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Shorten to rally troops at NSW conference

As the federal election looms, opposition leader Bill Shorten is expected to whip up the party faithful at this weekend's NSW Labor conference.

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Source: AAP


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With the Labor Party set to face one of its most challenging election fights yet, this weekend's annual NSW conference will be a key test for its national leader Bill Shorten.

The federal opposition leader will attempt to rally the troops when he addresses the party faithful at the two-day conference which begins on Saturday.

The meeting, attended by at least 800 delegates, will be dominated by debates on policy, party reform and campaign strategy.

Members are expected to push for moves to increase the number of women in key roles across the party and to consider tax alternatives to a GST increase.

NSW Labor's new acting general secretary Kaila Murnain is also due to be formally endorsed at the first state conference of 2016.

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Ms Murnain replaced Jamie Clements as general secretary last month after he resigned in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal.

If elected as expected on Sunday afternoon, Ms Murnain will be the first woman to hold the position for the Labor party in NSW.

Luke Foley will also give his first speech at the conference as NSW Labor leader on Sunday.

With both Labor leaders up against two of the most popular politicians in the country in NSW Premier Mike Baird and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the ALP conference will be important for both of them.

Party members will take part in dozens of panel discussions held across the weekend in Sydney, including a controversial session entitled, The impact of illegal Israeli settlements on the two State Solution, led by former premier and federal foreign minister Bob Carr.


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