As factional powerbrokers negotiated behind the scenes to avert contested debates on the conference floor, Husic hit out at the party\u2019s culture under Anthony Albanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis whole thing of being allergic to dissent [and] dispute, I don\u2019t think that actually works in our long-term interests as a party,\u201d he told ABC\u2019s Afternoon Briefing.<\/p>\n In a speech to open the conference, Albanese framed the party\u2019s unity as a point of difference to its political opponents.<\/p>\n \u201cWe choose progress over protest. We choose purpose over chaos. We choose unity over division,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n Earlier, the government was given the green light from party members and MPs to wind back fuel subsidies for big miners<\/a>, setting up a potential fight with resources giants.<\/p>\n The national conference also agreed to extract a \u201cfairer return\u201d from Australia\u2019s natural resources, although Albanese shut down any prospect that would translate into a new gas export tax in the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n The Labor Environment Action Network (Lean) secured support at the opening day of the national conference to amend the policy platform to remove tax \u201cdisincentives\u201d to an \u201corderly\u201d energy transition.<\/p>\n The influential group of rank-and-file Labor members pushed the proposal as part of a campaign to cap the diesel fuel tax credit for mining companies, which they view as an expensive handbrake to decarbonisation.<\/p>\n More than 350 Labor branches, unions, climate campaigners and the mining billionaire Andrew Forrest<\/a> have backed reforms to the scheme, which refunds miners, farmers and other industries the 52.6c a litre excise applied to petrol and diesel.<\/p>\n Treasury has forecast the scheme would cost the budget $47bn over the next four years<\/a>, rising from $10.7bn <\/a>in 2026-27 to $12.8bn in 2029-2030. More than $1bn a year goes to coalmine operators.<\/p>\n A trio of federal Labor MPs \u2013 Jerome Laxale, Sally Sitou and Ged Kearney \u2013 backed Lean\u2019s amendment on the conference floor, demonstrating a level of support in Albanese\u2019s caucus.<\/p>\n \u201cOur job is not done. There are new policies that we need to reach our goals and targets,\u201d Laxale told the conference.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are also tough decisions to be made to reform existing disincentives to decarbonisation.\u201d<\/p>\n Senior Labor ministers were open to reforming the tax credits scheme before the US and Israel\u2019s war on Iran and subsequent global oil shock pushed it off the agenda.<\/p>\n Albanese\u2019s cabinet is not bound to immediately act on the platform and the government remains reluctant to pursue changes given the lingering uncertainty in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
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