The National ALP Conference, held from last Thursday to Saturday in Adelaide, was a story of contrasts.
On the one hand, the statement on Israel-Palestine written three weeks ago should have been better drafted and should have explicitly stated no future role for Hamas in the governance of Palestine. Some of the language was one-sided. For example, referencing Israel’s recent passage of death penalty legislation, without referencing what is practice in all surrounding countries.
On the other hand, there was no wild language adopted in resolutions, typical of what gets carried at recent Queensland and Victorian ALP conferences. There were no BDS demands, genocide claims, or calls for the release of jailed terrorist Marwan Barghouti.
Stubbornly, the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, refused to change the wording of the draft statement. It was as if she thought that if any word was altered, the consensus she was seeking would unravel.
Speaking last week, however, she publicly reaffirmed the Government’s declared policy that Hamas should form no part of a Palestinian Authority Government and that it must lay down its arms in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire and the Board of Peace’s plan for achieving the two-state solution.
Additionally, the Government also announced its joint proposal with Indonesia to assist the Palestinian Authority (PA) in reforming its education system to remove antisemitic content and the promotion of terrorism. Interestingly and significantly, the Minister claimed that this offer was accepted by the PA. No doubt Palestine Watch and others will keep an eye on whether this involves “real change” to use a commonly invoked phrase at the Adelaide gathering of over a thousand delegates, proxies, and observers.
On Saturday, the party’s foreign affairs and defence policies were up for discussion. By noon the day before, amendments had to be tabled. On Friday, the “Shoppies” union (the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association) sought to amend the policy statement by including new words about the Government’s recognition of Palestine in September 2025. They proposed: “This recognition set out clear requirements from the international community for the Palestinian Authority, including recognition of Israel’s right to exist, a commitment to hold democratic elections, enacting significant reform to finance, governance and education, and that the terrorist organisation Hamas must have no role in Palestine.”
This was moved by David Bliss, one of the senior officials of the union. Yours truly was due to speak on the SDA’s behalf. But Ed Husic proposed not an amendment, but an entirely new resolution (on which more below).
The contribution of Josh Burns and Basem Abdo, of Jewish and Palestinian background respectively, the ALP Members for the Federal seats of McNamara and Calwell, was an emotional, encouraging highlight of the conference. They spoke about hope and respect.
Both said they wished the resolution was better worded; both said it did not say everything that the government was and is doing, including requiring PA action to honour commitments previously made
The Israel-Palestine conflict, which has tortured and beset the lives of their relatives and families, need not define the future, they said. Burns declared: “We are choosing to believe that the long arc of justice can be towards a shared future for Israel and Palestinians. We are choosing the future for our children, and we are choosing it together, and we hope that you stay with us in the finest traditions of our movement.”
This was not just the triumph of sentimentality and choreography. Their words were powerful and cogent, an example to all, each emotionally conveying their best hopes.
Josh said that Basem had rung him on the night of Bondi, expressed his solidarity and attended Caulfield Synagogue the next night.
Perhaps no one else other than Josh could have teamed with Basem for this impressive performance which shamed to silence critics and the extremists. Deservedly, they received a standing ovation.
This duo stood in contrast to the angry performance of Ed Husic, interviewed on SKYNEWS as they were speaking.
On Saturday morning, the SDA was asked to withdraw their amendment, and if they did, Husic’s seconder, Paul Garratt from the militant Maritime Union of Australia, would withdraw from seconding Husic’s separate resolution.
Husic, instead of strategically focusing on a couple of points, wanted something more arena-worthy. Overreach thwarted him. It was sad to see this able, yet forlorn figure, bottling baffled hopes and wasted energies.
Husic had sought to move:
This conference:
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Acknowledges the binding decision of the International Court of Justice of 26 January 2024 that the Palestinians in Gaza have a plausible claim to be protected from acts of genocide and related prohibited acts.
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Acknowledges Australia’s obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
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Acknowledges the decision of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 that Israel’s legislation and measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem constitute a breach of Article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid.
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Acknowledges – and is alarmed by – the 23 June 2026 findings of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry determining that Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide and atrocity crimes in the Gaza Strip and war crimes in the West Bank.
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Supports the imposition of comprehensive trade sanctions on goods and services sufficiently connected to illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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Supports the Labor Government acting to ensure Australian authorities are properly resourced to track, investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute dual nationals returning to Australia who are considered culpable for breaches of international humanitarian law, including those who have served in or materially supported the Israeli Defence Force.
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Calls on the Labor Government to withdraw defence cooperation and defence and trade representatives from Australia’s embassy in Tel Aviv.
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Calls on the Labor Government, following its historic recognition of the State of Palestine, to quickly exchange ambassadors and consolidate full diplomatic ties with the state
This was so extreme, factually incorrect, and strident, it left no room for compromise or negotiation. It had to be rejected. It was, comprehensively. He could not get a seconder.
Another encouraging moment occurred on the eve of the Conference, on the Wednesday night. About 50 people turned up at the Jewish Labor Movement function. Deputy PM Richard Marles, Trade Minister Senator Don Farrell and Deputy Defence Minister Pat Conroy (from the Left) spoke. One senior Queensland union leader left impressed and inspired, vowing to lead the fight against stupid anti-Israel resolutions in his home state.
Husic’s lonely moment at the National ALP Conference. Photo: Taken from journalist Will Glasgow’s X account
Despite much to be satisfied with, we were still left with an inadequate statement of the ALP’s position on the issues.
If you follow Middle East politics and believe words matter, you would wish for a better and more balanced resolution.
It was heartening that Ed Husic’s extreme resolution could not get a seconder. Yet it is curious both that the words of the statement were carelessly drafted, and then not amended.
Accordingly, many of SDA (“Shoppies”) union delegates and a few others voted on the voices against the final resolution, notwithstanding the wonderful sentiments and courage of Burns and Abdo.
Michael Easson was the Secretary of the NSW Labor Council (now Unions NSW) and a Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, making him a significant Labor movement figure in the 1980s–90s.