Australia’s standing in the world has been improved as the government invests in both defence and strategic relationships, says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Speaking after the Australian Labor Party’s national conference, the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the nation acquired nuclear-powered submarines under a security pact with the U.S. and UK.
“I’m absolutely convinced that nuclear-powered conventional submarines are the way to go for Australia,” Mr. Albanese told Sky News on Aug. 20.
Labor party faithful gathered in Brisbane to update its policies, with AUKUS the only issue sparking dissent.
The prime minister said he had the responsibility of funding defence capability, while also strengthening ties.
“There has been significant improvement in the way that Australia is perceived as being good global citizens,” he said.
“We have enormous opportunities this decade to set Australia up for a really bright future.”
A number of trade unions led a charge, alongside left-wing, anti-war and anti-nuclear elements of the party, to oppose putting the pact in the policy platform.
Apart from some dissenting speeches and interjections, the push overwhelmingly failed and the vote was carried on the voices, despite about a quarter of the 399 voting delegates yelling “no.”
It meant no ballot was recorded and the prime minister avoided a potentially embarrassing showdown on the conference floor against his signature defence policy.
Opposition foreign spokesman, Simon Birmingham, said the divisions demonstrated Labor could never have initiated AUKUS.
“There are some real tests for Labor in terms of demonstrating they can make the hard decisions for the delivery of AUKUS over the next few years,” he told Sky News.
The final day of the three-day forum was used to fire up the party’s faithful and encourage them to start campaigning for a successful referendum in order to enshrine an Indigenous Voice in the constitution.
Mr. Albanese urged members to get out and win hearts and minds.
“There is everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose,” he said.
“So I say this: when you have a proposition before you where there are only winners, it’s our responsibility to get out there and win this.”
Labor Senator Jana Stewart told AAP she felt like there was a pathway to a successful referendum after the party passed a resolution that called on the labour movement to campaign “with excitement, hope, and determination.”
The Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman said the fact there was still a large number of undecided voters was a good thing as grassroots members started to doorknock and campaign.
“We know that once people understand what’s on the table, the opportunity that’s before the nation, they’re saying ‘yes,’” she said.
The No campaign has argued the Voice in the Constitution would divide Australia down racial lines and split the country.
The Indigenous senator said this was already the case as “the experience of First Nations people in this country is not equal to our non-Aboriginal brothers and sisters whether it’s health, education, housing, or jobs.”
