Left-wing former senator Doug Cameron has warned Anthony Albanese he faces a contest at the ALP national conference over nuclear submarines and Palestine.
Anthony Albanese has warned Labor’s powerful policy forum he wants the AUKUS nuclear submarine plan to go unchallenged at the ALP national conference, as hard-Left figures prepare to attack the government’s cornerstone national security policy.
Federal Labor MPs are working to head off disunity on AUKUS and Left-wing demands for a timeline on recognising Palestine, in line with the Prime Minister’s directions this month to Labor’s national policymaking committee.
Mr Cameron said he would be “gobsmacked” if national delegates listened to the PM’s calls not to challenge the issues when they meet in Brisbane next month.
“The ALP Left have a proud history of challenging bad policy at ALP Nat Conference,” Mr Cameron tweeted.
“Would be gobsmacked if nuclear subs, regressive tax cuts and Palestine are not debated. Political discipline does not mean the Left subjugate themselves to leadership decrees on what can be debated.”
Supporters of Israel are concerned the government’s reluctance to debate AUKUS on the floor of the national conference could result in a deal in which the party calls on the government to recognise the Palestinian state within this term of parliament.
Read the article by Ben Packham, Greg Brown and Joanna Panagopolos in The Australian.