One Nation challenged by a multi-ethnic election team
By Jennifer Thompson
The Democratic Socialists have announced an initial 13 candidates for the federal election to present a progressive alternative to the economic "rationalism" of the Labor and Coalition parties, and to Hanson's racist One Nation.
"Hanson may have captured a significant proportion of the vote of people who are fed up with both Coalition and Labor governments, but they pose no real alternative", said Peter Boyle, the Democratic Socialists' national campaign director. "All they do is channel public anger toward Aborigines and Asians and away from the real culprits, the corporate rich."
The Democratic Socialists will campaign for full employment through reversing privatisation, a shorter working week with no loss in pay, nationalisation of the finance sector and all big companies which threaten mass lay-offs, and through a massive expansion of public works to address urgent social and environmental needs. They reject a GST and instead call for a sharp increase in taxes on the rich and big companies — to attack real rorting and elite privilege.
The Democratic Socialists have begun organising community speak-outs and local rallies against racism and its underlying causes: unemployment, insecurity and cuts to public services. They ask people who share these concerns to join the campaign through the nearest Resistance Centre (addresses on page 2).
"If you are serious about opposing racism it's not enough to protest against One Nation. You have to fight the racist policies of Coalition and Labor governments, such as restrictions on native title, and attacks on the rights of new migrants and refugees", said Boyle. "Our campaign isn't just an electoral one. Our members are seasoned activists intent on building people's movements and eventually a people's power that will end the domination of big business over our society."
Democratic Socialist House of Representatives candidates announced so far are:
Queensland: anti-racist activist Graham Matthews (Brisbane); feminist and solidarity activist Coral Wynter (Griffith); WA: Korean-born anti-racism activist Iggy Kim (Fremantle); ACT: union organiser Sue Bull (Fraser); NSW: doctor and peace activist Margaret Perrott (Cunningham); BHP worker Geoff Payne (Newcastle); feminist and student activist Kathy O'Driscoll (Page); union militant Sarah Harris (Reid); Democratic Socialists' national secretary, John Percy (Sydney); Tasmania: doctor and feminist activist Kamala Emanuel (Denison); South Australia: union organiser Melanie Sjoberg (Hindmarsh); Victoria: Indian-born anti-racism activist Maurice Sibelle (Melbourne); NT: feminist and student activist, Natalie Zirngast (NT).