ALP announces sweeping changes to student work placements as Gaza war looms large at party conference

Prime minister Anthony Albanese, MPs and the wider ALP membership will set the party’s policy agenda at its triennial conference. Photograph: Michael Errey/AAP View image in fullscreen Prime minister Anthony Albanese, MPs and the wider ALP membership will set the party’s policy agenda at its triennial conference. Photograph: Michael Errey/AAP ALP announces sweeping changes to student work placements as Gaza war looms large at party conference Anthony Albanese will cast ‘practical’ policies as the key to countering the anxiety and frustration in Australia Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Students in 10 fields including physiotherapy, speech pathology and clinical psychology will receive financial assistance to complete mandatory placements under a major expansion of the federal government’s paid work experience program. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will make the announcement in a speech to open the Labor national conference on Thursday , which will cast “practical” policies as the key to combating the anxiety and frustration gripping the electorate. Labor MPs, trade unionists and rank-and-file members will use the triennial conference to thrash out the party’s policy agenda for the next three years. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email A high-level commitment to increase taxes on gas exports and wind back fuel tax credits are set to be enshrined in the official party platform, which sets a long-term expectation – rather than an immediate requirement – for the parliamentary party to act. Deals between factional powerbrokers are expected to avert major flare-ups during the three-day conference, although there is tension ahead of Saturday’s debate on the party’s position on Israel and Palestine. Jewish groups and Israel’s embassy in Canberra are publicly putting pressure on the party to water-down the draft text , which they claim is not critical enough of Hamas’ role in the Gaza war, while pro-Palestine supporters within Labor are pushing to strengthen the language. Senior Labor figures believe the draft version strikes the right balance and are reluctant to bend to either group, meaning a contested debate on the conference floor is unlikely. There will be disagreement at next week’s Labor conference – but don’t expect the feuds of the past Read more A Students for Palestine protest calling for a stop to arms trade with Israel – which the government disputes occurs – is planned for Thursday afternoon outside the Adelaide Convention Centre, which will have beefed-up security for the 3000-person conference. In his speech, Albanese will attempt to draw a clear contrast between Labor and its political opponents, in particular One Nation, warning that “raging against a system” without a plan to fix it doesn’t “take the country forward”. “I understand that for many Australians right now, looking to the future runs second to the immediate pressures they are under,” the prime minister will tell the conference, a