Australian Labor Party conference debates gambling reforms, gas tax and One Nation surge

The Australian Labor Party’s triennial National Conference gathered about 400 delegates in Adelaide to shape the party’s policy platform. Senior minister Murray Watt said gambling reforms – including the prospect of a national regulator and a draft platform to protect vulnerable people – will be debated in parliament, while the party also revisited a proposed tax on gas exports, with former leader Bill Shorten supporting a review.

The conference also highlighted the party’s emerging political challenge from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation. Former treasurer and Labor president Wayne Swan warned that One Nation’s rise, now matching Labor’s primary vote in polls, threatens the party’s traditional working‑class base and calls for a decisive response beyond centrist compromise.

Both issues are slated for votes by rank‑and‑file delegates, setting the agenda for Labor’s upcoming election strategy and potential legislative actions.