Party members, unions and politicians will meet in Brisbane on Thursday when Labor’s national conference begins. The event is where Labor’s federal policy direction is hashed out. This year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be under pressure from within the party to boost Labor’s action on climate change.
This is federal Labor’s first conference since forming government in May last year. Following that win, there was enormous goodwill for the party’s political platform – both from within Labor’s membership and the broader community. The sentiment extended to Labor’s modest promised action on climate change, which seemed like a giant leap forward after the climate policy desert of the Coalition years.
Since the election, however, the world has changed. The climate emergency is accelerating with breathtaking speed. And the frightening frequency of climate-related disasters further validate the agendas of the Greens and the teal independents as they push the government for ambitious climate action.
