lodged a Freedom of Information request for Mr Hawke's phone records, which was refused.
Senator Joyce said he was not "questioning the legality of what Mr Hawke does from his office", but its "appropriateness". The senator has previously said those selling off Australian assets were acting in the interests of their wallet and "not of their nation".
Mr Hawke has also dealt with Arab countries. In 2010, it was reported that he had urged Saudi Arabia to produce more food in Australia.
Do you think ex-PM Hawke is Australian?
Is it ok for him to be selling off Australian land to other countries?
Has your view on Bob Hawke changed?
Leave your comments below this video or on the McCarthy-Wood.com site.
