Sue Bolton, Melbourne
After a vigorous debate, delegates to the Democratic Socialist Perspective's 22nd Congress on January 5-8 reaffirmed the DSP's commitment to building the Socialist Alliance as a new party project.
This followed an extensive pre-congress discussion centred on a draft resolution "The Democratic Socialist Perspective and the Socialist Alliance". The draft resolution (see <http://www.dsp.org.au/2006resolution.htm>) was adopted with a minor amendment.
A proposal that the DSP return to calling itself the "Democratic Socialist Party", and declare it as "the only party we are building today", was rejected by three-quarters of the congress delegates. Given the DSP's greater engagement in the working-class struggle, differences on perspectives are to be expected and, indeed, are a sign of a healthy organisation.
While recognising that the Socialist Alliance is still at an early stage of development, congress acknowledged that the development of the Socialist Alliance has strengthened the left in Australia. As an example, since its formation, many militant trade unionists from both blue- and white-collar unions have joined the Alliance.
This is the first time since the 1970s, when the Communist Party of Australia was the dominant force on the Australian left, that a section of the trade union movement has looked towards joining an explicitly socialist party.
Many unionists have been attracted to the Socialist Alliance because they want an alternative to the Labor Party's "me too" approach in supporting many of the Howard government's anti-working-class policies, and the anti-worker record of state Labor governments.
The election of Socialist Alliance members Chris Cain as WA secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Tim Gooden as secretary of the Geelong Trades Hall Council, Chris Spindler as president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and former AMWU Victorian secretary Craig Johnston, are indications that Socialist Alliance members are respected leaders of the trade union movement.
The Socialist Alliance has also resulted in a socialist profile in regional cities where there hasn't been an organised socialist presence since the days of the Communist Party — Armidale, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Bendigo and Ballarat.
Since the Socialist Alliance formed in 2001, it has been able to initiate actions that have helped reignited the anti-war and refugee rights campaigns.
The congress resolution commits DSP members to work democratically within the Socialist Alliance structures (and in broader left unity formations if they arise) to build, to the best of our ability, united left campaigns in the trade union and other social movements.
The DSP congress anticipated a year of growing resistance to the capitalists' offensive and resolved to build the Socialist Alliance as an invaluable player in that fight.
Congress also agreed to make some specific proposals to the Socialist Alliance that the DSP thinks can strengthen the Alliance's capacity to build resistance to the neo-liberal attacks, especially the soon-to-be-enacted new anti-union laws.
These included:
- Producing a Socialist Alliance Fightback Manifesto.
- Initiating a discussion in the broader union movement about possibilities for a second National Trade Union Fightback Conference mid-year and scheduling the 2006 national conference to coincide with such a broader conference.
The DSP Congress voted to prioritise the anti-Howard campaigns, particularly the campaign against the anti-union laws and the civil liberties campaign against the terror laws. Socialist Alliance unionists are part of a network of unionists calling for a national stoppage against the anti-union laws. An important part of these campaigns will be a rapid response network in each city to ensure a big solidarity response to whomever is victimised under the new laws.
Building opposition to the occupation of Iraq and the war plans of the imperialist nations also continues to be a focus for DSP members. The majority of Australians are opposed to the war in Iraq. The DSP will help convert this sentiment into active opposition against the occupation and assist in building broad anti-war protests on the third anniversary of the invasion in March. Building big anti-war protests when British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Australia in March and US President George Bush visits Australia in 2007 for the APEC summit will also be a priority.
An exciting development, with worldwide ramifications, is the revolutionary advance in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela. These developments provide proof that an alternative to the capitalist system is possible. The DSP pledged to give a high priority to building solidarity with Venezuela, especially as the United States has indicated that Venezuela is on its hit list for possible military intervention.
This perspective was reinforced when the charge d'affaires at the Venezuelan embassy Dr Nelson Davila addressed the congress.
Studying and understanding the Venezuelan revolution will be important for the left in Australia to develop a greater understanding of how to challenge the capitalist system in our own country. To that end, three solidarity brigades from Australia will visit Venezuela this year and three national speaking tours of guest speakers from Venezuela are being organised. The first will be with Carolus Wimmer from the Communist Party of Venezuela and a Venezuelan Deputy to the Latin American parliament who will be in Australia from February 26-March 6.
The fourth Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference is being planned for Easter 2007. It will be an important forum for organising the anti-APEC protests later on that year.
The congress recognised that the pace at which the Socialist Alliance has been able to develop is slower than we had anticipated and that the DSP needs to replenish its cadre base, maintain the political, organisational and financial viability of its own structures and win, educate and develop a new generation of revolutionary youth cadre.
As well as the debate over perspectives on left unity, the congress featured educational talks on important aspects of Marxism: Lenin's strategy in the Russian revolution; the revolutionary potential of the working class; an introduction to historical materialism; an introduction to Marxist economics; the legacy of James P. Cannon; and, socialism and the struggle for women's liberation
At the congress rally, DSP members pledged a record $103,165 towards a $250,000 Green Left Weekly fighting fund for 2006.
A new national committee was elected, which in turn established the national officeholder positions of national secretary, assistant national secretary and national president. Peter Boyle, Sue Bolton and John Percy respectively were elected to these positions.
From Green Left Weekly, January 25, 2006.
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