Labor Members to Push for Stronger Gambling Regulator and Gas Tax at National Conference

Labor members will reignite the push for a stronger gambling regulator at the party's national conference amid concerns the government's changes do not go far enough.

Policy fights on gambling harm reduction, a gas export tax and the impacts of artificial intelligence are intensifying ahead of Labor's 50th national conference in Adelaide this week. A stoush on local government funding is also brewing.

Party powerbrokers and unions are also in talks on issues such as improving dental access through Medicare, compulsory superannuation for under-18s and the creation of an independent aviation body.

Multiple Labor sources have told the ABC efforts are underway to progress amendments to Labor's draft national platform on gambling after the suite of changes unveiled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier this year did not include the establishment of a national watchdog.

One said "conversations are continuing" about regulation of the sector, potentially through a standalone national body as recommended in the landmark You Win Some, You Lose More report, or by "beefing up" the resources of the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Advocates have long argued that Australia's state-based system has produced inconsistent rules, weak enforcement and gaps that have allowed gambling harms to persist.

A Labor source said support for action on gambling beyond the clause in the latest draft of the policy platform was "very cross-factional", with the push coming from both rank-and-file members and unions.

But they said it was already "significant" to have gambling harms included in the draft at all — in particular the reference to tackling so-called wagering "inducements", which the government's planned changes do not tackle.

Labor members in Adelaide for the conference will also be targeted by digital ads calling for a full ban on gambling advertising. They have been paid for by the fundraising efforts of independent Curtin MP Kate Chaney.

Ms Chaney accused Mr Albanese of having "stitched up" the Labor Party's processes and suggested the 400 delegates voting at the conference would merely "rubber stamp" his preferred platform.

"Labor's national conference is shaping up to be a scripted mock combat performance choreographed for entertainment purposes — more intellectual WWE than UFC," she said.

The triennial conference, which starts on Thursday, has been criticised for being overly "managed". Much of the blame has been levelled at Mr Albanese, who hails from the left faction that dominates the rank-and-file membership and the parliamentary caucus.

But defenders have argued that the policy negotiation process that is run through the party's National Policy Forum, which is made up of elected representatives from the branch membership, trade unions and federal Labor caucus, has simply superseded conference floor brawls.

One Labor source said the forum, which prepares the draft platform debated and adopted at the conference, was resulting in more "quality" policy.

"Conferences of the past, people would rock up on the day and write on a bit of paper. How is that considered policy?" they said.

Gas tax fight on horizon

The latest version of Labor's draft platform includes a pledge to ensure the Australian people receive a "fairer return from their natural resources including through appropriate taxation arrangements".

On Saturday Mr Albanese rejected reports that the wording left the door open to Labor introducing a tax on gas exports.

"Have a look at what the resolution says," he said.

"It certainly does not say that."

But expectation is mounting that the government will face far more direct pressure on the issue during the conference, with multiple amendments being discussed.

One Labor source said an attempt by the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union to gather support for an amendment explicitly calling for a tax on gas to then bankroll a sovereign wealth fund had been stifled.

But they said that in the unlikely event of an amendment proposing a gas tax was moved on the floor of the conference there would be a lot of delegates likely to back it "sight unseen".

On Tuesday former Labor leader Bill Shorten backed a gas tax on future contracts, declaring the time was "right" to have the discussion at national conference.

"I think probably the time has arrived to consider reviewing the taxation on gas," he told 7.30.

"There's a national appetite."

Maritime Union of Australia assistant national secretary Thomas Mayo is among those expected to join the campaign for a gas tax at a public event, unrelated to Labor's conference, hosted by The Australia Institute in Adelaide on Wednesday.

"I think Australians are learning that we've been giving it away for too cheaply, and that energy companies — gas companies — have been taking the piss," he told 7.30.

Negotiators won't get 'exactly what they want'

A push to remove the rule for requiring under-18s to work more than 30 hours a week before receiving compulsory super led by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) is expected to be negotiated on the sidelines of the debate.

A long-running effort by the Transport Workers' Union (TWU) to establish a so-called "safe and secure skies commission" to oversee the conduct of major airlines and airports could also be landed without a fight on the conference floor.

One Labor source said the TWU was not likely to get "exactly what they want," but it remained possible broad agreement would be reached on the idea of an independent aviation oversight body.

"There is residual anger against Qantas that the union has effectively capitalised on," they said.

Several party insiders said they were expecting a battle on local government funding, which councillors want lifted to 1 per cent of Commonwealth revenue.

"It's actually on track to be a fight on the floor," one Labor source said.

Another issue expected to be the subject of amendments is expanding Medicare access to dental, which one Labor figure said would likely be "managed" on the sidelines of the conference.

"It's always an admirable idea, but how do you pay for it," they said.

PM's speech not the last word on AI

Labor figures are also preparing for last-minute disagreements on how to approach AI and its workforce impacts, with one official noting that Mr Albanese's AI speech last week was unlikely to be the last word on the matter.

The party's draft platform pledges Labor will ensure AI companies are held accountable to Australian "values and laws" and that there is "transparency, accountability, fairness and culpability" for the "harms these systems and models produce".

The draft has also called for workers to be "meaningfully consulted" on workplace change, like the use of AI and automation, impacting their jobs.

But further amendments and discussion to address AI's impact on jobs, resilience, energy use and sovereign capability are expected before a final vote on the platform is held.

Interested delegates can continue to lodge potential amendments up to the day before each policy area is debated.