The Socialist Alliance will contest the NSW state election, to be held in March next year.
The Alliance’s ticket for the Legislative Council is made up of 18 activists from across the state. It has also preselected Susan Price to stand in the Legislative Assembly seat of Parramatta.
Price lives in Parramatta and has been an active unionist for more than 20 years. She is an activist in refugee rights and anti-racist campaigns.
Price said that NSW needs a “radical shift of power away from corporate, developer and mining interests to the people”. Doing this, Price said, will ensure that social need and protection of the environment are made priorities.
“Traffic congestion, hospital waiting times, a shortage of schools within walking distance and the lack of affordable housing are not the result of too many people living in western Sydney.
“These social problems are the result of three decades of state government cuts to services. Rather than invest in schools, hospitals, services, public transport and public housing, governments have privatised and flogged off public infrastructure to their corporate mates.
“Funding tollways and stadiums is no way to create lasting jobs and raise living standards. This government seems intent on destroying community facilities in one location to then build them in another.
“The Socialist Alliance wants to massively expand public transport and give planning powers back to local councils and residents’ groups. That way, communities could plan for more public housing, schools and libraries, as well as community pools and hospitals to meet the needs of a growing population.”
Socialists are needed in parliament, Price said, because we would stand up to the mining companies and greedy developers. “Building community resistance to the powerful coal and gas interests is essential if we are going to seriously tackle climate change.”
The Socialist Alliance says NSW must make the switch to 100% renewable energy now, mindful of the retraining of workers and leaving no-one without power. This is both achievable and necessary.
“Wages are falling behind the cost of living, yet business profits are soaring. We need strong unions to defend pay and conditions and to organise resistance to rampant corporate greed,” Price said.
“Farmers have been suffering from the drought and the impact of policies driven by the corporate agribusiness. We need programs for sustainable farming and drought assistance that includes helping farmers establish cooperatives.
“Women must be able to live free of gender violence and be able to access abortion as part of a range of reproductive health services, regardless of where they live and without the fear of prosecution”, Price said.
The Socialist Alliance will be campaigning for the restoration and expansion of essential infrastructure and services, including rail transport links to boost rural and regional NSW.
[Visit the campaign page here.]