Australian Labor Party National Conference
The Australian Labor Party National Conference, sometimes referred to as the National Party Conference or the Federal Conference, is the highest representative and decision-making body of the Australian Labor Party, incorporating all of the party’s state and territory branches. The National Conference takes place triennially and is hosted in Australian cities on a rotating basis. The 49th and most recent National Party Conference was held on the 17th to the 19th of August 2023 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and was attended by over 2,000 delegates.
The previous National Party Conference was the 48th conference held in Adelaide in 2018,[1] which was attended by 397 party delegates,[2] and the pivotal 2011 National Conference held on 3 December 2011. The conference following the 48th in 2018 was intended to take place in March 2021.[3] However, this was cancelled due to Covid-19 precautions, thus the 49th National conference was not held until August 2023.[4]
The National Conference drafts a statement of party policy, called the National Platform,[5] In practice, however, Labor policy is determined by the leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party.
Decisions of the Conference are implemented by the National Executive. Twenty members of the National Executive are elected by the National Conference. The National Conference does not elect the party's parliamentary leaders, which since 2013 has been by a ballot of both the Parliamentary Caucus and by the Labor Party's rank-and-file members. The national president and vice-presidents are elected by a vote of party members. On many matters votes at the Conference take place on a factional basis. In the past, the Labor Right faction held a majority at the National Conference, though it lost the majority at the 2015 National Conference.[2]
Notable actions and positions
Socialist objective
The 1922 National Conference adopted a "socialist objective," which remained official policy for many years. The resolution was qualified, however, by the "
Expulsion of the New South Wales branch
In March 1931, a Special Federal Conference was called in response to the actions of the New South Wales state executive, which was controlled by the
Uranium mining
The 1977 National Conference voted in favour of an indefinite moratorium on uranium mining. However, the 1982 National Conference changed the anti-uranium position in favour of a "one mine policy". After the ALP won power in 1983, the 1984 National Conference adopted a "
Same-sex Marriage
The
References
- ^ ALP: Welcome to the 47th Australian Labor Party National Conference Archived 9 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 2015: Labor powerbrokers lose control with reform back on the agenda
- ^ "Labor 48th National Conference". Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ Evans, Jake (17 August 2023). "Labor's national conference underway, with tax, housing and nuclear submarines on the agenda". ABC News. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ Labor National Platform from 46th Conference Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McKinlay (1981) p. 53
- ^ L. F. Crisp (1978). The Australian Federal Labour Party, 1901–1951 (2nd ed.). Hale & Iremonger. pp. 42–43.
- ^ Crisp (1978), p. 62.
- ^ Crisp (1978), p. 44.
- ^ Burgmann, Verity (2003). Power, Profit and Protest pp. 174–175. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- ^ Evans, Chris (23 March 2007). Labor & uranium: an evolution, Labor E-herald.
- ^ "Australia's Labor party votes to endorse gay marriage, but no law change". The Guardian. Associated Press. 2 December 2011.
- ^ "Gillard votes no on gay marriage". The Australian. 20 September 2012.
- ^ "'You may now kiss the spouse': New celebrant guidelines for marriage equality".