Latest news with #StephenConroy
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Israel-Iran conflict: Potential for US to intervene
Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy discusses the distinct factions of Republicanism and whether the US will intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 'The Republicans have always had a strand of them which is now magnified and strengthened by MAGA views – they're what we call isolationists,' Mr Conroy told Sky News host Paul Murray. 'Then there's always been … establishment Republicans, and they've always believed that the prosperity and the success and growth in economies have been based on the US's abilities to build alliances around the world to keep the world safe.'
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Case for AUKUS is overwhelming': Trump to review trilateral submarine pact
Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy discusses the undergoing review of AUKUS. This comes as world leaders arrive at the G7 summit in Canada. 'Australia will want to press the case that this is good for America, not just good for Australia,' Mr Conroy told Sky News Australia. 'The case for AUKUS is overwhelming. 'But I accept President Trump is mercurial.'
Sky News AU
20-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Victorian public servant roles to be axed in cost-cutting measures
Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy claims Victoria's cost-cutting measures including axing thousands of public servants are due to some 'hard decisions'. The Labor state government will be axing the jobs despite federal Labor campaigning hard against Peter Dutton and the Liberals' pledge to cut roles in Canberra public servants. 'The Victorian budget and the federal budget were in very different places,' Mr Conroy said. 'Jim Chalmers has been able to run two budget surpluses over the last three budgets, whereas the Victorian government has had commitments to huge infrastructure projects, and they've had a much looser budgetary situation.'
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Political influence and powerful allies: how relative unknown Sam Rae catapulted himself into Labor's ministry
Moments after securing a landslide victory at the 2018 state election, a triumphant Daniel Andrews showered praise on his young campaign director, Sam Rae, who has now been fast-tracked to become a federal minister at just 38 years old. Rae remains an unknown figure to many outside Victoria, where he wielded political influence and cultivated powerful allies long before entering federal parliament in 2021 as the member for Hawke, on Melbourne's north-western fringe. His elevation to minister for aged care and seniors, just like his preselection in Hawke, came after a bruising factional fight. Rae, along with fellow Victorian rightwinger Daniel Mulino, was promoted after frontbenchers Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus were dumped. Labor insiders concede the demotions were brutal. Rae's promotion has raised some eyebrows within Labor, including from former prime minister Paul Keating, who described Rae's Victorian right faction as 'demonstrably devoid of creativity and capacity'. Victorian Labor sources insist this criticism is unfair and fails to reflect Rae's experience. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Rae worked as a factory labourer, a call centre operator and a childcare worker before becoming an electorate officer and adviser to former communications minister and Victorian right-faction power broker Stephen Conroy in 2015. In his first speech to parliament, Rae listed Conroy as a mentor along with Labor power broker Don Farrell and the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, who leads the Victorian right faction. On Sunday, Husic accused Marles of being a 'factional assassin' who had orchestrated his demise. After six years with Conroy, Rae moved to Victorian Labor and ran its research and tactics unit. He then became the state party's secretary and ran the 2018 Labor campaign, which secured Daniel Andrews a second term. Rae worked alongside pollster Kos Samaras, who was not surprised by his promotion. 'He grew up in a single parent household with two other brothers and worked in factories to get himself through university,' Samaras said. 'It's not exactly been a blessed life. This is the sort of person you definitely want in the cabinet.' Samaras said Rae had shown 'an incredible ability to grasp huge complex logistical problems' during the 2018 state election, which he described as the best campaign he had worked on. Months after the 2018 election, Rae became a partner at PwC Australia. During this period, Rae worked with James MacKenzie, who is the chair of law firm Slater & Gordon and a board member of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority. MacKenzie is a Labor stalwart who overhauled the Victorian ALP headquarters in the late 1970s. Rae is 'definitely not a political hack,' said MacKenzie, who worked with him on non-government projects. 'The factions don't give out MBAs. The sort of work I engaged with while he was a partner at PwC was akin to serious policy work; that is what he brings to the table. 'I was impressed by his understanding of what is a well-formulated and well-structured policy and his broad business understanding. It's not very often you come across a 'political hack' who understands what the cost of capital is.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Rae left PwC Australia after being preselected to run in the seat of Hawke, which also unleashed factional divisions. Some members aligned to former leader Bill Shorten wanted a woman selected. But Rae was selected by Labor's national executive, not branch members, due to the state branch being placed into administration after branch-stacking allegations. Several unions argued there should have been a ballot, and unsuccessfully launched court action to overturn the national executive's intervention. As an MP, Rae lists campaigning to deliver urgent care clinics to Sunbury and Melton among his greatest achievements. He told Guardian Australia he 'was a massive pain in the arse' within the party to ensure the money was allocated. One former senior Victorian Labor staffer, who worked with Rae but declined to be named so they could speak freely, said criticism of him as an unknown factional player was 'unfair'. 'He's a member of Labor's national executive, for one,' the source said. 'He's a deep thinker and you don't lead a landslide victory at a state election without having an understanding of both policy and politics.' In a statement, Rae said he was 'deeply honoured to have been asked to serve as minister for aged care and seniors'. 'It's a challenging portfolio and I'm proud to take it alongside Labor's talented team,' Rae said. 'There's a lot of work to do and we're ready to get started.'
Sky News AU
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Liberals attempt to appeal to both sides on energy policy ‘wasn't meaningful'
Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy says he was 'a little bit cynical' about the nuclear policy announcement. Mr Conroy told Sky News host Andrew Bolt that they needed to not drive the left and Teal seats 'further away' from themselves. 'So they had to say, 'well we're still committed to Net Zero by 2050', but at the same time they needed to keep the National Party in the card. 'It wasn't meaningful.'
