Labor state conference chaos as unions clash over Anthony Albanese’s AUKUS alliance

There have been chaotic scenes at the Labor state conference today as powerful unions clashed over Anthony Albanese’s historic AUKUS alliance.

Labor delegates refused to support the Albanese government’s historic AUKUS alliance in a heated clash between powerful unions at the state conference.

The annual meeting of the party faithful erupted into a fierce slanging match between factional rivals – compounding an awkward division in the party relating to the Labor government’s major foreign policy.

Left-aligned Electrical Trades Union (ETU) rejected the motion that “congratulates the Albanese government on investing in the AUKUS Agreement” based on the group’s staunch opposition to the chosen mode of powering the fleet of submarines – nuclear.

The defiance spurred a furious reaction from the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) among the Right faction, whose members yelled various insults across the conference floor, calling the move a “disgrace”.

Electrical Trades Union general secretary Peter Ong.

Right-aligned delegates were also heard yelling to their party rivals “why do you hate the Prime Minister?” and “why do you hate Australia?”

ETU general secretary Peter Ong said the union’s opposition to uranium and nuclear energy was a longstanding position that dates back to members experiencing the horror of the bombings in Hiroshima in World War II.

He claims Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to continue supporting the AUKUS deal due to the previous LNP government’s commitment.

“He had to toe the line,” Mr Ong told The Courier-Mail.

“We don’t think there’s real benefits for workers in Australia – we don’t see that. All we’re really doing in the initial phases is give $4 billion to the American shipbuilding industry.

“Where’s the jobs for Australian workers?”

The rejection to the motion will not have any lasting impacts on the party’s position on the major military deal but Labor sources said it sets up a showdown in the party, particularly ahead of the national conference later in the year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and other senior state ministers were not on the floor of the conference to vote during the roll call, while the Left-aligned state party secretary Kate Flanders abstained her vote.

But MPs from the Left Jonty Bush and Ali King voted against the motion to support AUKUS, as did Queensland Labor president John Battams.

United Workers Union boss Gary Bullock. Picture: Peter Wallis

It’s understood United Workers Union (UWU) secretary Gary Bullock (Blocker), a party powerbroker who holds significant power for the Left faction, left the room before a roll call was forced by the party’s Right.

His absence was noted by one right-aligned Labor Party source as evidence of an awkward split in the Left’s base.

“It’s clear there are fractures in the Left between their grassroots activists, their rogue blue collar union base and their pragmatic political leaders in the United Workers Union,” the source said.

“Blocker and the senior UWU leadership backed in Albo (Albanese) and abstained on the motion, while Left activist after Left activist voted against it.

“This is one of the difficulties that comes with being the majority faction.”

Ms Flanders said the theatrics on the floor of the conference was evidence the “Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party has a strong party democracy.”