Election forum
By Martin Iltis
ADELAIDE — Thirty people attended a Green Left Weekly forum on August 20 to hear a range of progressive federal candidates speak on "Fighting Hanson, Howard and racism". The meeting was also addressed by Stephen Spence, president of the United Trades and Labor Council.
Spence described his resignation from the ALP after because of its support for economic rationalism and its lack of internal democracy.
The meeting was addressed by Tony Kneipp from Help End Marijuana Prohibition; Michael Perth, the Communist Party of Australia candidate for Port Adelaide; Craig Wilkins from the Australian Greens; Michael Pilling from the Australian Democrats; and Melanie Sjoberg, one of two SA Senate candidates for the Democratic Socialists.
There was general agreement among the speakers that the rise of One Nation was a result of disillusionment with mainstream politics, as well as disgust at unemployment, the increasing gap between rich and poor, and general deterioration in the quality of life.
The Green and Democrat speakers concentrated on the need to elect prominent anti-racists. In contrast, Sjoberg argued that it was not enough to get "good people" into parliament. She said the Democratic Socialists encourage people to participate in the campaigns against racism and build a consistent opposition to the racist policies of Hanson and Howard.