BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS
MELBOURNE — "On November 30, a vote for the Socialist Alliance is the clearest possible vote against war and racism", said Arun Pradhan, Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Melbourne.
Pradhan, who has been an anti-racist activist in four states, emphasised the need for a strong protest vote in the Victorian state election, to be held on November 30.
"It might be true that a state government can do little about Australia's war or refugee policies", Pradhan said. "These are federal issues. However the same parties that call the shots in Canberra run things in Melbourne. We need to send them a clear message that we will not accept a war — either on the people of Iraq or on refugees who are fleeing war."
"A vote for the Socialist Alliance is also a vote in defence of militant trade unions", Socialist Alliance candidate for Footscray Justine Kamprad told Green Left Weekly. Kamprad, who is an apprentice fitter and turner, and a member of the militant Workers First group within the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU). "The Socialist Alliance is the only party contesting these elections that has come out in full support of militant workers under attack", Kamprad continued.
"We are for the repeal of all anti-union laws, and the scrapping of the construction royal commission witch-hunt against the construction unions, headed by Terence Cole. We are also calling for the dropping of charges against the Skilled Six, AMWU members and officials charged following a dispute about the use of labour-hire in 2001."
A vote for the Socialist Alliance is also a vote against the social crisis induced by economic rationalism. "Bracks has not really begun to undo the damage caused by Kennett to social infrastructure in Victoria", said Jackie Lynch, Socialist Alliance candidate for Northcote.
"Neither major party is willing to cut into budget surpluses, or tax business or the wealthy. The Socialist Alliance proposes a complete overhaul of social priorities."
The Socialist Alliance does not expect change to come through the ballot box. The alliance is committed to building people's movements for progressive social change. All Socialist Alliance candidates are activists, committed to ending war, racism and discrimination by mobilising masses of people.
The other substantial left challenge comes from the Greens. The Greens will be standing in all but four seats and are hoping to win one or more seats. While Greens policy commits the party to increased taxes for business and opposition to war and racism, the Greens have largely campaigned publicly around logging and conservation issues.
Eleven Green candidates have refused to preference Labor before Liberal for the election, including in marginal seats. "I'm annoyed when people say we are bargaining our preferences", Greens spokesperson Marcus Ward told the November 21 Age, "You bet we are". The Green candidates are holding out for the state government to cease all logging in old-growth forests before they will preference it above the Liberal Party, which has promised to honour all existing deals with logging companies.
"It's difficult for me to gain a hearing within the union, saying that people should preference the Greens ahead of Labor", Mick Bull, organiser for the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union told GLW. "The Greens don't have a position on the Cole royal commission. They don't have a position on the Skilled Six, and they haven't come out in opposition to the Liberals threat to ban picketing."
Because the Greens party is a consistent force to the left of Labor, however, the Socialist Alliance has preferenced it ahead of Labor in all five seats the alliance is contesting. The Greens have preferenced the Socialist Alliance in all seats except Melbourne district. There, the Greens has preferenced former Labor councillor, now independent candidate Kevin Chamberlain, in what the Greens candidate described as a "pragmatic" move. The Greens need Chamberlain's preferences to have any chance of taking the seat from the Labor Party.
In an election lacking flair and imagination from the major parties, Labor led by Premier Steve Bracks is widely expected to win comfortably. For those who are committed to genuine progressive social change, there is an alternative to the big party consensus. While voting Socialist Alliance will not bring change on its own, it is an important start.
[Graham Matthews is co-convenor of the Victorian Socialist Alliance. To help with the Socialist Alliance campaign call 9639 8622 or email <melbourne@socialist-alliance.org>]
From Green Left Weekly, November 27, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.