Australian ruling party to debate key issues

The Embattled Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called for robust debate at the 46th ALP national conference opening on Friday in Sydney, giving the ruling Australian political party three days to reclaim its shaky identity.In her opening address, Gillard spoke of Labor putting the nation first and of the lofty ideals that have been glaringly absent from the Australian political landscape this year. "Our great movement's shared identity and our grand Party's historic mission combine as simply as this: we are Labor for Australia." She said, "To govern for Australia is a great privilege for us it is a great responsibility as well."She told delegates, "We love this movement its traditions and ideals.. The responsibilities of Government are the responsibilities of hard choice."However, Labor is desperately wanting to show Australian voters the 120-year-old party is still a party of ideas and that the government is listening to a community divided over key issues gripping the nation.Its certainly hard to remember a more key Labor Conference this the 46th in the party's history will have to decide on key issues from jobs, same-sex marriage, climate change and uranium. The party's platform is set to reverse the ban on uranium sales to India. Until recently Labor has insisted on India signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.Gay marriage will be another key issue, with the unmarried Prime Minister certain to be pressured from the left, while federal government members will be forced to defend their offshore processing of asylum seekers, after a high-court ruling scuttled the policy earlier last month.But perhaps most important for the future of the ALP will be a reassessment of its values with the party of over 35,000 members, losing up to 6,000 every year many saying that a lack of a voice on policy and values as the reason for their desertion.Some experts believe that it will be the mission of government leaders like Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan to direct debate away from structural reform back to finding a united voice on Labor policy.Despite earning accolades for guiding the Australian economy through the GFC, Labor, having lost government in states like Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales in a historic electoral drubbing this year, must now look long and hard in the mirror this weekend if it has any hope of holding onto government against a resurgent opposition.