By state political reporter Sarah Gerathy, staff
Photo: Bill Shorten urged delegates to prepare to fight for education and health (AAP: Nikki Short)
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Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has told the party faithful that some of Labor's greatest achievements are under threat from a "cigar-chomping Treasurer".
Mr Shorten told the 880 delegates gathered for the NSW Labor Party conference that the federal budget was an ideological attack on many of the things Labor stood for.
He urged delegates to prepare to fight for education and health, especially the future of Medicare.
"Let us make the promise to the Australian people that Labor will fight to the death to preserve bulk billing in this country," Mr Shorten said.
"We will fight right down to the line for the principle of universal healthcare."
Mr Shorten branded Treasurer Joe Hockey the "Foghorn Leghorn" of Australian politics and says his recent biography revealed how far he was willing to cut in the budget.
The biography of Mr Hockey, written by Fairfax Media columnist and former ABC broadcaster Madonna King, reveals that although there were heavy cuts to health, education, welfare and foreign aid in the budget, it was much softer than the Treasurer wanted.
The book, written with Mr Hockey's cooperation, reveals Prime Minister Tony Abbott was responsible for a more cautious approach.
It says the Treasurer wanted the "changes to pensions made earlier, and the deficit levy to net more taxpayers", but Mr Abbott was concerned about the reaction from voters.
Mr Shorten ended his speech by urging Labor to continue reforming, so it could win back the trust of the electorate.
Former foreign minister and NSW premier Bob Carr was among the dozens of ALP members awarded lifetime membership of the party.
Reflecting on his time in politics, Mr Carr told the conference that Labor was at its strongest when it sticks to its ethos.
"To be critical of us for a moment, when we decided we'd cut off Morris Iemma's premiership, that was our ethos turned rotten," he said.
"And pushing Nathan [Rees] and Kristina [Keneally] prematurely into jobs which they would have later held with great distinction was the Labor Party ethos gone a little sour."
Yesterday the 880 conference delegates backed a proposal to give rank and file members a 50 per cent say in the election of the parliamentary leader of the party.
That is the same model that saw Mr Shorten elected federal leader last year.
Delegates rejected a bid to wrest control of Upper House and Senate pre-selections from factional and union powerbrokers.
Lifetime membership bans were also slapped on seven controversial former members, including Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald and Joe Tripodi.
