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Politics
Dominic Giannini

ALP national conference touted as a litmus test for PM

Anthony Albanese will face some internal divisions at his first national Labor conference as leader. (David Crosling/AAP PHOTOS)

Anthony Albanese's first national conference as prime minister is being touted as a litmus test of his leadership.

Political science expert Ian McAllister says the Labor conference is important for a first-term prime minister to stamp his authority over policy and ensure there isn't too much acrimony or division.

"It's always important for the leader, particularly in the first year or two, to show that they are in charge of the political agenda and the policy agenda," he told AAP, ahead of Thursday's conference opening in Brisbane.

Labor is facing internal divisions over the plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, recognition of Palestinian statehood and a push to phase out native logging.

Branch and union delegates are planning to move motions to amend Labor's policy platform.

The motions would be binding, but it remains up to the parliamentary team to decide when and how policy positions are implemented.

However, Professor McAllister said motions on contentious issues usually don't make it to a vote. 

"These things are resolved in the background, so they don't usually surface on the floor of the conference, and they don't end in a divided vote," he said.

A fight among the 402 delegates at the conference is brewing over environmental policy, with the influential Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) calling for the agricultural sector to halve its methane emissions by 2030.

While Labor ministers have stayed largely quiet on the internal group's environmental motions, Nationals leader David Littleproud said science and technology needed to be the solution because any threat to livestock numbers would impact supply and push up meat prices.

Mr Littleproud said the industry was already on board with cutting methane emissions by 2050 to reach Australia's net-zero target.

He said the significant investment in the sector being leveraged through a farmers' levy showed how serious they were about the commitment.

"It's frightening elements of the Labor party believe we have to reduce herds," Mr Littleproud told AAP.

He said the sector was on track to meet the 2050 target, with developments such as food additives already showing positive signs of methane reduction in livestock.

LEAN is also pushing to end native forest logging and move Australia to 100 per cent plantation timber before the next federal election, which is due by May 2025.

It argues ending deforestation would be good for Australia's trading relationships.

The government is pushing to secure a free trade agreement with Europe, which excludes imports linked to deforestation.

But while trade agreement talks have stalled, the government denies the negotiations are linked to deforestation laws, saying they are separate issues.

The key sticking point for Australia remains market access for agricultural products.

Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres said the European Union was "offering too little and demanding too much".

"A deal needs to deliver commercially meaningful market access to the EU, particularly for key agricultural products," he told the European Australian Business Council on Tuesday.

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