The Labour leader has warned hundreds of Labour followers to prepare for an election in December.
At the NSW branch's annual conference at Sydney Town Hall, Labor secretary Dominic Offner told members that the state branch was “ready to campaign” if an early election was called.
“If you look at history, when NSW Labor is strong, federal Labor is strong,” he said.
Mr Offner said NSW Labor was confident it could help Premier Anthony Albanese form a “long-term Labor government” and win the support of Australians when they go to the polls.
Speaking at the event, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said party members must “come together” to stop Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's “unbridled negativity and tactical populism” from coming to power.
Ms Rowland said it was Labor delegates' responsibility to alert Australian voters to Mr Dutton's “danger and incompetence”.
“We need to make sure every voter in NSW understands that Peter Dutton and the Coalition are the most economically unsound and incompetent organisation in NSW history,” she said.
Mrs Rowland warned lawmakers that simply “showing up a few months before the election” was not enough to win.
The comments came after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a direct accusation against pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Sydney's City Hall as he addressed supporters.
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters, including a man covered in fake blood, gathered on George Street at 10am, carrying flags and banners and chanting “Albanians, blood on your hands.”
Large police presence patrolled key locations, and organizers implemented heightened security measures, including having attendees have their bags checked and be flagged down by security personnel upon arrival.
The two-day event is expected to be abuzz with delegates demanding more action and a tougher stance from the party on Palestinian statehood.
Lawmakers are also likely to clash on bills related to protests, child bail, drug legalization and drug testing services.
But Mr Albanese said the labor movement had chosen “progress over protest”.
“We choose action over words, and our members have chosen to support vulnerable people inside elected offices, not threaten them from the outside,” he said, directly condemning the months-long protests that have led to the closure of the West Indies office since January.
Mr Albanese appeared to refer to the damage to Labor's reputation after Western Australian senator Fatima Payman defected to run as an independent, stressing that party rules require members to vote in unity.
“Labor people in this room always put the Australian people first. At the end of the day, when we speak up and make decisions, we move forward as one, knowing we are part of something bigger than each of us,” he said.
Just before that, the Prime Minister and his fiancée Jody Hayden entered the packed venue to thunderous applause and performed a cover version of The Killer's Mr Brightside.
Addressing about 800 delegates, including state and federal lawmakers, unionists and Labor loyalists, Mr Albanese touted the federal government's 66 emergency treatment centres, a new bulk billing incentive and Labor's “equal pay for equal work” policy.
The prime minister issued a warning to suspicious bosses, announcing that he would hire government lawyers to “back up workers”.
“Our principles are simple and our position is clear: same work, same pay,” he said.
Additionally, an additional $350 million in federal funding has been invested into the Thriving Suburbs program, which Premier Albanese announced will be available to all suburbs across Australia from today.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also faced criticism during his time as health minister in the Abbott government, with Mr Albanese saying “Peter Dutton was so bad at his job that Tony Abbott sacked him”.
Mr Albanese also stressed that the debate between nuclear and renewable energy will be a key issue in the yet-to-be-announced election, which will be held in early 2025.
He echoed Labor's line, criticising Dutton's plan to build seven nuclear reactors by 2050 as uncosted and missing key details such as where the reactors would be located and how waste would be disposed of.
But Mr Albanese was adamant that Australia had “no time to waste”.
“The only asset we don't have is time, and that's why the next election is so much more important than the next three years. It's about the next generation of Australian jobs, and we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a new era of growth and fairness.”
The Albanese MP also paid tribute to long-time Labor left ally and outgoing Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney, who recently announced she would not stand again in the inner-city seat of Barton at the next election.
“Linda’s approach was defined by respect, listening and collaboration – working with the community, not against the community,” he said.
He said the government's recent announcement to add Jabiluka to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory was made in consultation with Ms Burnie, Federal Water Resources Minister Tanya Plibersek and the indigenous Mirar people, which means it will no longer operate as a uranium mine.
Previously leased by Australian Energy Resources.
