State-sponsored apprenticeships and decriminalising cannabis on the bill at Victoria’s Labor conference

In her speech, Allan says SEC apprentices will “build a career together”.

The state conference is a soft launch for Labor’s election campaign, with Allan’s speech characterising the November poll as a choice between her party’s reforms to “make life easier, safer and more affordable”, and Liberal “cuts”.

Rank-and-file members and unions will also get the chance to debate urgent resolutions. These include motions calling on the federal government to impose higher taxes on gas companies and to support the full recommendations of Peta Murphy’s inquiry into gambling harm.

Another, put forward by Labor Against War, calls on the state conference to strongly condemn the US and Israel’s “wars of aggression against Iran and Lebanon and the heavy losses of civilian life”.

Motions are also directed at the Victorian government, calling on it to make public transport free, permanently, to end imprisonment as a punishment for unpaid fines, abandon its plans to absorb VicHealth into the Department of Health, secure the future of cohealth and ensure public hospital patients are no longer charged up to $15 a day to watch free-to-air television.

Another urges the government to introduce a framework for datacentre development, which would include a requirement that all new datacentres “fully offset emissions and become a net contributor to renewable energy production”.

Late last year, the premier said she wanted the state to become “Australia’s datacentre capital”.

While non-binding on state or federal Labor MPs, the motions represent one of the most effective ways for members and unions to influence party policy. Last year, the Victorian conference carried a motion calling on the federal government to recognise Palestine, which it did three months later.

Anthony Albanese is expected to attend on Saturday, after missing last year’s event.

Meanwhile, the Liberal party will also gather for its annual state council, with opposition leader Angus Taylor also attending.

The state opposition leader, Jess Wilson, will use the event to revive a commitment from the 2022 election to allocate 25% of all new infrastructure spending to regional Victoria.

The Liberals’ state executive is also up for election, with the party president, Philip Davis, expected to step down and former federal director, Brian Loughnane, the sole candidate to replace him.

Liberal members will also debate motions to lower the age for obtaining a probationary driving licence to 17, prevent local governments from banning citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day and halt the redevelopment of the state’s public housing towers, pending a review.