Labor’s draft party platform more assertive on China and omits mandatory jail term stance

Exclusive: the 2026 document is designed to provide ‘scaffolding’ for a long-term Labor government

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Labor’s longstanding opposition to mandatory jail terms has been omitted from the first draft of its new national party platform, after the Albanese government backed minimum sentences on several occasions.

An early working draft of the ALP’s updated platform also includes more assertive language on China and seeks to position Australia as an “active middle power” in an increasingly fraught and contested world.