Victorian Young Labor Conference 2024

Nuclear power, free public transport and reinstating sacked CFMEU union officials are among the bold ideas up for discussion at this weekend’s Victoria’s Young Labor conference.

Victorian Young Labor members will push to back Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s policy to allow nuclear power, and call for sacked CFMEU delegates to be reinstated, at this weekend’s conference in Melbourne.

Hundreds of youth party members are expected to attend the event being held at the University of Melbourne and UWU office in Melbourne and will vote on 240 resolutions.

The ideas being put forward by the Labor youth range from energy policy to calling on the Albanese government to cut ties with all Israeli companies and sanction Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, and exempting Victorian microbreweries from the alcohol tax to stop companies from closing their doors.

There are calls to reinstate sacked CFMEU union delegates if no specific allegations have been made against them. Picture: David Gray

The leaked agenda shows one motion, titled: “How the hell do the Liberals have a better green energy policy than Labor?”, will move to call on the Australian government to lift the current ban on nuclear power.

Federal opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said he was ready to work with anyone who wanted cheap, clean and consistent power for Australia, including Young Labor.

“Zero-emissions nuclear energy will eventually receive bipartisan support in Australia and so it’s good to see Young Labor sending a message to the old guard who run the party like ideological warriors from the last century,” Mr O’Brien said.

“The rest of the world has moved on, as have big tech companies like Microsoft, Google and Amazon, and Young Labor knows it.

“If they’d let me in the room to support them in person, I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

During the two-day conference multiple motions will be raised in relation to supporting Palestine.

These will come within days after Anthony Albanese’s government hardened Australia’s criticism of Israel backing a United Nations vote on Palestinian sovereignty.

Youth delegates will also vote on a motion to see all CFMEU delegates reinstated if no specific allegations have been made against them and also call for a crackdown on new “fake” unions.

If the CFMEU motion is passed it will be a clear sign to the Labor elders that younger unionists are among those who do not support federal government putting the union into administration.

Youth members will also vote on a proposal to call on the state government to expand the Suburban Rail Loop despite concerns already about the cost of the project.

Embarrassingly, the Victorian Youth Labor agenda booklet misspells Premier Jacinta Allan’s name. Picture: Nadir Kinani

“There is a glaring issue with the plan for the Suburban Rail Loop as it currently stands. The plan for the SRL is by definition flawed, since it is not an actual loop!!”, the motion reads.

“If the government were honest about their proposed trainline, they would call it a semicircle, or a semi-loop, not a loop!!”

The motion will call for Victoria to build a Skyrail across Port Phillip Bay and “unite” all sides of the city.

Other motions called for the public transport to be made free being made a 2026 election policy, and for the Victorian Youth Labor executive to write to Treasurer Tim Pallas to reinstate the Victorian sick pay for casual workers scheme, which was axed in this year’s budget.

Embarrassingly, the agenda booklet seen by the Herald Sun misspelled references to current Premier Jacinta Allan on multiple occasions referring to the “Allen government”.

Victorian Young Labor is an official branch of the Australian Labor Party, dedicated to representing party members aged 14 to 26 living in Victoria.

The annual conference is where members debate public policy and elect the future young Labor leaders.