Another annual Party conference has concluded, with a stronger, more progressive policy platform adopted that will guide the state Labor government into the second half of its current term. Held on the Sunshine Coast, the 400-delegate conference saw a number of significant amendments to the ALP’s state platform.

With Labor as the only party at the federal and state level that can deliver on climate change, its commitment to protecting our planet was front and centre. The newly updated platform confirms clear support for ongoing public investment in renewable energy across Queensland, as well as providing a ‘Future Jobs Fund’ to protect mining communities as the state transitions to a renewable future.

The conference voted to legislate the new Energy and Jobs Plan, including enshrining a first ever Queensland Energy Workers Charter. Delegates also voted unanimously to hold the mining and resources sector to account through transparent approvals, and to protect Queensland’s precious biodiversity.

The new Energy and Jobs Plan was a direct result of years of advocacy by the labour movement and will mean a cleaner future with local, quality and secure jobs at its core.

In the important area of housing and homelessness, delegates supported moves to take urgent action to address the social and public housing backlog and to ban the use of anti-homeless architecture in public spaces.

Education has always a central part of Labor’s policy framework. The amended platform now includes investigating the co-location of early childhood education centres with primary schools, recognising Auslan as a language in Queensland schools, as well as ensuring our teachers are properly resourced.

Also adopted were amendments to review the rights of all workers to be able to access long service leave after 7 years, and ensuring workers are represented on all Government boards. Labor will also now strengthen our industrial relations system by cracking down on fake unions.

Labor’s policy platform also now seeks the establishment of a Government Natural Disaster Insurance Office, so Queenslanders are properly protected in natural disasters.

In defining Labor’s values, the conference has now enshrined support for LGBTIQ+ Queenslanders, and affirmed the Party’s belief in the science of climate change and the need to plan for its impacts.

Importantly, the conference became the third such ALP state body to formally back a much needed Royal Commission into media diversity, which has been publicly and strongly championed by former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

The 2022 conference also supported such measures as:
• decriminalising social drugs and legalising cannabis;
• reforming the vaping industry, to ensure it is properly regulated and can no longer target children;
• rolling out pill testing at music festivals and other high-risk locations; and,
• implementing a ‘harm reduction approach’ to drugs, by expanding diversion and health responses
• strengthening Labor’s commitment to decriminalising sex work in Queensland;
• reforming the Anti-Discrimination Act to bolster protections for LGBTIQ+ Queenslanders, including those at religious schools;
• recognising the importance of Ambulance workers and the current challenges they are facing, as well as developing a plan for better resourcing;
• building on the work that is already underway to strengthen Queensland’s consent laws
• tackling corporate tax avoidance by ensuring no government contracts are given to companies based in tax havens;
• reconfirming Labor’s support for the recognition of Palestine.

The next ALP state conference is due to be held in Mackay in June 2023.

Junction Fest a huge hit!

This year’s annual Junction Fest was the biggest and best ever, with record numbers in attendance, complementing the large number of stalls, entertainment and wide range of activities. Held on Saturday 8 October in Annerley, the expanded community festival was a vibrant celebration of local diversity, creativity and inclusion.

As very keen event sponsors, federal Moreton MP – Graham Perrett and State Miller MP – Mark Bailey, held a joint information stall which actively promoted the federal Voice to Parliament proposal and Queensland Labor’s popular Energy and Jobs Plan.

Stall volunteers also handed out free tote bags, seed packets, ‘Statement from the Heart’ stickers, water bottles as well as a raft of information about Labor’s federal and state initiatives.

Volunteers reported that Labor’s stall was busy the whole day with many locals signing up to support the Voice to Parliament campaign.

The festival will be held next year on 14 October.

Members help with ‘Budget Roadshow’

With the delivery of the first federal Labor budget in 9 years, members were keen to get out and about to talk to the local community about many of the key highlights. Staffing stalls across Moreton and Griffith, volunteers spoke to residents about cheaper child care, more funding for increasing renewable energy and addressing climate change, the new housing accord to build more social housing and make housing more affordable, cheaper medicines, six months of paid parental leave and support for wage justice.

The ‘roadshow’ is just part of an ongoing campaign to engage with local communities about how Labor is making a real difference by introducing progressive policies that help all Australians, not just the privileged few.

More local roadshow activities are planned for the near future as more exciting Labor initiatives are implemented over the coming months.

Support for Medicare to cover gender affirming surgery

Annerley Labor has called on the Albanese Labor Government to expand Medicare and health and hospital funding to provide for those Australians needing gender affirming surgery. In recognition that this type of surgery is fundamental for many trans people to affirm their gender, and to maintain their wellbeing, any means to improve its affordability is seen as ‘significantly improving their quality of life’.

Gender affirming surgery refers to a variety of procedures that some trans or gender diverse people may use to affirm their gender. Surgery is just one option for gender affirming care, with trans and gender diverse people choosing to affirm their gender in a way that feels right for them.

A letter, outlining the call for action, has been sent to the Federal Health Minister, Hon Mark Butler MP for his response.

Calls for Queensland Criminal Code reform

Members have enthusiastically supported moves from ALP equity group, Rainbow Labor, encouraging the Queensland government to review the sexual health sections of the Criminal Code (Qld) 1899, including s317 and references to ‘causing grievous bodily harm’, to ensure these laws reflect ‘modern values and current science’.

The resolution adopted unanimously by Annerley Labor, and now sent to State Attorney General, Shannon Fentiman MP, recognises that the Criminal Code’s sexual health sections were grossly outdated and had not kept up with science and treatment.

Permanent protection for refugees welcomed

Annerley Labor has formally welcomed the public commitment of Albanese Labor Government to grant permanent protection to refugees on Temporary Protection Visas and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas. Members view that this announcement is a step in the right direction, and is long overdue to be enacted.

Writing to the federal Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles MP, the Branch has urged prompt action on the part of the new federal Labor government and comes after intense lobbying from Labor for Refugees, which met recently with the Minister. Labor for Refugees has happily reported to its members that the Minister ‘confirmed that his focus was on making temporary visa holders permanent’.

Support for people of Myanmar and Western Sahara

Committed to the struggle for international justice across the globe, Annerley Labor has written to Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, reminding her of the plight of the people of Myanmar and Western Sahara.

In two separate resolutions, which were conveyed to the Foreign Minister, Annerley Labor has expressed concerns regarding the ongoing situation in both trouble spots.

Firstly, the Branch has called on the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to hold the military junta accountable for its crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court, as well as urging the Security Council to adopt an arms embargo on Myanmar based on General Assembly Resolution 75/287, as well as other necessary economic sanctions against the current regime.

In a second resolution sent to Senator Penny Wong, members have expressed solidarioty with, and support for, the people of Western Sahara and their right to self-determination. In addition, the adopted resolution calls for:
o the end of Morocco’s illegal military occupation and its brutal regime of killings, disappearances, and torture, to enable the reunification of the Sahrawi people in conditions of peace and dignity.
o the immediate cessation of the exploitation of Western Sahara’s land and resources by foreign corporations that support of Morocco’s illegal occupation; and
o the recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people within the territory of the occupied Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.