What actually happened at Labor’s national conference over the weekend? Deputy leader of the opposition and shadow for Foreign Affairs minister Tanya Plibersek explains.
Last weekend, the extended Labor family got together in Melbourne for our national conference.
It’s something we do about once every three years.
As you’d expect at any big family gathering, there were a few differences of opinion. And like any family, we worked through our differences knowing there’s a lot of love in the room. At the end of the day, everyone understands we’re stronger together.
In stark contrast, Liberal Party conferences are behind closed doors affairs – sanitised, policy-light board meetings where no one breaks a sweat.
I’m proud that Labor has always had the confidence to talk about our ideas, and to do it for all to see (Labor’s conference is open to the media and other observers). For us, unity has never meant conformity. We question each other. We challenge each other. We decide together. And then we back each other. Labor policy is better for it. And when you look at Labor’s impressive record, you see our nation is better for it too.
Naturally, most media attention was devoted to the more hotly debated issues.
Related: The speech that had Penny Wong in tears.
But the reality is that many proposals were endorsed by the conference unanimously, including fantastic policies on the economy, health, and education.
In case you missed them, here are just a few of issues that were discussed at Labor’s conference –
Gender equality.
Women are half the population, and they should make up half of our parliament too. Labor Cabinets in Victoria and Queensland already have equal representation of women and men. But Labor’s conference raised the bar further, committing that within the decade 50% of Labor parliamentarians will be women. A huge achievement!
Related: The argument about women and ‘merit’ has just been turned on its head.
Marriage equality.
It’s time for marriage equality. Labor wants Tony Abbott to get out of the way so we can make marriage equality a reality now.
But if he doesn’t, we announced that in the first 100 days of a Labor Government, we will make marriage equality law.
Watch Senator Wong’s speech on marriage equality here (post continues after video):
Immigration policy.
The conference agreed to welcome more refugees to Australia, but to bring them here safely.
Related: ‘Why our Prime Minister is wrong on asylum seekers, in 7 sentences.’
Labor announced we will: double Australia’s humanitarian refugee intake; contribute $450 million to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (more help for the record 60 million people displaced worldwide); abolish temporary protection visas; and appoint an independent children’s advocate.
Climate change.
We know that Tony Abbott thinks climate change is ‘absolute crap’. That possibly explains why his climate change policy involves giving billions of taxpayer dollars to big polluters, to keep polluting.
Labor is the only party that will deliver real action on climate change. And on the weekend, the Labor conference agreed to an ambitious target of 50% renewable energy by 2030, and strong pollution reduction measures.
Labor has debates because our members, and our MPs, are passionate about the future of our nation. We all want to make Australia a better, fairer place. With Tony Abbott, we have a government that is cynical, divisive, and damaging. Labor needs to beat them. And we need to do it in one term.
We are ready.
Related content:
Tanya Plibersek explains why she was kicked out of Question Time.
Tanya Plibersek: ‘My dad had the right to die with dignity.’
Top Comments
Meanwhile, Labor still spruiking that turnbacks 'save lives'.
This is an utter lie. There is no evidence whatsoever that they do, other than the fact Tony Abbott says so.
Meanwhile common sense, and the countries who have bodies washing up every day on their shores, would suggest that turning leaky boats around in the middle of the ocean in fact kills more people.
But if we lie enough, I'm sure we can get back to watching reality TV without too much distraction.
Oh and the child rape on our tax dollar? Thanks Tanya, appreciate your hard work on that one.
Seriously, you should be so deeply and utterly ashamed of yourself.
I'm sure I remember something else about refugees apart from all the good stuff, something about adopting the Coalition's turnback policies perhaps? Can't have been otherwise Ms Plibersek would have mentioned it. You can't have it both ways. One the one hand appeal to the bogans by adopting Tony's racist policies but one the other try and pretend to the progressive left that this isn't happening. If Tanya had any integrity she would resign from the ALP and join the only party that now stands for decent treatment of refugees - the Greens.