BY LISA MACDONALD
SYDNEY — On January 10, the NSW Socialist Alliance submitted an application for registration as a party with the State Electoral Office which, if successful, will enable the alliance's name to be printed on ballot papers in the March 2003 NSW election.
Under legislation passed in 1999 with the support of the ALP, the Coalition parties, the Democrats and, with some amendments, the NSW Greens, parties wanting to be registered for electoral purposes which do not have a member of parliament are required to submit the signed membership forms of at least 750 members correctly enrolled in NSW, pay a non-refundable registration fee of $2000 and have the registration approved at least 12 months before the next election. Furthermore, to keep registration once it is obtained, parties without MPs must stand at least 15 candidates in lower house seats in every state election, each candidate incurring a $500 nomination fee.
"These requirements are obviously intended to make it as difficult as possible for any political organisation not already entrenched in parliament, and which does not have access to big money, to get a foot in the door", Socialist Alliance acting national co-convenor and Democratic Socialist Party member Pat Brewer told Green Left Weekly. "Many ALP members have told us that it would be hard even for the NSW Labor Party to fulfil these membership requirements if it was forced to apply right now."
The NSW Socialist Alliance submitted 900 signed membership forms following a membership campaign launched immediately after the November 10 federal election.
"While we made our objections to these undemocratic laws well known during that campaign, the process of having to rapidly expand the membership was actually a very valuable exercise for us as a new organisation", Brewer said. "We talked to more 1000 people in the space of just a few weeks about why the alliance was formed and what we stand for, why we think socialists need to take electoral work seriously, and why we want them to get actively involved in the campaigns against war, for refugees' and workers' rights, and many other issues as part of building a socialist alternative to the existing parties.
"The generous donations and offers of help we received during the membership campaign, and the wide-ranging political discussions we had with hundreds of people in the process, have firmed our resolve and optimism about building a political organisation which can take on the major parties in both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary campaigning."
The NSW State Electoral Office last week started mailing letters
to a random selection of the alliance members in NSW, asking them to reply by mail confirming their membership of the alliance. In order for the alliance to obtain registration, at least 75 of those people who are sent a letter must reply by mail to the electoral office.
Also last week, the Socialist Alliance was informed by the Australian Electoral Commission that its application for federal registration, which was frozen during the Aston by-election in Victoria and was therefore not approved in time for November's election, has now been granted. "Too late for the last federal election, but people can look forward to seeing the Socialist Alliance on ballot papers in federal by-elections from now on, and in the next federal poll", Brewer said.
The Socialist Alliance is yet to apply for electoral registration in other states and territories, but Brewer points out that after jumping the hurdles in NSW, anything is possible. "Socialist Alliance activists did a terrific job to beat the NSW politicians on this one: it is a testament to the strength of this very new organisation, and bodes well for its future."
The alliance expects to receive official confirmation of its NSW registration within six weeks. For more information about the Socialist Alliance's registration and campaigning activities, contact your local alliance branch (see ad this page) or phone Lisa on (02) 9690 1977.
From Green Left Weekly, January 23, 2002.
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