Kate Ellis is back – and the heat of political debate is higher than ever, incoming Labor president says

Beginning on Thursday, Kate Ellis will chair three days of deliberations by thousands of party officials and rank-and-file members in Adelaide. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Beginning on Thursday, Kate Ellis will chair three days of deliberations by thousands of party officials and rank-and-file members in Adelaide. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/The Guardian Kate Ellis is back – and the heat of political debate is higher than ever, incoming Labor president says The former Rudd/Gillard government minister has a plan for fighting back against populists including Pauline Hanson Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The incoming Labor president, Kate Ellis , says toxicity in politics is spilling into the broader community and public debate, warning that threats against MPs’ safety are limiting how elected politicians do their jobs. Due to succeed Wayne Swan as the leader of Labor’s organisational base at this week’s national conference, the former Rudd/Gillard government minister said fighting back against populists including Pauline Hanson was best achieved by demonstrating policies that improve voters’ lives. Israel criticises Labor’s draft Palestine policy in rare foreign intervention ahead of party conference Read more “My sense is that people are angry and that people are hurting, and I think it’s really important to acknowledge that,” she told Guardian Australia. “I don’t think there’s any value in denying that there are people out there who are doing it tough and who wish that life could just be a bit easier. “I think the focus for Labor needs to be on showing that we’re the ones that actually deliver the reforms that make a real difference to people’s everyday reality.” Beginning on Thursday, Ellis will chair three days of deliberations by thousands of party officials and rank-and-file members in Adelaide, with debates expected on policy positions on tax, AI, gambling advertising and Palestine . A cross-party group of MPs, including the climate change assistant minister, Josh Wilson, and the former attorney general Mark Dreyfus, used a new video , produced by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, to call on Labor to sign and ratify the UN treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Ellis represented the federal seat of Adelaide for 15 years, serving as a minister from 2007 until 2013. Elevated to the ministry at just 30, she faced entrenched sexism, sexual advances from men and gossip in Canberra. She revealed after leaving politics that a Liberal staffer had aggressively challenged her to say how many men she had “fucked in order to get into parliament”. View image in fullscreen Ellis says gender diversity in politics has greatly improved since she retired. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/The Guardian After holding portfolios including sport, employment participation and early