ALP national conference: Labor policy platform backs coal

Anthony Albanese moves to shore up support among blue-collar workers, as the ALP stakes its ground in the climate wars.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Labor has formalised its support for coal in the party’s policy platform, as Anthony Albanese moves to reassure blue-collar workers their jobs will be safe if he becomes prime minister.

Pro-coal amendments pushed by the Australian Workers Union and the CFMEU sailed through the ALP’s national conference, as the party also backed taking strong action against climate change.

Opposition energy spokesman Chris Bowen, who this month visited coalmines and power stations, said the “globe’s climate emergency is Australia’s jobs opportunity”, as he reiterated Labor’s commitment to a zero-net emissions target by 2050.

In a push to portray Labor as occupying the middle ground of the climate wars, Mr Bowen took aim at the Coalition and the Greens, saying the Adam Bandt-led minor party “doesn’t care at all about the workers and communities whose livelihoods are at stake”. He said Labor was the only party that could “seize the opportunities” that come with planning for a low-emissions future, while declaring the future would be bright for coal-rich regions including central Queensland and the NSW Hunter Valley.

“Not the Coalition to our right, which doesn’t even accept the science of climate change,” Mr Bowen said.

“And not the Greens Party to our left, which started the climate wars when it sunk the CPRS, and doesn’t care at all about the workers and communities whose livelihoods are at stake.”

The Opposition Leader delivered a speech to close the ALP’s national conference, declaring “we’ve generated the light we need for the road ahead”.

In closing the two-day event, the Opposition Leader said Labor was “on the side of Australians”.

“If you want an Australia where no one is held back and no one is left behind, Labor is on your side,” Mr Albanese said.

An amendment pushed by AWU national vice-president Paul Farrow added a supportive reference to the coal industry, rectifying the sector’s snubbing in the draft platform despite protests of its omission from former resources spokesman Ed Husic.

Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon has led an internal push for Labor to be forthright in its support for coal and gas.

“Labor recognises and values the economic and employment contribution of Australia’s mining and extractive resources industries including iron ore, coal, uranium, nickel, rare earths, gold, copper, zinc, silver, gas, bauxite and others,” the amendment says.

“Labor notes the critical importance these industries play in Australia’s economic prosperity, particularly in Australia’s terms of trade, as well in supporting regional Australian communities.”

A separate amendment, sponsored by CFMEU Mining and Energy general secretary Grahame Kelly, outlined Labor’s support for exporting coal, oil and gas.

“Labor supports Australian industry, including agriculture, manufacturing, minerals including coal, oil and gas,” the amendment said.

Competing amendments on nuclear energy pushed by the AWU and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union were dumped before the conference.

An amendment that backed the construction of new gas projects, backed by the AWU and CFMEU, was also dumped, although the platform remains supportive of gas as playing a “critical” role in Australia’s energy mix.

Mr Farrow said Labor must champion mining communities and turn mineral wealth into wages, and noted many renewable technologies relied on minerals.

“There’s no renewable energy without mining. The steel in our wind turbines, the copper in electric vehicles, the rare earths in batteries. If we want to save the planet, we need mining,” he said.

A resolution pushed by Labor MPs Ged Kearney and Josh Burns committed a Labor government to “recognising a climate emergency”.

Labor Environment Action Network co-convener Felicity Wade said the conference “confirms Labor’s commitment to showing up to keep Australians safe from a disrupted future where terrifying fire and flood are just the beginning”.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan told the conference that Labor must be “mainstream” to win the next federal election.