Andrew Chuter gave this speech to an open forum on the steps of Sydney Town Hall on April 24, organised by City of Sydney for Palestine. He is standing for the Socialist Alliance in the NSW Senate.
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I’m standing for the Socialist Alliance in the NSW Senate because we need voices in parliament who will speak the truth — and act on it.
We must stand firmly and unapologetically with the Palestinian people.
What we are witnessing is not a conflict between equals; it is the ongoing oppression of a people under a brutal, genocidal, apartheid regime. Israel’s systematic targeting of civilians and decades-long occupation cannot be excused, or hidden behind, diplomatic spin.
We have a moral duty to name it for what it is: genocide.
Australia must stop being complicit. We must end all military ties with Israel. No more weapons, no more intelligence sharing. Cut sporting and cultural ties that normalise this violence.
Stop demonising people who speak out and stop restricting our right to protest.
And we must support the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, just as the world did against apartheid South Africa.
We also demand that Australia dramatically increase its intake of Palestinian refugees fleeing Israeli bombs. And, after this election, we must keep the pressure up: keep marching, keep organising, keep building the kind of movement that makes lasting change.
Let’s not forget the bigger war machine we’re tied into. The AUKUS alliance, with its obscene $370 billion price tag for nuclear submarines, is a disaster. It’s not about defending Australia; it’s about cementing US military dominance in the region and locking us into a future war with China.
We must scrap the ANZUS treaty, close all US bases and build an independent foreign policy based on peace, solidarity, and justice.
We’re calling to cut military spending by at least 50%, and invest that money where it’s actually needed — tackling poverty, supporting public health and education, and confronting the climate crisis.
We must reverse the brutal cuts to overseas aid and massively increase support for climate adaptation in countries hardest hit by a crisis they did not cause.
Speaking of crisis, we are in a climate emergency and our so-called leaders are pouring fuel on the fire.
While emissions from transport soar, our governments are still expanding motorways instead of investing in sustainable solutions. We need a massive, immediate shift to public and active transport—trains, trams, buses and bikes that are accessible, reliable and free.
What has Labor done? Tanya Plibersek, who is not attending this, or any other local candidate forums, has approved 32 new coal and gas projects. Thirty-two! That’s not climate policy; that’s climate vandalism.
No government that green lights fossil fuel expansion should be taken seriously when they claim to accept the science on climate change.
We need a just transition — now. Not just talk, not just targets. Real investment in renewables. Real jobs. Real action.
So yes, vote Socialist Alliance. Put socialists in the Senate. But don’t stop there. The real fight is here, with all of us. Let’s organise, let’s mobilise and let’s never stop until we’ve won a world that puts people and planet before profit.
From the river to the sea! Palestine will be free! From the sea to the river! Palestine will live forever!