Hundreds of internal Labor policy proposals have been leaked ahead of this weekend’s Victorian ALP state conference, revealing a radical shift in the party’s direction with sweeping social reforms, new taxation proposals, and a push toward government-run industries.
Obtained by the Herald Sun, the confidential policy documents – spanning health, education, justice, and the economy – outline key initiatives likely to influence the party’s 2026 election platform.
Among the most significant ideas:
- The legalisation and state regulation of cannabis, creating a government-owned cannabis industry.
- A phased abolition of stamp duty, replaced by an annual land tax option for homebuyers.
- A new “super profits” tax on large-scale land sales to fund housing initiatives.
- Permanent pill testing facilities at music festivals.
- Scrapping council rate caps in the medium term.
- Establishment of a state-owned offshore wind energy industry and fast-tracking coal elimination.
- A permanent Aboriginal truth-telling commission.
- A reduction in Victoria’s population growth rate.
Other proposals include reversing laws targeting anti-Semitic extremism and protestors, with internal criticism labelling those laws as a threat to civil liberties. Specific provisions opposed include bans on face coverings and limits on assembly near places of worship.
Security at this weekend’s ALP conference will be significantly heightened, with mandatory bag checks, metal detectors, and photo ID checks after last year’s pro-Palestinian protests disrupted the event.
The documents also criticise the Allan government’s handling of mental health reform. Despite promises to double the workforce and fully fund new positions, no financial uplift was allocated to hospitals, resulting in widespread understaffing.
While none of the leaked proposals are binding, over 600 party delegates will vote on them at the conference. Endorsed policies may be adopted as part of the party’s 2026 election platform.
A senior ALP figure stressed that the proposals represent grassroots input from Labor members and unions and do not automatically become government policy.
Still, the scope of reform — including tax system overhauls, cannabis legalisation, and significant structural change to public health and energy — points to a bold and controversial roadmap for the Victorian Labor Party in the lead-up to the next election.
