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The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Chris Minns faces angry backlash from caucus over ‘risible' Sydney Harbour Bridge protest stance
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns faces an angry backlash from within his Labor caucus when it meets on Tuesday over his stance on the pro-Palestine march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Members of caucus are planning to move a motion in caucus condemning the conditions in Gaza and endorsing the right to protest. The march for Palestine went ahead on Sunday after the NSW supreme court overturned a decision by NSW police to refuse a permit to march on the bridge on public safety grounds. NSW police said initial estimates put the crowd at 90,000, while rally organisers Palestine Action Group estimated the figure was closer to 300,000. Several NSW state MPs, including the deputy premier, Penny Sharpe, and frontbencher, Jihad Dib, joined the protest. Several other state MPs, including Stephen Lawrence, Lynda Voltz, and Sarah Kaine were at the front of the march, along with the former NSW premier Bob Carr. Minns' stance on protests has drawn sharp criticism from members of his own right faction as well as from the soft left, who are increasingly dismayed that Minns appears to be more attuned to the News Corp media and talkback radio than his own party. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'There's a sense that our policy positions are at the most conservative end of the spectrum. The audience of 2GB are never, ever going to vote for us,' a member of the right faction told Guardian Australia, on the condition anonymity. 'I would just like a bit more Labor in my life,' they said. Until now, parliamentary MPs from the hard left faction who backed Minns into the leadership have been largely silent over his clamp-down on protests and other law and order issues, such as changes to bail laws and children. The divergent approaches within the factions are causing tensions within Minns' team. 'They've been completely missing in action,' said one right faction member of the left. 'They haven't come out on any progressive issues. It's been us, the right and some of the soft left that have been raising it, and now the base is really unhappy,' said another right faction MP. Mark Morey, the Secretary of Unions NSW, said: 'When there's a strong public hunger to protest against violence and humanitarian crises, the government's role should be to facilitate peaceful expression, not obstruct it.' 'Yesterday's massive turnout shows that working people across Sydney are deeply concerned about Gaza, and political leaders should listen rather than look for ways to silence them,' he said. 'The premier's attempt to block this peaceful demonstration was a concerning overreach that the supreme court rightly rejected.' Speaking on Monday, Minns said he did not regret his opposition to the protest march and it was his job to 'be on the side of public safety'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'I accept that there's a huge groundswell … It's a difficult one for the government. We have to balance public safety and the public's right to protest … alongside running a big city like Sydney. Ultimately, my job is to be on the side of public safety,' he said. The characterisation of his role drew a sharp response from NSW Labor's Lawrence. 'This protest was inevitable. The only way to protect public safety was to accept that and facilitate it,' he said. 'The idea of suppressing a mass protest in the name of public safety is just risible,' he said. Lawrence said the protest organisers had offered to delay it until 24 August, but this had been rejected by a political-level refusal to accept the offer, which forced the NSW police into last-minute organisation to manage the huge crowd. Minns also foreshadowed that the government may still appeal against the ruling by Justice Belinda Rigg on Saturday morning allowing the protest to proceed. He did not rule out legislation to restrict future protests on the bridge, although he said he would not rush any legislation. 'No one should believe that it's open season on the bridge,' he said. Minns pointed out that in the past two years, the police had facilitated a hundred protests with the Palestinian Action Group, as well as scores of other demonstrations. Greens MLC Sue Higginson said Minns was facing strong internal dissent over his stance and should start listening. 'Labor premier Chris Minns is acting strangely and is not listening. He has lost authority over his own caucus and on matters too significant to ignore,' she said. 'There are no current plans to march across the Harbour Bridge again, the moment has happened, it was yesterday, and the question now really has to be: where was the premier? What was more important for the premier, that he could not attend the march for humanity? There may be good reasons he did not attend, but the people do deserve to know,' she said. 'The premier also needs to understand that he has absolutely no legal power to block protests, as the courts have confirmed and nor should he.'
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Jimmy Sullivan in Queensland Parliament
The Stafford MP, who was ousted from the Labor caucus last week, says he "spiralled".
ABC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Steven Miles says Jimmy Sullivan has been expelled from Labor caucus
Steven Miles says Jimmy Sullivan has been expelled from Labor caucus after he moved a motion at a meeting on Monday.
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Albanese Praises Diverse Labor Caucus, Reminds MPs to Stay Focused on Serving Australians
With a commanding 12-seat gain, lifting Labor's total to 90 in the federal Parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walked into Labor's first caucus meeting after the election victory. The prime minister reflected on the party's 125-year journey from its humble beginnings. 'There were 22 people' in the first Labor caucus on May 8, 1901 in Melbourne, said Albanese. 'And guess what they had in common? They were all blokes, every one of them.' Gesturing to the new caucus, he said, 'I see a representative group, a majority of women, up to where, we're still counting of course, but at least 57 percent women.' He also hailed the cultural diversity in the party. 'I also see people of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, different experiences, different faiths. I see a diverse group of people that are truly representative of our nation, and that's what our parliament should be, because we seek to represent the entire nation.' Related Stories 5/8/2025 5/8/2025 New Labor Members of Parliament Matt Gregg, Claire Clutterham, Emma Comer, Tom French (L to R) listen during the first Labor Caucus meeting of the 48th Parliament in Canberra, Australia on May 9, said it was now Labor's duty to deliver for those who put their faith in the party—particularly young Australians and suburban families, many of whom backed Labor for the first time. 'Focus out on the Australian people, on the people who voted for us. That's got to be our focus each and every day.' He emphasised the need to ensure young people feel secure about the future, with emerging technologies and AI serving people's interests, not dictating them. Albanese Reminds Caucus of the Need to Stay in Power The Labor leader also welcomed new MPs. 'What a room—and for those of you who are new, welcome,' Albanese said. Yet, he was quick to redirect the mood from celebration to purpose. 'And your objective should be really clear, which is to continue to earn the right to sit in this room.' Pointing down the corridor towards the Parliament, he reminded his team: 'At the end of this corridor ... this is where decisions are made that actually make a difference to the country. You need to be in government to make a difference.' The prime minister outlined outlined three areas of focus: defending Labor's economic record, addressing ongoing cost-of-living challenges, and presenting a forward-looking, aspirational agenda. Help the Private Sector Albanese spoke of the need for the party's modernisation. 'When I became Labor leader, in my first speech at the Sydney CPO, I said that I thought that Labor should be the natural party of government,' he recalled. Often criticised as a party of red tape and anti-private sector, Albanese underscored the importance of a thriving private sector. 'From a political party that has grown from working people, arising from the trade union movement, but one that reaches out to the business community and understands that you need a successful private sector to generate growth and economic activity and jobs. 'Political parties need to move with the future, rather than resisting it.' Reception From World Leaders The prime minister was also welcomed by leaders around the world. 'I received last night a long conversation with His Majesty the King,' he said. 'President of the United States, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, President Macron, Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain, Prime Minister Luxon, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Lawrence Wong of Singapore, President Pub, who I'll visit next week in Indonesia, Prime Minister Modi in India ... the prime ministers of all of the regions—Vietnam, Thailand, etc.' 'It's important that Australia's standing in the world—which we have repaired in the three years in which we've been in office—is that we continue to punch above our weight.' Message of Unity Amid Cabinet Jostling Amid reports of factional jostling ahead of the cabinet announcement—with Minister Ed Husic notably absent from caucus and speculation swirling around Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus's future—Albanese doubled down on the importance of solidarity. 'I repeated the message a number of times in this room of the importance of unity, of not getting ahead of ourselves, of being focused not on ourselves,' he said. 'That's got to be our focus each and every day. How do we improve their lives? How do we make a positive difference for them? For those families, many of whom backed Labor for the first time in their lives, some of whom came back to us.' 'My final ask is that over the next three years we remain with a laser-like focus on [the Australian people],' he concluded. The PM's speech was followed by all new MPs shaking hands with Albanese and signing the register. Ali France, who claimed the high-profile Queensland seat of Dickson from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, received a loud cheer and hug from Albanese.
ABC News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Albanese to 'slow the pace' as factions jostle over cabinet reshuffle
Anthony Albanese is likely to summon the new and expanded Labor Caucus to Canberra later this week or early next week and is in no rush to finalise a cabinet reshuffle that could see the elevation of new ministers. The PM has returned to Parliament House with a handful of senior ministers, but a meeting of the wider group, which could exceed 120, will wait until 15 Labor candidates locked in tight House or Senate races learn their fates. "We're going to try and slow the pace a little bit over coming days, [but] I will consult with colleagues about forming a frontbench down the track," he told reporters. Election essentials: Ministerial aspirants are jostling to fill the cabinet positions vacated by the departures of Bill Shorten and Stephen Jones. Mr Jones's assistant treasurer role, a valuable prize given it is a cabinet-level economic portfolio, is up for grabs, and it is expected that the NDIS portfolio, which has been held by Amanda Rishworth since Mr Shorten's departure, will again become a standalone role. Mr Albanese declined to speculate on the scope of the reshuffle or any other specifics, dismissing speculation that Tanya Plibersek could take the NDIS portfolio. "The only person who knows is me … If you hear something, unless you hear it come out of my mouth, it's nonsense," he said, while adding he would "respect the Caucus" and canvas their views. Continuity with change The allocation of portfolios is a task for the PM, but the pool of ministers to choose from is not, with those names chosen by Labor's factions. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on The left faction selects its frontbenchers as a single nationwide pool and has a claim to at least one spot, given Mr Jones is from the left, though it is staking a claim for both. Photo shows An election sign of Wil Anderson in a neighbourhood with a dog urinating on it with Gruen Nation Election edition and iview. This election season politicians have tried to sell you the world. The team at Gruen isn't about to buy it. They've taken a big swing at the election, showing you how the democracy sausage is made, all the sizzle and none of the meat. The right faction makes decisions at state level, putting the bitterly divided Victorian branch in the frame to replace Mr Shorten, with Sam Rae, Raff Ciccone and Peter Khalil among those believed to be interested, though Mr Khalil remains in a tight contest to retain his seat. There has also been speculation about boosting the representation of Western Australians in the cabinet. Elsewhere, rising star Andrew Charlton — seen by some as a potential future treasurer or leader — has been floated as a candidate for promotion, as have assistant ministers Ged Kearney and Patrick Gorman. Flood of new faces The Labor Caucus could have as many as 30 new members, depending on the result of a series of close counts. Two-thirds of those will be women, taking the gender balance close to 60-40 overall. It will also substantially boost its representation of young people, including Ashvini Ambihaipahar in Barton, Alice Jordan-Baird in Gorton, Matt Gregg in Deakin, Jess Teesdale in Bass, and possibly Rhiannyn Douglas in Longman. Ms Douglas is one of several whose election remains too close to call, a list that also includes current MPs Josh Wilson in Fremantle, David Smith in Bean and Peter Khalil in Wills. Peter Khalil faces a tight contest to retain his seat of Wills. ( ABC News: Darryl Torpy ) Mr Wilson is an assistant minister, while Mr Khalil is a special envoy, a lower level of responsibility that comes with one parliamentary staff member attached. Julie Collins is the only cabinet minister whose seat is not yet fully clear, although her chances of seeing off an independent challenge from Peter George appear strong. While new MPs would not ordinarily be promoted to the ministry, Ms Collins may face competition from experienced fellow Tasmanians Rebecca White, who led Labor at state level, and Anne Urquhart, who has moved into the lower house from the Senate. The 2025 election explained: Several other seats remain close for Labor, including Gabriel Ng against Liberal MP Keith Wolahan in Menzies and Sarah Witty against Greens leader Adam Bandt in Melbourne, which neither side can confidently predict. Labor is also ahead but not assured of the final Senate spot in three states, including Victoria, where Michelle Ananda-Rajah is eyeing off an unlikely extension to her parliamentary career after her seat of Higgins was abolished. Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
