Shorten wins carefully managed conference

Bill Shorten has come out of a carefully stage managed Labor national conference in a strong position to attack the next federal election.

Former PM Kevin Rudd is congratulated by Labor leader Bill Shorten

Former PM Kevin Rudd is congratulated by Bill Shorten during the carefully managed Labor conference. (AAP)

In what was billed as the biggest democratic meeting in Australia there was only one real vote.

And that was just how Bill Shorten wanted it.

Labor's national conference was smoothly stage managed to ensure the opposition leader got his way on every issue.

So that meant agreements behind closed doors on refugees and asylum-seekers, even though there were some strong comments on the stage from Ged Kearney.

There was no commitment to raise Newstart, because as one delegate said - it was too expensive a promise to make.

The union push for industry-wide bargaining was watered down, although the devil will be in the detail.

The only real vote was a tight one on the creation of a Human Rights Charter, which is not an issue in the electorate. And Shorten won anyway.

This was a conference carefully run to ensure no one mucked up Shorten's chances.

With the Nationals taking the spotlight with a sex scandal on day two, and Labor making a series of positive announcements, it was a smooth three days in Adelaide.

Affordable housing will be boosted, foreign aid will be lifted, equal pay for women will be a priority.

There was even space to bring Kevin Rudd back into the fold, a little bit of healing for the party.

Carefully stage managed too - Rudd didn't even speak for half an hour.

Shorten survived the triennial event with his power enhanced and can look forward to next year's election with strong optimism.


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Published 18 December 2018 6:08pm
Source: AAP


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