Branch contemplates upcoming conferences
Members at the recent June general meeting discussed key issues for the imminent national and state ALP conferences, due to be held this July and August, respectively. With delegates for both conferences in attendance, the Branchheard about efforts to strengthen the Party’s policy platform at the national and state level.

Members discussed the importance of adopting a comprehensive strategy to counter the growing levels of racism and xenophobia being witnessed in many communities across the country. Currently Multicultural Labor Queensland is leading an internal campaign within the Party to highlight the need to fight racism and encourage people to stand against it.

The June meeting also heard that the Australian Council of Trade Unions was expected to push a range of pro-worker policies to be included in the ALP’s national platform. One of the related key policies, also raised by the Branch, is the need to strengthen regulations relating to the operation of artificial intelligence – especially its impact on jobs and our democracy.

The meeting also noted another policy that could be raised by some unions at the national conference in Adelaide is the addition of an extra week of recreation leave for Australian workers, which would have enormous benefits, including for mental health. The ACTU has been pushing this proposal since March this year, claiming that another week of leave will help workers reclaim time lost to unpaid overtime and combat widespread burnout.

The Branch, itself has also highlighted the need for the Albanese government to finally enact national human rights legislation. As part of its own submission, the Branch has continually advocated for Australia to have its own consistent human rights framework, after years of discussion and parliamentary scrutiny. Branch members strongly believe that the time to delay this reform is over.

In terms of the upcoming state conference, branch members were also encouraged to participate in the various platform chapter drafting committees that will help scrutinise the myriad of policy proposals for consideration at the conference, scheduled for the end of August.

Community BBQ held in Annerley
Early in June, the Branch hosted its annual community BBQ, this time at the Ekibin Park South in Annerley. Co-hosted with Mark Bailey MP, state Member for Miller and Cr Steve Griffiths, Councillor for the Moorooka Ward, the event was an ideal opportunity for residents to speak directly with their local elected representatives, whilst having a free feed.

The BBQ, held on 6 June, saw locals from Annerley and Tarragindi keen to chat with Mark and Steve, raising concerns about the LNP administrations at both the state and local level. Currently, Civic Labor has been seeking feedback from Brisbane residents for examples where the LNP dominated city council has neglected infrastructure and services. After 20 years of unfettered power in City Hall, many residents have been expressing concern that Council has been ill-equipped to address the needs of a growing city, especially in the areas of housing and local facilities.

The next community BBQ is expected to be held in Tarragindi.

Annerley Labor’s May general meeting was jam packed with discussion on several policy matters, as both the national and state ALP conferences fast approach.

The Branch adopted a resolution, sponsored by Labor Against War, that strongly condemned the US and Israeli war on Iran as an ‘illegal act of aggression against a sovereign nation’. Members called out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his support of the war as a ‘grave mistake that breaches the fundamental principles and policies of the Australian Labor Party’. The resolution also called for the immediate withdrawal from the AUKUS pact, as well as the closure of US military intelligence bases that are being used to support the attack on Iran.

In support of Labor Environmental Action Network’s (LEAN) current campaign, Annerley branch members have called on the Albanese Labor government to reform the Diesel Fuel Tax Credit to ensure it no longer undermines the current Safeguard Mechanism and use any savings to create a new Decarbonisation Fund. In addition, LEAN is seeking to make the new Decarbonisation Fund available to all facilities within the Safeguard Mechanism to finance on-site emissions reduction. LEAN’s campaign argues that the current Diesel Fuel Tax Credit is working against the Safeguard Mechanism by ‘significantly reducing the financial benefit to Australia’s largest mining companies of moving away from diesel’.

Annerley Labor also condemned the ‘ongoing violence, destruction and displacement across occupied Palestine’ and has called on the Australian Government to ‘take urgent concrete steps to end Israel’s illegal occupation, and expedite the establishment of a viable, sovereign Palestinian state consistent with international law and UN resolutions’. In supporting Labor Friends of Palestine and their continuing advocacy, branch members expressed their support for the imposition of sanctions and implementing a two-way arms embargo on Israel.

The Branch also expressed its strong support for the continuation and expansion of funding for the Queensland Migrant WorkWise program beyond its current funding period which ends in June 2026. The program is seen as a highly effective, Commonwealth-funded initiative delivered by the Queensland Council of Unions that provides free and confidential education and support services to temporary migrant workers across Queensland. Continuing and expanding funding will ensure long-term, sustainable arrangements for migrant worker education and support programs across the country.

Finally, branch members were keen to support the campaign from Multicultural Labor Queensland (MLQ) to support multiculturalism and stand up to racism. The branch has called on the federal Labor government to implement an effective anti-racism strategy in consultation with the Australian Human Rights Commission, to address all forms of racism in Australia. Importantly the MLQ campaign encourages everyone to stand up to racist behaviour and support those who are facing discrimination and vilification.