Fed: Asylum seekers to be raised at national ALP conference

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Fed: Asylum seekers to be raised at national ALP conference

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - Labor was likely to face a new campaign against mandatory detentionfor asylum seekers ahead of next year's national ALP conference, a senior Labor powerbrokersaid today.

NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson said Labor's immigration policy was likelyto be a focus of the campaign for the Labor presidency.

Under internal reforms, Labor decided its federal president would be elected by a voteof all rank and file members of the ALP, rather than by delegates to the national conference.

Mr Robertson said the issue of mandatory detention could be a rallying point for ALPmembers in the campaign for president.

"I think this could well be one of the rallying issues in the leadup to the nationalconference," Mr Robertson told ABC television.

"It's just one of the issues that will be a rallying point, or a focus, for the rankand file in the leadup to the first national conference ever that will allow the rankand file of the party to select the national president."

He said detention should not be used as a deterrent for asylum seekers.

Mr Robertson said he wanted to ensure the immigration issue would be on the agendafor debate at the next national conference.

He said it was time for the ALP to take a tough stand and to stop being driven by polling.

"If we allow this party to be poll driven, we will never see reforms introduced, becausereforms are always contentious," he said.

Mr Robertson said Australians were becoming more sympathetic about allowing more refugeesinto the country.

But he conceded a majority of ALP members would support the party's current policy.

AAP jg/mg/bwl

KEYWORD: LABOR ROBERTSON