The Albanese government has headed off internal Labor Party unrest over free trade, Israel and refugees at this week’s triennial National Conference, but still faces blowback over the AUKUS security pact with an outbreak erupting among rank-and-file members in NSW, in addition to dissent in Victoria,

Sources said a much-vaunted anti-AUKUS motion from left-wing Victorian unions was in the process of being “laundered” into a motion that sought assurances such as that the nuclear-powered submarines would not be nuclear-armed or lead to any other breaches of Australia’s responsibilities under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.