ALP conference 2015: Senator Bullock angry at Palestine moves

A Labor senator has lashed out over expected moves to recognise a future Palestinian state.

Right-wing Labor senator Joe Bullock has accused “a few obsessives within the ALP’’ and “cranks’’ of seeking to “undermine the ­bipartisan commitment to a two-state solution” for Israel and ­Palestine.

Writing in The Australian today, Senator Bullock pulls no punches in attacking what he warns is a “reckless, poorly thought-out and frankly foolish motion urging the immediate ­recognition of a state of Palestine’’.

“For those of us genuinely committed to a two-state solution and a lasting peace, the position put by proponents of ‘statehood now’ is counterproductive,’’ Senator Bullock says. “It is war masquerading as peace, hostility disguised as kindness.”

But NSW Right heavyweight Tony Burke, who is working with Victorian Right colleagues on a carefully worded resolution on the Middle East, saidthat “Joe Bullock’s comments don’t match any resolution I’ve seen”.

Mr Burke is expected to move a resolution which is likely to reflect the successful motion from the NSW ALP conference last year, which was drafted by former NSW premier and former foreign minister Bob Carr.

It stated if there was no progress towards a two-state solution and Israel continued to build and expand settlements, then a future Labor government would “consult like-minded nations towards ­recognition of the Palestinian state’’.

Senator Bullock, who controversially entered parliament after a preselection row against Left-wing colleague Louise Pratt, is the former West Australian secretary of the powerful Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association.

Senator Bullock writes today he entered parliament vowing to continue to be a voice for the shop assistants and ordinary working people, determined to “focus on core issues for the average Australian: secure jobs, accessible and ­affordable education, the protection of Medicare, a fair go for ­seniors and pensioners’’.

“Naturally I assumed that the Labor Party, my party, would share this focus,” he says.

“I did not imagine that at its first national conference since the election of the current Liberal government, a few obsessives within the ALP would choose to concentrate instead on the Middle East peace process.

“Much less did I imagine that these cranks would seek to undermine the bipartisan commitment to a two-state solution with a reckless, poorly thought-out and frankly foolish motion urging the immediate recognition of a state of Palestine. Yet here we are.’’