What they said at the ALP conference

Some of the quotes from day three of the ALP national conference, which was dominated by the asylum seeker debate.

LABOR'S DAY IN QUOTES

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

"Marriage equality is a simple, overdue change that sends a powerful message. It is our chance to say as a nation ... your love is equal under the law." Federal leader Bill Shorten

"Up to now we have never had a leader who has nailed his colours to the mast." - Deputy leader Tanya Plibersek.

"The current parliament has the numbers to pass marriage equality and it should be allowed to." - Plibersek, on the coalition stance on same-sex marriage.

"Of course there are many of us, and I'm one, who would have liked it sooner but what I say to you is this resolution does what we want, which is to end the conscience vote." - Senator Penny Wong, who is openly gay.

ALP REFORM

"We should be aiming to be a party of 100,000 members - a Labor party that people want to join because membership guarantees a meaningful say, not just as elected delegates to our conference but in shaping our platform and policies." - Bill Shorten, on increasing non-union membership.

"It is a key to our electoral success." - Anthony Albanese, on opening up rank and file membership.

BOATS

"Humane, compassionate and sensible." - Plibersek, describing Labor's position on asylum seekers.

"Tanya spoke very strongly in support of the shadow cabinet's position at the various meetings I attended," Senator Kim Carr, on Plibersek's decision not to personally vote on a motion to allow a Labor government to pursue boat turn-backs.

"If people were in a boat, including families and children, I myself couldn't turn that around." - Anthony Albanese, telling ABC TV, why he openly voted against turn-backs.

"Dodgy ... watered down". - Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on ALP adoption of the turn-back option.

FAMILY VIOLENCE

"Somewhere on the street where you live there is a war in the kitchen for somebody."- CFMEU West Australian assistant state secretary Joe McDonald, speaking to a motion on workers' right to workplace domestic violence leave.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

"If ... there is no progress in the next round of the peace process, a future Labor government will discuss joining like-minded nations who have already recognised Palestine and announcing the conditions and timelines for the Australian recognition of a Palestinian state, with the objective of contributing to peace and security in the Middle East." - Conference resolution on Palestinian state.

CLIMATE

"It's a price. I don't care if people call it a tax. If they want to run a scare campaign, fine." - Shadow agriculture minister Joel Fitzgibbon on Labor's ETS to Andrew Bolt.

FERGUSON

"Wake up to yourself, mate." - Maritime Union of Australia national secretary Paddy Crumlin, after successfully moving a motion condemning former Labor resources minister Martin Ferguson for past remarks challenging the party on electricity privatisation.

OTHERS

"We don't think he'll go to another budget." - ACTU's Ged Kearney on the prospect of an early election.

"The level of tolerance for parties breaking their policies once they come into power is very low and the electorate is prepared to make harsh judgments on that." - Australian Education Union deputy national secretary Pat Forward tells AAP about the voter mindset.


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world