Chris Minns admits NSW Labor needs to ‘climb Everest’ to stay in power as protesters interrupt state conference | New South Wales

New South Wales premier Chris Minns admits Labor must “climb Everest” to stay in power amid crisis The threats posed by One Nation are increasing.

But Minns did not shy away from the protests over the conflict in Gaza that have dominated party conferences in previous years, as he received a standing ovation as he walked through Sydney town hall before addressing the NSW Labor Conference on Saturday.

When the Prime Minister took the stage, two men unfurled the Palestinian flag from the balcony above. They were quickly removed by NSW police.

Taking to the podium, Minns told delegates: “I’m not here to take a victory lap.”

“The economy is nowhere near where we need it for working families, so today I want to talk about the next part of our plan to invest in workers, grow the economy and build the kind of industry that will make NSW strong.”

Minns used his speech to announce plans to expand the state’s apprenticeship program and bring train manufacturing back to the Hunter region. The government has identified potential sites for a state-owned, privately run facility at Teralba or Broadmeadow.

The Labor Party said that the $12 billion commitment for the 15-year project will provide employment for 780 people in site construction and 550 people in manufacturing. The announcement was met with cheers and applause.

Outside, protesters, including members of Labor Friends of Palestine, were kept well away from the conference by security fencing and lines of police officers at the site of the now-infamous protest against Israeli president Isaac Herzog in February.

Fifty-six Labor Party branches forwarded motions to the conference, with the support of the entire left, calling for the controversial anti-protest laws to be repealed or reviewed.

Labor members are concerned they will not have the opportunity to discuss protest laws, gambling reform and the Aukus nuclear deal after social justice and global affairs platforms came second to last on the weekend’s agenda.

In his speech, the Prime Minister acknowledged “the protest group in front of the city hall today.”

“They are not the first and probably won’t be the last to try to disrupt our democratic conference; we’ve seen it all before.”

But a potential fight over eight candidates in Labour’s upper house in next March’s state election was settled ahead of a conference-wide vote on Sunday.

Labor Party sources confirmed that the seven named candidates had signed up to the decision on Friday night, after the decision was reached at the 11th hour. The ticket is led by right-wing caucus member and treasurer Daniel Mookhey, followed by left-wing caucus member and upper house leader Penny Sharpe.

Left group member Anthony D’Adam MLC has been a vocal critic of Labour’s protest laws, Aukus and its handling of conflicts in the Middle East. Agriculture minister Tara Moriarty, seventh on the list, faces an uphill battle to retain her seat amid growing support for One Nation.

Minns touched on the growing threat posed by Pauline Hanson’s party in NSW, something delegates had touched on in several previous speeches.

The Prime Minister criticized “leaders who refuse to take pride in millions of people’s grandparents and ancestors and instead insist that One Nation conform to Australia’s version of monoculture”.

“And that means we stand up and defend Australian families of the Islamic faith when a political leader declares ‘There are no good Muslims’.”

Labor was ahead with 32% of the primary vote, the Coalition on 26% and One Nation on 22% in the latest poll in NSW, according to the Sydney Morning Herald in May, but Minns responded to Labor’s complacency by saying it was important to “beat that darkness at the ballot box”.

“I know from my 29 years in the Labor Party you already believe we will win. But the reality is, with politics changing so quickly, we need to climb Everest to stay where we are.”

“This campaign will throw everything at us, we are not facing a single opposition but many parties. And it will test us like never before.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address the conference on Sunday.