Labour party kicks off annual conference

(Getty)
(Getty)

Auckland's waterfront will turn red this weekend with hundreds of paid-up Labour members and MPs attending the party's annual conference.

It kicks off tonight with speeches from leader Andrew Little and former leader-turned Auckland mayor Phil Goff. New Wellington mayor Justin Lester, who was elected on a Labour ticket, will also speak.

The focus of the conference will be Mr Little's keynote speech on Sunday, where he'll announce a new policy aimed at addressing high youth unemployment rates.

It will be centred around the pathways into jobs for young New Zealanders to cut the current unemployment rate in half.

Another feature of the conference will be the release of the party's much-lauded Future of Work Commission report.

It will finally be unveiled during tomorrow's session, and is expected to outline a range of proposals aimed at adapting education, training, and the economy to changing technologies.

On Saturday afternoon, buses will take dozens of supporters into the Mt Roskill electorate to campaign for Michael Wood who is Labour's candidate in the by-election.

Prime Minister John Key and his National party supporters will also be out campaigning at the same time.

Newshub.