That's Saturday folks
Well that was quite a day and another looms tomorrow. Sunday will also be lively – Sunday at national conference is same sex marriage, Palestine and the party rules debate, amongst other issues.
But first, let’s wrap Saturday.
- Bill Shorten outlined Labor’s asylum policy for the next election, pledging more funds for the UNHCR, more oversight of detention facilities, an end to temporary protection visas – and boat turnbacks “when it is safe to do so.”
- The left had a convulsion about how to proceed in the asylum policy debate that went on until lunchtime. Eventually the faction resolved to bring forward a platform amendment banning turnbacks in government, but the delegates weren’t “bound” to vote in favour. Left votes had already bled right and the right had largely neutralised its internal dissenters. It was pretty obvious the effort to prohibit turnbacks was not going to succeed.
- But the debate proceeded in any case. It opened with protestors taking the stage. After they were cleared speakers on both sides of the debate put their views, for and against turnbacks. The debate that had raged in the private rooms of the conference for 48 hours played out briefly in public. Bill Shorten’s speech supporting his own position was the least compelling contribution in the debate, but he won the day anyway, because of the work in those private rooms.
- Anthony Albanese, Tanya Plibersek and Penny Wong voted with the left. Albanese by his own hand. Plibersek and Wong via proxies.
- The party also settled its climate change policy with an amendment that locks in Labor’s ambition on targets for the UN-led Paris talks, and sets an aspiration to boost renewable energy. Old Labor and new Labor was firmly on display – the CFMEU said workers would be banging on the door of a future Labor government for assistance when they lost their jobs, and the progressive grassroots advocacy group LEAN succeeded in locking in the leadership behind a climate policy that includes various things it would not have included without their intervention.
That was Saturday. Do join me Sunday. Have a great night.
To be equally clear about that outcome – the leadership team in a future Labor government is not fully behind the said government’s turn back the boats position. Albanese is a no. Plibersek is a no and Wong is a no – via proxies.
So to be clear about that outcome – the leadership achieved its objective of getting through conference with Labor’s asylum platform silent about turn backs.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese voted with the left.
I think it’s very poor that the vote didn’t go to a full count. Better than Butler’s first position, which was to decide the issue on the voices – but poor not to record numbers.
That’s about defending various sensibilities, it is not about genuine debate.
The left push clearly failed, but better to play the debate right out.
The motion prohibiting turnbacks is lost
We are now proceeding to the votes. Butler asks all delegates to take their seats so the votes can be recorded. The first vote is on the Giles/Watt motion prohibiting turnbacks.
There’s a vote on the voices. Butler declares the vote lost on the voices. There is a call from the floor for a count.
Butler says he’ll ask for a show of hands.
The yes vote shows hands. The no votes show hands.
Mark Butler:
Delegates, the vote is clearly lost.
Bill Shorten is the last speaker in the debate. He’d like to acknowledge the quality of the debate. All delegates come from the right place. He says while ever he’s leader, there will be no denigration of asylum seekers. But this is about safety. And it’s about Australian identity.
For a moment I ask this conference to forget about Mr Abbott. Please forget about their slogans and their scaremongering that under estimates Australians.
I want to explain my view to you.
He says Labor can’t avoid the debate and the discussion. He thought about an option other than turnbacks. Was there an easy way? Could he avoid this speech?
I would not be the leader I seek to be of this nation if I avoided my own conviction on this matter. People were getting on unsafe boats and they were drowning. There’s no moral one-upmanship here.
Shorten says if we know that people are getting on boats and they sink and people drown, Labor can’t take a policy to the next election that increases the risk of that outcome. He says it’s not the case that I do not care, or there’s some electoral calculus that trumps morality.
He contends he’s pursuing this policy because he cares.
Michelle O’Neill from the Victorian left is the next speaker. She says the language needs to be clear in this conversation. This isn’t a turnback policy.
It’s a turnback of desperate people seeking refuge policy.
O’Neill says all the good things in the platform can’t be built on turnbacks.
When you turn a boat around, you are turning a boat around into a risky, unsafe perilous journey.
You are sending people back often into unsafe circumstances. They will in some cases face torture. They will in some cases face death.
O’Neill says the whole argument that supporting turnbacks neutralises Tony Abbott’s attack is wrong. Let’s learn the lessons of history, she says. Capitulation doesn’t work.
When we were silent about Tampa, did that work?
O’Neill says Labor did fail in the last government, but not in the version of failure shared by Richard Marles and Bill Shorten. Labor failed in making a compassionate case. Leaders take on hard issues and shift public opinion, she says.
Updated
Next speaker is Tony Burke from the NSW right – Labor’s last immigration minister.
Thirty three lives were lost on my watch. One of them was ten weeks old.
Burke said he asked officials for the baby’s name. Officials told him they wouldn’t give him the name because it couldn’t be used in the media. Burke said he didn’t want it for public use, he just wanted to know the child’s name. This is the story he told in the Labor Herald this morning, which I linked you to earlier in the day.
Burke says he wants more people to come to Australia, but I want everyone to get here safely. He says when it comes to policies that work, the evidence is in. Deterrence works.
Tony Burke:
Our compassion has to reach everyone our policies affect. If we give hope to the trade, we will end up helping fewer people, and hundreds will start the journey but never complete it.
Next speaker is Linda Scott, supporting the Giles motion. Scott is a former convenor of Labor for Refugees. She says the tagline of the conference this weekend is Advance Australia. Labor can only advance Australia safely and fairly, Scott says. Safety does not include repelling asylum seekers at sea. Scott says Australia’s tolerant multiculturalism is put at risk when the party adopts divisive policies, like turning back boats.
It’s not fair, it’s not right, it’s not legal and it is not the Labor thing to do.
Murray Watt has backed in the Giles position on prohibiting turnbacks, and is also pursuing an amendment that would see detention centres closed down if they failed to keep occupants safe.
Matt Thistlethwaite, from the NSW right, is speaking now to support the position of the leadership. He says when it comes to turnbacks, he appreciates people have different views. He said his own view changed in 2010, when 48 people drowned off Christmas Island. As a surf lifesaver, those images broke my heart, he says. Thistlethwaite says Labor has to accept that deterrence measures work.
Delegates this is a package of reforms that people can be proud of.
I urge the conference in the strongest possible terms – vote against the amendment: Richard Marles
Marles says no-one is fleeing persecution in Indonesia. He says there is evidence that the sea journey has been shut. He says people smugglers are not Oscar Schindlers. They are criminals. Labor must keep the sea journey shut.
There is some heckling.
He’s working through the various commitments in the asylum policy: more money for the UNHCR, no more temporary protection visas, the convention back in the migration act, the increase in the humanitarian intake.
This is about opening our door wider, bringing more refugees to Australia and doing so safely.
Marles says he urges the conference in the strongest possible terms to vote against the turnbacks amendment.
The shadow immigration minister Richard Marles follows Giles.
Delegates this issue is as vexed an issue as our party has faced in recent times. Today we can resolve it.
Marles goes back through the history of John Howard and the Tampa. Labor’s panicked response to that with an eye on the ballot box. Labor, he says, has to make decisions based on values.
Richard Marles:
If we can get it right, the politics will follow.
Giles is approaching his task in highly conciliatory fashion. He says the shadow minister Richard Marles has delivered a good platform, one that Labor can go out in the community and support. Marles has done a good job of settling different views.
But.
Andrew Giles:
I do disagree when it comes to turnbacks. I regard them as inherently unsafe. I see them as an impediment to seeking a safe pathway (for asylum seekers.)
He says he hopes delegates will join him in an effort to make a good platform better.
Mark Butler tells delegates Labor has its debates in public. He expects some respect in return. He gets a standing ovation for that.
Mark Butler:
It will be a robust debate because we are a party with a pulse.
Andrew Giles says the debate will not be won by shouting down good people with whom we disagree.
Asylum debate
The debate has just got underway with the left’s Andrew Giles at the podium. Protestors have just invaded the stage. The sign reads No Towbacks.
ALP president Mark Butler is attempting to clear the stage.
Plibersek joins Wong in casting a vote for the turnbacks motion via proxy
Boats are coming. I’ve now been able to confirm that Tanya Plibersek will join Penny Wong in proxying out for the turnbacks debate.
Plibersek’s vote will be cast by Terri Butler from the left in Queensland. Butler will vote in favour of the Giles/Watts motion to prohibit turnbacks.
So that’s another plus vote for the left while maintaining the convention of shadow cabinet solidarity.
While there’s a debate about Labor’s empathy with folks concerned about rising cost of living I can share a picture of Bill Shorten from the climate debate just before.
This amendment commits Labor to addressing the scourge of family violence.
Resolution on family violence carried at #ALPConf2015 pic.twitter.com/CVBjk6ki54
— Political Alert (@political_alert) July 25, 2015
Updated
Three amendments and three resolutions to get through before we hit asylum seeker policy. We should move through fairly quickly #ALPConf2015
— Political Alert (@political_alert) July 25, 2015
In a nutshell, yes.
The current amendment is about ensuring a Labor government implements the recommendations of the royal commission into child sexual abuse.
Back to present tense, we’ve had amendments on disability, and we are now dealing with an amendment on Indigenous policy.
Here is the prohibiting turnbacks amendment
While the opening of chapter nine continues, the Giles/Watt amendment prohibiting turnbacks has just lobbed through the processes.
The wording of the amendment is as follows. (Note the final dot point in bold.)
The phenomenon of people smuggling has a long history arising from the need for people to escape from danger and persecution. Labor also recognises that those who decide to leave a country in perilous circumstances have the right under the Refugee Convention to determine their means of departure. However, recognising the risk to life of people travelling on unsafe, unseaworthy and overcrowded boats, Labor supports measures to reduce such journeys by working with regional neighbours and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to eliminate any pull that people smugglers may have over vulnerable protection claimants by:
- Addressing people smuggling at its source;
- Pursuing strong regional and international arrangements which provide access to protection in countries of first asylum to deter secondary movements of asylum seekers;
- Developing the capacity, both in countries of first asylum and transit countries, to improve living standards and protection outcomes for asylum seekers who may be vulnerable targets of people smugglers;
- Expediting the claims for refugee status by asylum seekers in the region; and
- Increasing the humanitarian intake of genuine refugees from source and transit countries to create an orderly pathway to resettlement in Australia and provide asylum seekers with an alternative to irregular boat travel to Australia.
- Labor rejects turning away boats of people seeking asylum. We believe it undermines the cooperation required to reach sustainable regional processing arrangements.
Updated
Just while this debate is working up – a picture from a lunchtime event we couldn’t stretch to – Australian of the Year Rosie Batty did an event on family violence.
The opening of the chapter nine debate is about family violence.
So that’s climate. Here comes chapter nine – a fair go for all. This is the chapter with the refugees debate. Shadow families minister Jenny Macklin is kicking off proceedings with an opening pitch. The debate this afternoon deals with equity across the board, it is not just about asylum seekers.
A second resolution is moving through now which mirrors the platform amendment that I flagged at the beginning of the climate debate. This is about the Paris targets – making them ambitious.
That’s just been carried.
And here’s chapter four. Amended. Carried.
The worst thing a Labor government could do is bullshit workers: Pat Conroy
Two other speakers in favour of the resolution are Felicity Wade, from Labor Environment Action Network, and Pat Conroy, from the Labor left in NSW.
Wade gives a shout out to the members. LEAN has pushed these amendments through 300 local branches. She says the members have been heard.
Conroy – who worked for the former climate minister Greg Combet in government – says he’s proud to support this resolution. His Hunter electorate has power generators and coal mines. Change is coming, Conroy says, and the worst thing a Labor government could do is ...
... bullshit affected workers.
Updated
Bill Shorten is at the microphone moving a resolution in the debate which is on the future of electricity. He says it falls to the ALP to win the climate and energy debate in this country.
There are some who say we cannot win this argument.
Shorten says conventional wisdom is climate action always gets mugged by rent seekers and by negative campaigns from some newspapers. He means the News Corp tabloids.
Bill Shorten:
There are not enough digitally altered images in the world to deter Labor. We are not afraid of the future, we are not afraid of challenges. We understand renewable energy is the future and we will take Australians there.
He says bipartisanship will be restored in the climate debate. He says the Liberal party cannot ignore science forever. Labor will work to restore reason to the discussion.
This resolution is seconded by Tony Maher, president of the CFMEU.
It references Labor’s goal of 50% of Australia’s electricity being generated from all renewable sources – small and large scale – by 2030.
Maher is less aspirational – more frank. He makes it plain that target is an aspirational goal, not a hard commitment. He emphasises that it is very important for the country to come through this divisive period about climate policy, and it is important for Labor to look after workers in the power sector who will face a period of significant structural adjustment.
Maher says workers in the electricity industry will need assistance to get through this transition, and the CFMEU will be knocking on Labor’s door if the party doesn’t pony up with the help.
Tony Maher:
We will wage a concerted campaign to get what has been promised.
A Labor man has sailed past to say Bill Shorten will make a contribution in the climate debate. Delegate Collins (Julie Collins, Tasmania) is meanwhile blasting super trawlers operating in Tasmanian waters.
The amendment I just flagged has just been carried.
Labor’s president and environment spokesman Mark Butler is kicking off the climate policy debate this afternoon. We’ve been so flat out on boats I haven’t done an exceptional job of setting this up.
Let me try to rectify this now. The amendments I’ll be drawing your attention to over the next little bit are a new platform amendment which commits the leadership to adopt post 2020 pollution targets, consistent with doing Australia’s fair share in limiting global warming to 2 degrees celsius.
Labor will base these targets on the latest advice of bodies such as the independent Climate Change Authority.
It will be moved by Delegate Chalmers (Jim Chalmers, Queensland) and seconded by Delegate Pugh (Asren Pugh, NSW).
This amendment locks Labor into an ambitious target for the UN-led Paris talks at the end of the year. It means, in essence, that Labor may not be in a position to give Tony Abbott bipartisan support on Australia’s post 2020 target. The current target to 2020 is a bipartisan position.
This amendment is the work of the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) – which has been very successful is channeling rank-and-file support for bolder ALP policy on climate change. This group is providing a model for grassroots activism in Labor as it moves slowly to increase input from the membership.
Updated
The bells, the bells – the afternoon session is about to get underway.
Given the not unreasonable confusion from some readers about all these moving pieces on our chessboard, let me cut through a bit on turnbacks with some main points.
- The left will move a platform amendment this afternoon which aims to prohibit future boat turnbacks. But the faction has not bound its delegates – that means people can vote which ever way they choose, either for it or against it.
- Not binding delegates reflects the fact some left-wingers want a future Labor government to have scope to deploy turnbacks. It also means the leadership’s position is more than likely to prevail this afternoon.
- Labor’s draft platform is currently silent on whether turnbacks are part of the policy mix. The Labor leadership wants to keep it that way, because the strategic view was trying to get an affirmative vote on turnbacks through this particular national conference would be nigh on impossible.
- Bill Shorten has made it clear to delegates this morning (platform silence on turnbacks notwithstanding) that Labor intends to pursue an asylum policy if it wins government that would allow boats to be turned back to Indonesia when it is safe to do so.
- The turnbacks motion will be one of four (on current guidance) motions put during the refugee debate this afternoon.
Just for folks trying to work out when to tune in – the boats debate, as in turnbacks, will be late this afternoon. I can’t give you a specific time, only suggest you tune in seriously from about 3pm if this is your only point of interest.
The climate debate is up first.
Wong to back the left position on turnbacks, via proxy
We understand that Labor’s senate leader and prominent left-winger Penny Wong will not herself vote against Bill Shorten’s position on turnbacks.
Inexplicably, reports have been circulating overnight that Wong will back the right in this debate. This is not the case. Wong actually backs the left position.
She won’t vote herself on the conference floor this afternoon – but her vote will be expressed by her proxy, Katy Gallagher.
Gallagher will vote FOR the Giles/Watt platform amendment prohibiting boat turnbacks. So to be clear, Wong (by proxy) is voting against the ALP turning back boats to Indonesia (and against the shadow cabinet position). Wong told us yesterday she had expressed her view at shadow cabinet. Think we now know what that view is.
Updated
A couple more calls in an effort to answer the last question I posed – will there be positive votes from the right faction on the Giles/Watt motion?
We’ll have to watch and wait to be absolutely definitive, but I’m told that seven delegates from the right delegation have just proxied themselves out for this afternoon’s turnbacks debate.
These seven delegates hail from the shop assistants union in Victoria – the right-wing bloc that was threatening to vote with the left in the build up to the national conference.
That move would strengthen Bill Shorten’s position further.
Delegate Nicole Campbell says the left resolved not to bind its delegates to vote in favour of the Giles/Watt motion.
@murpharoo @gabriellechan but Left decision not binding :( Hope we can win this on the floor #DontTurnBack #putthelighton #ALPConf2015
— Nicole Campbell (@Nic4RankandFile) July 25, 2015
Not binding the delegates means left delegates will be free to vote either for or against. It will be interesting to see if there are any positive votes to prohibit turnbacks from the right.
The left has .... decided ...
The left has just resolved to proceed with plan A this morning – which means a motion will be moved by Andrew Giles and Murray Watt in this afternoon’s asylum debate. I’m told the Giles/Watt motion passed despite the (perplexing) opposition from Labor for Refugees. The motion is just a simple statement that Labor will not turn back asylum boats. It will be framed as a platform amendment, not a resolution (which is the more symbolic course.)
Updated
That really is about it, yes. Major stress all round.
This anguished photo sums up Labor’s bitterly divided asylum seeker debate http://t.co/OFJM1ZPKtl #ALPConf2015 pic.twitter.com/RP2sMUgiVU
— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) July 24, 2015
National conference this lunchtime
Let’s take stock of the developments this morning, and look forward to the highlights of the afternoon.
- The left caucus has gone back into session to determine how it will proceed on boat turnbacks in this afternoon’s policy debate. The left failed to make a final decision on its strategy this morning – but we expect that a motion will limp out of this bruising caucusing process, which currently seems to involve Labor for Refugees arguing against putting a motion prohibiting turn backs despite triggering this whole debate some months back by signalling that it would bring forward a motion at this conference.
- While the left did its thing, Bill Shorten outlined Labor’s asylum policy for the next federal election which involves increasing funding for the UNHCR, increased oversight of detention facilities, and turnbacks to Indonesia “when it is safe to do so.” The Labor leader did this in a personal appeal to conference delegates first up this morning.
- The conference proper debated the education and infrastructure platforms, and the demos cranked up outside – one about renewable energy and another about the boats, the two big debates of Saturday.
- Looking forward: first up after lunch will be the climate change debate, followed by the asylum turnbacks debate at about 3pm.
Refresh beverages. Up dog, down dog. Whatever works for you.
A couple of pictures from round and about before I post a lunchtime summary.
Sorry that last post was a bit messy. The key points are turnbacks under a future Labor government will only be to Indonesia, not to source countries; Labor will go back to the old system of maximum transparency, putting out a press release when boats arrive – and there are other nuts and bolts there about how the oversight powers will work.
Updated
Some more details are emerging about the new asylum policy. Take it away BuzzFeed.
Labor will only turn back boats from (Java) Indonesia…. they wouldn’t turn boats back from some others (e.g. Sri Lanka) #ALPConf2015
— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) July 25, 2015
The children-in-detention monitor will have statutory powers.. likely within HR Commission or Commonwealth Ombudsman office #ALPConf2015
— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) July 25, 2015
Labor will retain the option to use the orange life boats and the scuttling procedures pioneered by the Abbott government #ALPConf2015
— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) July 25, 2015
Chapter three is going to the floor as amended.
Meanwhile, downstairs ..
Anthony Albanese & Mark Butler address climate change action rally, vow #alpconf2015 to adopt 50% renewable target pic.twitter.com/b6JdNpPJak
— Karen Middleton (@KarenMMiddleton) July 25, 2015
The chapter three debate is moving to resolutions now.
Just tracking back to Tanya Plibersek and her intervention on affirmative action that I posted about a moment ago (50% targets are great but they don’t mean anything without a compliance mechanism) – I should have mentioned that issue will be part of a debate tomorrow afternoon on Labor party rules.
A compliance mechanism is being worked up by Emily’s List and will be put during the debate tomorrow. Not sure about numbers on that at this stage. I will try and make some calls over the course of the day and let you all know.
Delegates at the 1930 ALP Federal Conference, Canberra pic.twitter.com/va33CvFjcJ
— Canberra Insider (@CanberraInsider) July 25, 2015
Just because, really. Wonder if there were any F-bombs in 1930?
If you are just tuning in, here’s Bill Shorten’s address to delegates this morning ahead of the refugee policy debate this afternoon.
Thanks to the Labor Herald.
Updated
Tanya Plibersek: 50% representation is great, but motherhood without a compliance mechanism
Still hot with the ships downstairs. In the media room behind me, the shadow immigration minister Richard Marles is in a huddle with reporters. Gabi Chan will bring me some of that shortly.
Meanwhile a little item from last night. Tanya Plibersek gave this speech to Emily’s List last night. She’s saying the new affirmative action target of 50% is terrific – but it’s just motherhood without a compliance mechanism to get there.
A couple of days ago Barack Obama was on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. He said that when you hit your goals, what that tells you is, you didn’t set them high enough in the first place. And that is the sort of ambition that women in progressive movements need to have in pursuing what we want. When we hit our goals, we set the next goal – further and higher... It was in Hobart in 1994, that we set our first AA target. 35% of winnable seats. I remember how proud we were. And I know some of you were there that day. I was watching the debate from the bleachers – we ran down to the conference floor. There were hugs and and a few tears. I remember former Liberal MP Michael Hodgman’s response to this victory: “the lesbians have the Labor party by the balls.”
I also remember when we fought, and won, to raise the target to 40%, in 2002. And this conference we set the bar higher again. When women are half of our community, holding half of our strengths, talent, competence, and ambition, we should should be half of parliament. 50% female representation is fantastic, but we also need a strong compliance mechanism. A target without a clear path on how to get there, doesn’t cut it.
We’ve come such a long way. And let me pay tribute to Joan Kirner, who played such a pivotal role in our journey so far. Her energy, her enthusiasm, her generosity with her time and support, was an inspiration to us all.
Labor is not just streets but light years ahead of the Liberals on women’s representation. They’ve got two women in Federal cabinet. We’ve got two state governments whose frontbenches are 50/50. Every state and territory except SA has had a female premier or chief minister, nearly all from Labor. The only current female premier is our Annastacia …
And of course, Australia’s first female prime minister – a woman who made us all proud, and who has now taken her passion for education to the international stage, with a special focus on education for girls.
It’s no surprise that it’s Labor whose policies are best for women – PPL, family violence royal commission in Victoria, pay equity. Our policies are best for women because ALP women have a say in our party and in our parliamentary caucuses.
But as a party we can’t rest on our laurels: we can and should turn the strong support we have among Australian women for our policies into electoral success. We need to remember this is a movement. A movement prepared to fight for our wins. One thing you can do today to make that happen is get your Labor supporting friends to convert their quiet support to active membership, so even more women have a say in party policy making and pre selections.
When women support women, women win.
Updated
Just for delegates who might be following the live blog down in the main conference room, Crumlin just secured a round of applause from the media room, including from journalists at The Australian, who he just sledged for writing poorly disguised opeds.
This motions is about labour standards and the use of overseas workers.
An amendment now from Maritime Union about shipping, moved by delegate Crumlin (Paddy Crumlin, NSW). Crumlin is currently railing against the Alice in Wonderland people running the country.
WTF – what is going on here? What the fuck ..
Yes, we have the first cuss of the ALP conference.
Back to the debates of the moment – in seconding chapter three, the shadow agriculture minister Joel Fitzgibbon is speaking about a fibre boom. Crops, not Metamucil.
Into amendments now. Starting with an amendment on the NBN. Labor is committed to ensuring all Australians have access to affordable broadband. Delegate Conroy (Pat Conroy, NSW) is saying some businesses in the Newcastle area are still using dial up internet.
Carried.
Meanwhile I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that Labor for Refugees is balking at putting the motion on turnbacks this afternoon. Labor for Refugees actually set this whole torturous debate in motion by making it known some time back that this issue would be pursued at the national conference.
Given the factional balance at this conference, it was entirely possible that a motion prohibiting turnbacks could succeed. There was support on the left, and from elements of the right.
Bizarre, this semi retreat at the eleventh hour.
The shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese is at the podium, talking about nation building.
Now a resolution which says all students, including LGBTI students, need to be part of health and PE programs. The resolution also calls on Labor to commit to commission an independent and expert review to ensure the curriculum genuinely meets the needs of LGBTI students and equips kids with age appropriate and diverse programs about sexuality.
It’s a Rainbow Labor resolution. Carried.
That’s the education amendments.
Now we will go on to chapter three – building Australia’s future.
Amendments are being waved through briskly here.
There’s been an amendment supporting elected staff and student representation on university campuses; one on minimum training standards for apprentices; another committing Labor to supporting national programs addressing homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and intersexphobia in schools.
All carried. Now there’s an amendment maintaining universal access to preschool and kindergarten programs, and improve it by doubling the number of hours funded per week from 15 to 30.
Carried.
Back to education. Two amendments now, one which supports lifting the status of the teaching profession. The second is a commitment to needs based funding, with an emphasis on Indigenous kids.
Labor is committed to needs-based school funding so our schools are equipped to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and to improve educational attainment and employment outcomes.
That has been carried.
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke, who was the immigration minister for four months before the 2013 election, has entered the asylum debate in the Labor Herald this morning. The piece is supportive of turnbacks.
I’ll never know the exact number. I held the job of immigration minister for less than four months. In that time thirty three lives were lost that we know about. The youngest was ten weeks old. His name was Abdul Jafari. I was handed his name on a post-it note and kept it on my desk for the rest of my time as minister.
I kept it there for one simple reason. His story had to remain in my line of sight. I may never have seen him or heard his voice, but the loss of his life could not be separated from the fact that those who cared for him believed risking his life with people smugglers carried a realistic chance that he would have a new life in Australia.
Meanwhile, down in the main theatre, delegates are currently considering an amendment that will require computer coding to be taught in all Australian schools. The mover is Delegate Jones (Kate Jones, Queensland) and seconded by Delegate O’Neill (Deb O’Neill, NSW).
I have to multi-channel a bit between education and boats – apologies for that. While the left position on turn backs remains officially unresolved until lunchtime, there will be a motion.
Party folks say that Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek will support the shadow cabinet position in this afternoon’s debate. The shadow cabinet position is Labor will turn boats back to Indonesia when it is safe to do so.
Meanwhile, out in the Twitters, Julian Burnside, lawyer and refugee advocate is going toe to toe with the Labor leader.
@billshortenmp And will you keep locking up refugee kids?
— Julian Burnside (@JulianBurnside) July 25, 2015
We are into amendments now. The first is about TAFE. “Labor will work with the states and territories to rebalance the contestable funding model to ensure priority funds are allocated to TAFEs so that quality training can be delivered to the regions.” This is about rebalancing the Abbott government’s contestable funding model. This amendment s moved by Delegate Bird (Sharon Bird, NSW) and Delegate Dettmer (Andrew Dettmer, Victoria.)
Rolling on, Kim Carr, the Victorian Labor senator, who I mentioned a moment ago – giving Shorten a hearty round of applause – is now introducing the chapter seven debate, which is about education.
The chapter is being seconded by Delegate Ellis (Kate Ellis, South Australia).
So there it was. Shorten’s pitch on boats.
Delegates you know and I know these are complex issues. We engage with them intellectually, morally, emotionally. But I did not enter politics to shirk hard decisions.
Shorten ends on that note.
He gets a big clap from left-wing Victorian senator Kim Carr.
He says Labor will retain offshore processing but Australia won’t shirk its responsibilities. Vulnerable people should not be subjected to violence in Australia’s name. Shorten says there will be independent oversight of every Australian-funded facility. (Applause).
Shorten says Labor will end the moral shame of children in detention as quickly as possible.
(Not entirely specific that, but it gets a clap anyway.)
Shorten is going through his proposed increase in the humanitarian intake (that gets applause); he says Labor will restore the primacy of the convention (that gets applause); there will be $450m to the UNHCR (more applause).
Bill Shorten:
Beyond this we will take up the overdue leadership role in our region, working with our nearest neighbour, Indonesia.
Labor must have the option of turning back boats
Shorten says Labor must retain its regional resettlement agreements, it must ensure that border protection staff don’t have to pull bodies out of the water. He says the refugee flow within the region won’t stop, the pressures will become more intense. Shorten says people smugglers cannot be allowed to take advantage of a perceived weakness.
Labor must have the option of turning back boats, turning them around, when it is safe to do so.
Bill Shorten addresses delegates on refugees
The Labor leader has opened today’s national conference. He’s addressing the debate this afternoon.
Every view will be offered and that’s how it should be.
Shorten says he wants to be frank about his view about asylum policy. He says the sea route needs to be closed between Java and Christmas Island. He says the policy being proposed by the leadership keeps faith with core values. Labor will keep more people safe, he says.
Unlike our opponents we do not play to the politics of fear. The Labor party I lead will never use labels to denigrate desperate people.
The left has apparently delayed a final final decision on boats until lunchtime. Can you believe it?
Anyway let’s roll on for now. The bells are dinging. Saturday in the 47th Labor conference will be underway in three minutes.
No sooner had the Giles/Watt motion been agreed to then Labor for Refugees (brackets, question mark) has raised objections to the motion being put at all – according to party sources.
As they say in the classics, go figure.
Sky News political reporter Kieran Gilbert has white smoke emerging from the Vatican.
Left caucus has agreed on motion to be put to ALP conference Giles/ Watts motion to ban turn backs. So there will definitely be a debate
— Kieran Gilbert (@Kieran_Gilbert) July 24, 2015
My colleague Gabrielle Chan has confirmed this.
A quick note on same sex marriage – we might see debate on this issue in the chapter nine debate (which is the same chapter as refugees), or it might pop up in the rules debate on Sunday.
We are not quite sure at this moment.
The folks in the green t-shirts down the front are from the Labor Environment Action Network. This activist group has been responsible for working through the various climate motions before conference today.
Day 2 of #ALPConf2015 pic.twitter.com/WtQebRJruL
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) July 24, 2015
There will be a rally late morning out the front of the convention centre organised by OxFam, The Wilderness Society, GetUp and Solar Citizens.
If you are in town and want to soak up the vibe, come on down.
For folks hanging on the boats debate, the amendments lodged last night include:
- abolishing offshore processing;
- closing the detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island;
- introducing a legal presumption that unaccompanied children and families with children will not be placed in immigration detention without prior independent judicial approval;
- a commitment that people at risk of abuse and harm to be removed from offshore detention;
- a commitment that people at risk of abuse and harm (namely women, children and people who identify as LGBTI and those with recognised mental illness) will not be placed in offshore detention centres and any such people who are in these centres will be brought to Australia for resolution of their refugee status and appropriate care;
- decriminalising the reporting of sexual abuse in detention centres; and
- reviewing the secrecy provisions contained in the Australian Border Force Act relating to conditions in onshore and offshore detention centres and the treatment of detainees to ensure that (1) mandatory reporting of sexual and other forms of abuse is required; and (2) disclosures about conditions in detention centres made to the body charged with independent oversight of detention centres are exempt from secrecy provisions under the Australian Border Force Act.
We gather a motion to prohibit turnbacks is definitely still on the table for discussion at left caucus this morning – even though the internal view is it has little prospect of success.
When we know what’s happening on this front, we will of course tell you.
Top of the morning to you
Good morning and welcome to day two of the 47th Labor conference in Melbourne. As we go live this morning the left caucus is meeting to nut out its position on boat turnbacks – the major conference debate of today.
The Labor leader Bill Shorten will today unveil the party’s asylum policy for the next federal election. That policy includes discretion to use boat turnbacks when it is safe to do so.
Many on the left flank strongly oppose this position. But the question right now is how will that protest manifest this afternoon? A resolution? A platform amendment? Right now we aren’t sure and by the sounds of things, neither is the left.
In addition to the boats debate, today’s climate policy debate will be interesting. There will be a motion signing Labor up to a big boost in renewables, and another one seeking to bind the party to highly ambitious post 2020 targets at the UN-led global climate talks in Paris later this year.
The conference will kick off this morning with the education and infrastructure debate.
A big day, and an interesting one. The Politics Live comments thread is now open for your business, and you can also get me on the Twits @murpharoo
Buckle in, here comes Saturday.
