The Albanese government will stare down union and grassroots Labor dissent against the Aukus nuclear-submarine acquisition, offering reassurances about non-proliferation and waste but rejecting hostile motions at the party’s national conference.
The deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, and the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, will move a 32-paragraph statement arguing the submarines are important to deter “aggression” and committing to deliver “well paid union jobs”.
