Labor faces growing grassroots party revolt over AUKUS pact

Labor members in open revolt over AUKUS and will campaign against it at the party’s national conference

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Picture: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The Albanese government is facing a rank-and-file party revolt over the AUKUS defence pact, with about 40 local branches opposing it outright or calling for a review, and activists determined to have it debated at the party’s national conference despite attempts to dampen dissent.

Federal electorate councils covering the Labor seats of Sydney, held by Tanya Plibersek, Parramatta and Boothby, plus the seat of Mayo held by independent MP Rebekha Sharkie, have also passed resolutions opposing the trilateral AUKUS defence pact to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

The grassroots campaign is being organised by the internal party network Labor Against War, which is incensed that senior figures from the Left and Right factions are trying to muzzle debate to avoid embarrassment for the Albanese government at the national conference.

A recent Left faction meeting decided against raising AUKUS for debate at the national conference and union leaders have been warned not to speak out against the defence agreement, with ministers eager to find a compromise resolution that emphasises job creation and industry capacity building.

Marcus Strom, spokesman for LAW, said it would be “a travesty of democracy” if the “monstrous” AUKUS defence agreement was not discussed at the national conference next week, especially given rising opposition from party members and unionists.

“AUKUS and its values are clearly at odds with Labor values and risk dragging us into a US-led war with China,” Mr Strom said. “This conference is just the start of the rank and file pushing back against AUKUS. We are working closely with affiliated unions that oppose the nuclear submarines.”

Hamish McPherson, president of Labor’s Benalla-Euroa Branch in Victoria, seconded a motion at the recent Victorian Labor Conference calling for a “rethink” on AUKUS that was referred to the National Policy Forum.

“There’s widespread opposition to the AUKUS pact among rank-and-file party members,” Mr McPherson told The Australian. “People know that signing up to nuclear-powered submarines and US war fighting capabilities based on Australian soil is unprecedented and dangerous.

“A lot of pressure is being applied to limit debate or opposition. Given that, if AUKUS is publicly debated on the floor of the conference it will be a real win for the rank and file and the wider movement against the pact.”

A spokesman for the ACTU confirmed it has not changed its policy opposing a nuclear defence industry. While the Right-aligned AWU supports AUKUS, the ETU and AMWU are expected to express opposition at the conference. However, the West Australian and South Australian branches of the AMWU could support AUKUS given promises over jobs and industry.

The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network protested about the AUKUS submarine alliance at Trades Hall, Geelong. Now grassroots Labor branches are objecting to the deal. Picture: Mark Wilson

There is a push to have a variation of the AMWU/ETU motion that was taken to party’s National Policy Forum moved at the national conference, which ensures “Labor will not allow submarines to be nuclear-powered or nuclear enabled, nor permit their modification to enable future nuclear weapons to be installed.”

This is unlikely.

The party’s draft national platform says Labor’s “self-reliant defence policy will be enhanced by strong bilateral and multilateral defence relationships, including AUKUS”.

Ministers say they will not stifle debate at the conference from August 17-19 but are determined not to have the government embarrassed and do have the support to ensure AUKUS will be endorsed.