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NSW Labor engages unprecedented security contingent for state conference
By Max Maddison
The NSW Labor Party has been forced to cancel a series of fringe events and employ the “largest security contingent” in the division’s history as Sussex Street prepares for a state conference to be rocked by major demonstrations and potential political extremism.
While the Israel-Palestine debate has long caused ructions across Labor’s factions, the months-long bombardment of Gaza after the October 7 terrorist attacks has seen simmering anger further fuel the divide within the party and across the community.
Briefings provided to senior Labor HQ figures earlier this month and revealed by this masthead detailed serious internal concerns about political extremists using mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside the conference on Saturday as cover to harm the expected 800 conference delegates, plus additional observers.
A pro-Palestine protest in Sydney in February. Labor organisers expect several thousand to demonstrate at the party’s state conference.Credit: Steven Saphore
Correspondence and confidential plans detailed by senior sources barred from discussing the matters publicly revealed the two-day event at Sydney Town Hall at the weekend would entail the “largest security contingent we’ve ever had”, including user-pay police and a series of measures aimed at mitigating any risk to delegates.
With speeches by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday and Premier Chris Minns on Sunday, precautions include bags larger than an “A4 piece of paper” being barred from the venue and “unique security credentials” issued to attendees designed so they are unable to be replicated.
“At Conference NSW Labor will be implementing enhanced security measures. These measures are designed to ensure the safety of all attendees,” an email sent in early July said.
Pro-Palestine protesters have been camping out 24/7 outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate office.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters, one senior source said the level of precautions surrounding the event would be unprecedented, declining to provide the total number of additional private security guards employed.
“It won’t resemble any conference we’ve ever done. It will be more reflective of [a] national conference,” the insider told this masthead, noting senior Labor HQ members were in constant conversation with NSW Police.
About 20 to 30 fringe events, including a conversation with former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, that were to be held concurrently across the conference have been canned. A source said the ticketed conversations were open to non-party members and created issues for vetting attendees.
“Everyone is a bit jittery. The heat has been turned up,” one senior Sussex Street source said, saying they were both “comfortable and uncomfortable” about the party’s preparations for the state conference.
The source noted an intrusion by pro-Palestinian protesters at a Labor’s True Believers dinner in Brisbane in July, saying there had been a “small group” of people not tied to the larger protest who used the rally as a means of causing problems. One protester was charged with serious assault after allegedly spitting on a police officer.
In early July, Minns warned against any move to “smash up” the state conference and said any attempts to disrupt the 130-year-old democratic assembly would illustrate the “real aims” of those involved.
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