The Australian prime minister has addressed the annual conference of the NSW Labor party in Sydney.
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00:00Well, this was an opportunity for Anthony Albanese to really rally the troops ahead
00:06of a federal election, which is not too far away.
00:10There was, I guess, a bit of a triumphant tone to start the speech, because it's been
00:14a very long time since we've seen a Labor Prime Minister and a Labor Premier here in
00:19New South Wales.
00:20Anthony Albanese said, what's better than one Labor leader in New South Wales?
00:24Well, two.
00:25So it's very good news for the party, and I think there is a bit of a sense among delegates
00:29here that finally, at least from a state perspective, they can be debating policies
00:36and discussing issues that can actually be enacted by a government here in New South
00:40Wales.
00:41Anthony Albanese really taking the opportunity to highlight what he says are Labor's key
00:46achievements, not only recently, but going back years, talking about the importance of
00:51Medicare and saying that Labor, at least his government, is strengthening Medicare by increasing
00:58the incentives to bulk bill, talking about improving pay and conditions for low-paid
01:04workers, including for childcare workers.
01:07But he also used the opportunity to take the attack to the opposition leader, Peter Dutton,
01:14over his plan for nuclear energy in Australia, really just repeating many of the attack lines
01:21that we've heard before, that it's uncosted, that there is not enough detail.
01:26But interestingly, he also used this opportunity, David, to announce that basically the government
01:33was going to try to end the uncertainty over what happens to the Jabaluka uranium area.
01:41He has now announced that this will be absorbed into the Kakadu National Park.
01:47He said that this is an incredibly important site from an archaeological and of course
01:52a cultural perspective for First Nations Australians.
01:56Here's a little of that announcement earlier.
01:59Today I'm proud to announce that our government will be working with the traditional owners
02:03to make Jabaluka part of Kakadu National Park once and for all.
02:09This means there will never be mining at Jabaluka.
02:18The Mirar people have loved and cared for their land for more than 60,000 years.
02:24Our government will work with them to keep it safe for all time.
02:30And Nick, while the Prime Minister was talking, I understand pro-Palestinian protesters gathered
02:35outside the building?
02:38That's right.
02:39They've been gathering all morning and a more substantive protest is planned for this afternoon.
02:45There'd been a lot of publicity that Anthony Albanese would be at this conference and so
02:50they have rallied support despite the dreadful weather conditions here in Sydney.
02:55So they're gathering outside.
02:57There were some people who called out free Palestine from the audience.
03:04One member of the public or another conference attendee unfurled a Palestinian banner as
03:10well.
03:11It remained there throughout Anthony Albanese's speech.
03:14There wasn't any major disruption but there will be an important discussion about recognition
03:20of Palestine later in the conference.
03:24It potentially could come up at any point but it's scheduled for discussion later in
03:28the conference on Sunday.
03:30And that's where we're likely to see inside the conference a pretty vigorous debate.
03:35There are plenty of people in Labor's rank and file who believe the party has not gone
03:40far enough.
03:41There will be calls from some for the party to, for example, to directly condemn Israel
03:47for civilian casualties in Gaza.
03:50Now the Prime Minister just a few days ago announced that there would be sanctions, for
03:55example, on some Israeli settlers.
03:57That may be welcomed by the crowd outside but I don't think it will appease them and
04:01I think there will still be a pretty large show of protest both today and tomorrow as
04:07well.
04:08And there sounds like quite a bit of drama happening at this conference.
04:11On top of that, a major union staged a walkout from the conference.
04:16That's right.
04:17Anthony Albanese walked in, the sort of triumphant music was playing, everyone was clapping,
04:22he got a standing ovation from basically everyone except the Electrical Trades Union.
04:28They stayed put, they didn't seem all that pleased to see the Prime Minister and then
04:34when he sort of got to the stage, they staged a walkout.
04:37They walked out on the Prime Minister.
04:39Now earlier, members of the ECU had been heckling party officials who were justifying their
04:46decision to exclude the CFMEU from this conference.
04:50So not only is Labor not accepting any more donations or affiliation fees from the construction
04:56division of the CFMEU over those allegations of corruption but they've also been barred
05:01from this conference and while they may not be here, they certainly have support from
05:07other unions here.
05:08Some members of the crowd were calling shame during that discussion about the exclusion
05:13of the CFMEU but certainly the Prime Minister didn't appear to enjoy the support of that
05:17particular union.