A campaign for all left activists
MELBOURNE — MAURICE SIBELLE, Victorian TAFE Students and Apprentices Network coordinator, will be the Democratic Socialist candidate for the state seat of Northcote in a by-election on August 15. Green Left Weekly's CHRIS SPINDLER asked him about a range of the issues in the election campaign.
"The secondary student campaign against One Nation is just what we need", Sibelle said after the July 24 walkout of 3000 students in Melbourne to protest against racism and Pauline Hanson's One Nation. "One Nation has decided not to run a candidate in the by-election. It clearly fears a huge election downfall after the less than warm reception Hanson's tour of Victoria received."
"Hanson's reception in Melbourne and rural Victoria did not go as they had planned and the rallies against her have been a real shot in the arm for the anti-racism movement. It's this sort of street action that the progressive movement can learn from and get inspired by."
Sibelle says that it is this sort of collective action, and that in solidarity with the maritime union earlier, that the Democratic Socialist election campaign aims to strengthen. "This is an election campaign not just to get votes, but to help build the protest movements that are emerging again around issues such as racism, toxic waste dumps, workers' rights and women's rights", he said.
"The Democratic Socialists encourage the secondary students' actions because they're breaking away from the traditional conservative views that restrict people's self-organisation and pull them into a conservative parliamentarist stupor."
Sibelle argues that One Nation is racist and nationalist, and must be resolutely opposed. "Some people say that despite One Nation's policies against immigration, migrants, Aboriginal people and refugees, they support some of the party's ideas, such as its campaign against the Telstra sell off, cheap loans, and 'equality' for all Australians.
"But Hanson is a dangerous hypocrite. She voted for the first sell off of Telstra, for the Workplace Relations Act which aims to destroy workers' living standards, and she is now attacking sole mothers as bludgers."
Labor is no opposition, Sibelle said. "It refuses to promise to repeal the Workplace Relations Act, continues to support the Indonesian regime against the East Timorese, and its 13 years of Accord politics, during which real wages declined and unions were stopped from organising, are still fresh in people's minds. The Democratic Socialists will be campaigning on a platform that is truly oppositional."
Sibelle outlined the Democratic Socialists platform in the Northcote by-election which centres on extending democratic rights and implementing policies that would favour ordinary people over companies and their profits.
He argues that "other candidates, such as the Greens, Progressive Labor Party and the Democrats, may use some of the same 'people before profits' language, but their policies often don't match this sentiment."
The Democratic Socialists reject the nationalist agenda in all its forms. They point out that defending the profits of corporations has never resulted in the protection of jobs. "Just look at BHP — thousands upon thousands of dollars in taxpayers' handouts and it still sacks hundreds of workers in Newcastle and other centres. Protectionism for big business in Australia guards profits, not jobs."
Sibelle says that job creation is only possible if policies such as a shorter working week with no loss in pay are implemented. "This will cost more, but companies making huge profits, such as the banks, insurance companies and transnationals, should be made to pay.
"Any company threatening to sack workers should be nationalised", he adds. "Everyone talks about privatisation and nationalisation is seen as a policy of the past. But it is the only policy that can work for the people."
Asked about tax reform, Sibelle says, "Good idea. We believe in reforming the tax system to make the rich pay. The GST should be scrapped, but not in the sense that the Labor Party advocates. While promising to vote against the GST, Labor has also promised to "reform" the tax system to help private companies, not ordinary workers and the unemployed."
An underlying theme of the socialists campaign is opposing the federal and Victorian governments' attempts to restrict the rights of people to organise and have control over their lives. "We will campaign to win these rights back. For instance, all anti-abortion laws should be repealed. Women should have the right to decide on abortion. Likewise, residents have the right to decide what happens in their communities so we will campaign for restrictions on companies which pollute and to end ventures like the Werribee toxic dump and the Niddrie Quarry proposal."
The Democratic Socialists will also be doorknocking, letterboxing and demonstrating against racism. "The community rallies we've held in Brunswick, Footscray and now Northcote have shown huge community opposition to racism. We'll use the election campaign to continue these mobilisations.
"The decimation of Aboriginal people and policies such as the White Australia policy, which Howard seems to want to bring back in a different form, must be stopped and remedial action taken for those who suffer racism. But no election campaign or election victory can achieve this on it's own. Only a concerted campaign in the streets, communities, schools and workplaces can do that."
That is how the Democratic Socialist campaign is different, says Sibelle. "We won't restrict our election platform to Northcote or Victoria, but will deal with the issues that are important to deal with here and now. This is a campaign for everyone who supported the maritime union workers, who stepped out against Hanson and who wants to see an alternative to the politics of deceit that is Labor and Liberal."
For more information or to get involved, phone the Resistance Centre on 9329 1277.