Palestine, nuclear submarines cause rift within Labor

Dominic Giannini and Andrew Brown | August 18, 2023

A fight over nuclear submarines and Palestinian statehood will engulf the Labor Party as delegates go head to head at its national conference.

Anti-war and anti-nuclear protesters gathered at the entrance of the conference in Brisbane, carrying placards denouncing the AUKUS agreement.

Protesters opposed the war-mongering, nuclear element and cost associated with the submarine acquisition through the Australia-UK-US pact and promised to remain “raucous”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to speak on the subject at the national conference on Friday as the party faces an internal push from some unions and left-wing delegates to strip the mention of AUKUS from the policy platform.

While the debate will hit the conference floor, government figures view any change as unlikely.

Mr Albanese said the government was “not doing deals”.

“What we’re doing is putting forward the arguments of why Australia needs to participate in AUKUS,” he told Sky News ahead of the debate on Friday.

“I put it very simply – does Australia as an island continent need submarines? If the answer to that is yes, then what is the form of submarine that is the most effective?

“I’ve been convinced – and we’ve convinced, I’m confident, the majority of delegates – that nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed submarines are the most effective.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles, who is attempting to counter dissent within the party, will introduce a 32-paragraph statement outlining how the pact fits with Labor’s values and will protect Australian interests.

The statement includes assurances about local jobs and manufacturing.

“Labor will uphold its proud history of championing practical disarmament efforts, its commitment to high non-proliferation standards and its enduring dedication to a world without nuclear weapons,” it reads.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the conference Labor would continue its commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament and reprise “the great Labor tradition of taking the world as it is but shaping it for the better”.

Labor Against War national convenor Marcus Strom says the pact, which outlines a pathway to Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, goes against Labor’s traditional anti-nuclear stance.

The government is adamant the submarines are in line with non-proliferation restrictions and will not lead to a civil nuclear industry or weapons.

Mr Albanese said there would be no imminent announcement about the treatment of nuclear waste from future submarines.

Senator Wong will also lead Friday’s debate about recognising Palestine as a state, something which is already party policy but has no timeline attached.

Australian Palestine Advocacy Network vice president Nasser Mashni told Labor delegates recognition was “the least we can do”.

“Recognising Palestine uplifts the community and empowers them to take their place in this beautiful multicultural country and allows them to sit as equals with every other immigrant community,” he said on the sidelines of the national conference.

No amendments or motions to change the party platform are being put forward after a sideline battle broke out between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel elements of the Labor Party.

Pro-Palestine members wanted the government to expedite its pledge to recognise statehood but the pro-Israel faction threatened to push to strip the policy from the platform if the former went too far.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the prime minister wanted to shut down debate about nuclear power to avoid “a bloodbath on the floor of the conference” as he pushes for the government to consider a civil nuclear energy industry, which it has expressly ruled out.

He also accused the government’s of being “dictated to” by unions on key policy.

The three-day national conference continues until Saturday.