Australia's Labor Party Conference

Analysis of the Labor Party conference is underway.

The article is written by Jacob Greber.

The topic of the article is Government and Politics.

The article was published on Saturday, 25 July 2026, at 5:00 am.

Australia's Labor Party conference may show a unified ideology.

The Labor Party's national conference is being held this week.

Supporters see the conference as orderly and unified, while critics see it as a parade of similar ideas.

Critics view the conference as a wearisome display.

The party's policy-making machine has created a tight and shiny platform.

The platform has been polished to remove any spiky bits, such as concerns over AUKUS and Palestine.

The mining industry sees the conference as a big win, as does the party's commitment to the alliance.

The party membership's message is to prioritize stability and incrementalism.

This is how policies are made.

Potential threats, such as a gas tax, were watered down or failed to materialize.

The left pushed for and won greater support for voluntary assisted suicide.

There were wins for unions, including the restoration of a Fair Work court and support for industry.

This is how policies are created, whether one likes it or not.

For those who believe in unified messages, Labor's example is a good one.

Collectivist movements require compromise, or they become irrelevant.

Labor's public conferences are a defining characteristic of the party.

The conferences may be the reason why Labor is the dominant party of government.

The current leaders view the conference as a display of stability.

Wayne Swan has stepped down as president of the party and warned of a new kind of political contest.

Swan said, 'We will not go down the American road'.

Swan doesn't want to see the Labor Party lose elections or have ugly conferences.

Swan believes the Labor Party must be a party of government and represent the Australian people.

Swan said there isn't much conflict within the party.

Swan defended Labor's history in a speech, saying that without their years of power, Australia would not be a fair and world-leading economy.

Swan said that 40 years of wage suppression in the US has led to a hollowed-out middle class.

Swan warned that the Labor Party must renew and brace for a new kind of political contest against populism.

Swan said that the money that once backed the Coalition has not gone away, but has changed horses.

Swan said that the Labor Party, along with the trade union movement, has fought against conservative governments in the past.

This week has shown that the government's strategy for retaining power is well-honed.

However, a group of Labor's old guard has spun a counter-narrative that undermines the government's version.

Former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said that One Nation's rise in the polls is a sign that the major parties are not delivering for households.

The old guard has spoken out against the party.

Bill Kelty, former ACTU leader, let out his frustrations in a senate committee submission.

Kelty said that taxes are increasing and government expenditure is rising faster than prices.

Kelty lamented the waste of money by governments.

Kelty gave examples of government waste, such as quarantine centers that are never used and infrastructure costs that are the highest in the world.

Kelty said that the country cannot build enough houses because not enough workers were trained.

Peter Beattie told the column that One Nation's rise is a sign that the major parties are not performing.

Beattie said that when the major parties start dealing with the issues that ordinary Australians care about, One Nation's support will dissipate.

The old guard's grumpiness reflects the community's dark mood.

The current generation of Labor leaders may not care about the old guard's concerns, but they will try to offset them with handouts to struggling voters.

Jacob Greber is the political editor of ABC's 7.30 program.

See more ABC coverage in your search results.

Practice Listening

Practice Listening