Ed Husic has taken on the role of Labor’s conscience. Will it last?

July 23, 2026 — 7:31pm

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Anthony Albanese let his guard down last week when asked about former minister Ed Husic’s suggestion that Labor was going soft on big artificial intelligence firms.

The government’s AI regulation was “something that Ed wouldn’t be familiar with because this has been a cabinet process”, the prime minister retorted.

The jab brought into public view a tense relationship that broke down when Husic was pushed out of the cabinet last year in a factional cull.

Far from sulking on the sidelines, Husic has turned into the chief irritant within Labor’s caucus and, as this week’s national conference has highlighted, the lead advocate on nearly all the issues of importance to the Labor base: AUKUS, gas tax, Gaza, Indigenous reconciliation after the Voice.

The Middle East conflict is one of the most animating issues. On Thursday, Husic said many people would agree with the term “apartheid” to describe Israeli policy toward Palestinians.

Labor National Conference as it happened: PM announces Fair Work Court, expands health student prac support in address to party’s 50th National Conference in Adelaide

Labor ministers are hoping for a moment of unity at this week’s conference that will........

© Brisbane Times