Rank and file Victorian Labor members have heaped fresh pressure on the Albanese government to follow through on an official party policy to recognise Palestinian statehood.
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On the second and final day of Victorian party conference, Labor delegates voted in favour of calling on the federal government to recognise the state of Palestine within this term of parliament.
"In re-affirming the resolution carried at the 2018 and 2021 national conferences, the Albanese government will join with 138 countries, and the Vatican, which have already done so," Sunday's motion read.
Many of Australia's closest allies do not recognise Palestine as a state, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and Canada.
Labor's official policy platform backs Palestinian statehood but the Albanese government has not formally adopted the position after angering Israel when it announced Australia would no longer recognise West Jerusalem as its capital last year.
Federal MP Josh Burns, who represents the Melbourne seat of Macnamara which has a large Jewish population, said Palestinian recognition was an emotional and personal issue for many people.
"It is for me and I dream of seeing a negotiated outcome and peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I'm committed to doing that at the national conference," he told the crowd.
"We almost got there on an agreement. (The motion) sits a little bit outside of the national platform. That's why I won't be supporting it."
Although the motion was passed, resolutions are non-binding on Labor's federal and state parliamentary party rooms.
Some members were also pushing for the Albanese government to rethink its nuclear submarines deal with the US and UK, which is expected to cost between $268 billion and $368b over the next 30 years.
"I know it's going to be controversial but you've got to call it out sometimes," one delegate said when moving the motion.
"We're getting told in this current deal there is 20,000 Australian jobs. Well I ask myself, what happens if we make (them) here?"
In the end, the resolution was referred to Labor's national policy forum.
Another push for the Victorian government to intervene in the Western Renewables Link, which plans to transport green energy from near Ararat to Melbourne, to correct the "fundamentally flawed" project was voted down.
Before it was defeated, Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said the motion was misguided, based on several myths and jeopardised the state's renewable energy targets.
But the state government was separately reminded of the need to deliver its election promises in 2018 and 2022 to build the Melbourne Airport Rail link after a federal review stalled the project.
The Victorian Labor conference was the first to be held since 2019 after a federal takeover of the state party in mid-2020 over allegations of branch stacking by former state minister Adem Somyurek.
Changes have since been brought in to crack down on the practice, which is not illegal but against party rules.
Victorian Labor state secretary Chris Ford acknowledged the years-long suspension of voting rights was hard on members but necessary to address systemic branch stacking.
"Today we emerge from this administration stronger, more resilient and ready take on the next 132 years," he said.
Australian Associated Press
