Socialist Alliance (SA) launched its campaign for the federal seat of Rankin on February 15 at the Albion Peace Centre. Its Queensland Senate team was launched in Cairns last November.
Unionists and solidarity activists gave greetings and local singer-songwriter and Palestine solidarity activist Phil Monsour sang some of his songs.
Long-time socialist activist Alex Bainbridge will challenge Jim Chalmers in Rankin.
SA’s key focus is: break ties with the genocidal Israeli state; build public housing; and climate action.
Union and refugee rights activist Jonathan Strauss and sexual and reproductive health practitioner Kamala Emanuel are SA’s Senate team.
Alan Isherwood, a long-time activist on the Atherton Tablelands and Hala Hijleh, a Palestinian-Jordanian activist in Free Palestine FNQ spoke movingly about SA’s work and Strauss’ commitment to fair and sustainable future at the November launch.
Strauss is a former National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) Branch President at James Cook University in Cairns, who is now living in Brisbane. Like hundreds of other university workers his job was made redundant.
“Defending our rights to protest and organise is vital, whether this is for Palestine solidarity at universities or workers to have control of their unions,” Strauss said. Democracy is about “putting people, not wealth, in charge”.
Taz Hossein chaired the launch of Bainbridge in Rankin, where Palestinian activist Omar Ashour, who works with Emanuel and Bainbridge in Justice for Palestine Magan-Djin, spoke.
Hossein said SA has a vision to educate and build support for socialism since “so many people only understand electoral politics, this is where we must meet them”.
Ashour described them as “morally-oriented, willing to stand up for their values, good listeners and always supportive of unifying solutions”.
He said the community is “hopeful for more pro-Palestine voices”, alongside the Greens.
Annie Pohlman, a University of Queensland NTEU activist, who served with Strauss on state and national councils, reflected on his advocacy in higher education over decades.
She said Strauss had been a “key advocate at every level of [the] union ... from representing workers in meeting with bosses all the way through to our union’s governing bodies.”
Pohlman praised his integrity, advocacy and defence of union democracy.
“I want a Senator who will govern on behalf of the many, not the few, on behalf of restoring the public good, on behalf of workers, on behalf of those who are most vulnerable in our society.”
Venezuela solidarity activist Eulalia Reyes told the February launch she is “happy and excited” to support the SA candidates, even if she does not agree with all of SA’s positions on Latin America. “I am ready … because I know that this is the way to go.”
Bainbridge said Chalmers and Labor’s front bench are letting people down on climate, Palestine and housing.
“In 82% of all electorates more than half the population lives in housing stress. In Rankin, more than 70% are in housing stress and [the figure is] 85% for renters.”
Bainbridge spoke about the dangerous rise in greenhouse gas emissions and said that Chalmers had not uttered the word “genocide” about Israel’s war “even once”.
“The socialist movement in Australia has powerful ideas … Now it’s time to rise up,” Bainbridge said.
“The real practical alternative to the mess of capitalism is to break the power of the big corporations and replace that with the power of the people.”
Emanuel said more people see that genocide is part and parcel of imperialism. “The Empire has no clothes now”, she said, adding that these are the conditions for a political earthquake.
“There is power and there is our resistance and dedication in fighting for a better world.” Democracy is about “putting people, not wealth, in charge”.
SA supporters on the Sunshine Coast gathered on February 8 to plan support for the campaign. SA will hold events across Queensland, including the Gold Coast on March 9.
[To get involved in the Socialist Alliance campaign in Queensland, phone 0437 790 306 or email brisbane@socialist-alliance.org. To donate visit socialist-alliance.org/donate.]