By Peter Johnston
DARWIN — The Democratic Socialists' candidate for the house of representatives seat of Northern Territory, Natalie Zirngast, has hit the headlines here. Her candidacy was the subject of an article in the NT News headlined "Socialist to tackle racism in election".
Zirngast is the organiser of the Darwin branch of the socialist youth organisation Resistance. She is known as an anti-racism activist, having coordinated the recent high school walkout against racism.
The NT News reported Zirngast's strong position against the proposed GST, and the Democratic Socialists' aim to have all abortion laws repealed. Zirngast has played an active role in the Darwin Pro-Choice collective, and helped organise the International Women's Day march this year.
The Democratic Socialists are running on a platform of progressive demands, from closing the Jabiluka uranium mine to expanding public works to create jobs.
The Democratic Socialists are directing preferences to the Territory Greens, followed by the ALP, Democrats, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) and One Nation last. They decided to place the Democrats after the ALP because of the Democrats' support for a GST and the federal Workplace Relations Act.
The Democratic Socialists are not contesting the Senate in the NT, and are recommending a vote for the Greens.
In the NT, only the Democratic Socialists and the Greens are campaigning against the Jabiluka uranium mine and actively defending land rights, including calling for a "no" vote in the referendum on statehood, being held concurrently with the federal election.
Zirngast told Green Left Weekly that while the Democratic Socialists are in favour of the NT having a more democratic government, "the present rush to statehood is highly undemocratic ... It an attempt by the NT government to gain control over the Land Rights Act (NT) 1976.
"This act gives Aboriginal people greater access to land rights, which the CLP government is determined to extinguish. The Central and Northern Land Councils have come out strongly against statehood for this reason."