Significant fractures have emerged within the Labor Party ahead of its upcoming New South Wales conference, as tensions rise over the AUKUS defence pact and the state government's response to protests during Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit earlier this year.

Party members in NSW are preparing to challenge both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s and Premier Chris Minns’ leadership on key issues, exposing a growing divide between the party’s left faction and the leadership’s centrist direction. A series of contentious motions, obtained ahead of the conference, will test the government’s policy positions on foreign defence, protest legislation, workers’ compensation, and gambling reform.

A notable flashpoint centers on the AUKUS security partnership, a $368 billion defence pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Several Labor branches in NSW are expected to push motions calling for Australia to withdraw from the agreement entirely, while others seek to remove explicit party support for the pact from the national platform. The internal opposition to AUKUS has gained momentum following announcements that Australia will receive three second-hand Virginia-class submarines under the deal, a modification from the initial plan that included one new submarine. Federal Labor backbencher Ed Husic recently voiced skepticism about AUKUS during a caucus meeting, further illustrating the internal unease.

Despite this dissent, the party’s committee on “Australia and the World” has defended AUKUS as essential to national security and important for sustaining domestic employment, recommending motions condemning the pact be deferred to the federal conference for broader consideration.

In addition to foreign policy debates, criticism of Premier Minns has mounted over the NSW government’s handling of protest activity surrounding President Herzog’s February visit to Sydney, which followed the Bondi Beach terror attack. Several party branches have lodged motions condemning the response by NSW Police and opposing the government’s proposed ban on protesters chanting “globalise the intifada.” The relevant Labor committee has recommended dismissing these criticisms, setting the stage for intense discussion at the conference.

This meeting will mark the third attempt by Labor’s left faction to moderate the contentious anti-protest laws introduced under Minns’ government. Alongside security and protest issues, the state party will also confront policies on workers’ compensation reforms that tighten eligibility for psychological injury claims, and calls from within Labor ranks to significantly reduce the number of poker machines operating in NSW.

The upcoming conference highlights the internal struggle within Labor as it grapples with balancing its progressive base against the leadership’s centrist agenda, with key policy debates poised to challenge both federal and state leaders in their own political strongholds.