By Jorge Jorquera
PERTH — Up to 2000 people participated in the September 5 stop the budget rally here. Almost half were high school students. All the university campuses had good contingents, and hundreds came from nearly every Perth TAFE, including electrical, construction, butcher and other apprentices and trainees.
The rally was chaired by Murdoch university activist Phil Harold and Australian Manufacturing Union organiser Carolyn Smith. Speakers included Ian Thompson, WA secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, Curtin University student activist Corinne Glenn, Curtin University academic John Maguire, Tom Hagan from the TAFE Student Network and Justin Harman from Resistance and Secondary Students Against Cuts.
Thompson gave a rousing and militant speech, urging young people to keep up the struggle against Howard and calling on participants at the rally to help organise a protest against Amanda Vanstone's visit to Perth on September 25.
Maguire highlighted the likely disastrous effects of the higher education changes on access and equity. Glenn, Hagan and Harman all focused on promoting the further mobilisation and organisation of university, TAFE and high school students. Hundreds of people put their names on mailing lists.
Prior to the rally, the WA Trades and Labour Council sent out a notice in support to all its affiliates. Likewise the CPSU sent a notice to all its delegates. The CFMEU and the AMWU were particularly active in building the rally among apprentices in workplaces and TAFE. Builders' labourers and meat workers' union organisers also participated.
While every student guild and NUS West supported the rally, it was not always very active support. Apart from the work done by the Edith Cowan University Guild, most guilds kept a low profile. Curtin University Guild did eventually come behind the rally, after it realised that not doing so was hurting its chances in next week's guild elections.
The powerhouse of the rally building was the work put in by the CFMEU., AMWU, TAFE student activists and the Resistance high school activists. This was not only in terms of the publicity work but also by providing political leadership that refused to give in to the demobilising tactics of the Labor-dominated student organisations.
Much organising work was also put in by the Higher Education Action Team contesting the Curtin University elections, Resistance and Left Alliance activists on UWA and Murdoch universities and individual militants in the Community and Public Sector Union. Rally publicity went out to Aboriginal communities, all Perth SkillShare Offices, all TAFEs, many high schools in Perth and Fremantle, most migrant community organisations and most women's refuges and child-care centres.