Labor to soften stance on mandatory jail sentences, crack down on gambling inducements

Labor will water down its opposition to mandatory jail sentences but has abandoned an earlier draft of its policy platform that would have seen the party scrap its long-held stance entirely.

The draft platform obtained by Guardian Australia also commits Labor to cracking down on inducements for online wagering, putting pressure on the Albanese government to toughen up its proposed reforms to gambling advertising.

The updated document has been circulated to Labor members before the party’s national conference later this month, where MPs, unions and rank-and-file members will convene in Adelaide to debate the party’s agenda.

The national platform – which is debated every three years – sets out Labor’s beliefs, priorities and aspirations although the parliamentary party is not strictly bound to implement it.

Guardian Australia earlier this year revealed that the first version of the draft platform did not include reference to the party’s long-held opposition to mandatory minimum sentencing.

The omission came after the Albanese government flouted the platform on several occasions to support minimum sentences, including on laws cracking down on antisemitism and the displaying of hate symbols.

The repeated breaches caused internal angst and prompted criticism from Labor elder Kim Carr.

After weeks of consultation with Labor members, a watered-down version of the old position has been re-inserted into the latest draft.

While the document does not explicitly state that Labor opposes mandatory sentencing, as past platforms did, it says the party recognises that the legal requirement “does not reduce crime and undermines the independence of the judiciary”.

It also states that Labor “will always respect the independence of the judiciary, which is fundamental to the rule of law and our democratic society”.

If adopted at the 23-25 July conference, the draft platform would put immediate pressure on the Albanese government to strengthen its gambling advertising legislation before it is debated in the federal parliament.

The document notes that Labor has introduced the “strongest ever action to protect Australians from gambling harm”, including the proposed restrictions on advertising on TV and radio.

But it encourages a further crackdown on inducements that betting companies offer to encourage people to start and continue gambling.

The landmark Murphy report recommended such incentives should be outlawed “without delay” but the suggested ban was not included in the government’s draft laws.

“We recognise the impact that inducements can have on vulnerable people, and we will strengthen measures to minimise that harm,” the draft platform states.

Adding to the internal pressure, Albanese’s own New South Wales Labor branch resolved at last weekend’s state conference to continue to lobby the federal government to ban all gambling inducements and advertising.

As expected, the draft platform retains support for Aukus despite a push from Labor’s grassroots anti-war group to strip mentions of the security pact from the document.

The section on Israel and Palestine will be substantially rewritten to reflect major shifts over the past three years, including the government’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

The draft platform affirms Labor’s opposition to the annexation of Palestinian territory and desire for Israel to stop its illegal settlement activity and end the occupation.

“Labor urges the government to prevent any support being given to illegal settlement activity or extremist settler violence, and to implement further action and sanctions as necessary,” the document states.

The latest draft does not include the proposal from Labor Environment Action Group (Lean) for the party to “remove disincentives for decarbonisation” as part of its taxation agenda.

The proposed amendment was part of Lean’s campaign to wind-back the fuel tax credit for big miners, which it views as conflicting with the government’s climate goals.

More than 330 local ALP branches have passed motions in support of the campaign, which also has the public backing of Labor MP Jerome Laxale.

Amendments can be moved at the conference itself, meaning the change could still be inserted into the final platform.