WOLLONGONG Green Left Weekly's OWEN RICHARDS spoke to CHRIS WILLIAMS, the Socialist Alliance's candidate in the October 19 by-election for the federal seat of Cunningham.
What's the focus of the Socialist Alliance campaign?
We want to make this by-election a referendum on war and racism, so our focus has been on opposing a US-led war on Iraq even if it is endorsed by the United Nations and demanding that the refugees being detained in Australia are freed.
The Socialist Alliance is vehemently opposed to the looming war. US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard have put forward a case for war that is built on fear-mongering and a string of deliberate lies about Iraq.
This terrible war, which will likely lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people, will not be about eliminating weapons of mass destruction or be over Iraq's non-compliance with UN resolutions. The US has more weapons of mass destruction and has probably broken more international treaties than every other country combined.
The slaughter that Washington wants to unleash on the people of Iraq is all about imposing US domination economic, political and military on the strategic, oil-rich Middle East in particular, and on the world in general. It must be opposed.
In relation to the treatment of refugees, an issue other candidates have been too silent on, life is getting more and more desperate for those in detention. Many are suffering mental health problems due to the fear and stress they are experiencing. Mandatory detention of asylum seekers must be abolished. The misnamed "Pacific solution" should be scrapped. We demand an end to deportations.
There has been a significant erosion in the ALP's support in the Illawarra region lately. How has this influenced the election?
The Labor Party is very worried about its hold on Cunningham. Working people are incredibly disillusioned with Labor. Its policies are too similar to the Liberal Party: they both support the coming war on Iraq; they both support the detention of refugees; and their policies attack workers' rights and undermine our health and education services.
In the Illawarra area, people have a few extra reasons to be angry at the ALP. Cunningham Labor MP Stephen Martin resigned just nine months after the federal election and the ALP imposed the new candidate on the local branches.
More and more people are convinced that the hope that the Labor Party can return to its "working-class roots" cannot be realised. The ALP can't govern on behalf of capitalists and represent working people at the same time.
South Coast Labour Council president Peter Wilson is running for Cunningham as a trade union-backed independent candidate. What's your take on his campaign?
The Socialist Alliance has welcomed his campaign because it begins to offer an alternative to the ALP. We are very interested in discussing a joint ticket for future elections.
While Wilson has a very good position on child care and calls for significantly more funding for the health and education systems, I think we must to go much further.
A left alternative to the ALP must demand the abolition of the GST, free and accessible education for all, a free and universal health care system, the nationalisation of telecommunications, the banks and big corporations like BHP, a shorter working week with no loss in pay and a genuine democratic system that puts working people in control.
We need a real political break from the ALP. That's what we are trying to build with the Socialist Alliance.
Why has the Socialist Alliance decided direct its second preferences to the Greens?
The Greens' consistent opposition to war on Iraq and their commitment to winning refugees' rights are the main reasons. Our preferences are flowing first to the Greens, then to Peter Wilson. Both the Greens candidate and Peter Wilson have publicly stated their opposition to any attack on Iraq, regardless of UN endorsement. We really welcome this and look forward to working together with them to build a broad and united anti-war movement before and after the by-election.
We have also decided to direct our fourth preferences to the Australian Democrats, followed by the ALP candidate. This was a tough decision. Both parties serve the interests of big business and put profit before people. The Democrats supported the Coalition's GST and Workplace Relations Act.
In the end it came down to the war and refugees again. The Democrats have a better position on refugees' rights and, while their formal position on the war isn't much better than the ALP's, they have at least been campaigning against a unilateral US war, whereas the ALP leadership has remained silent.
What makes the Socialist Alliance different?
We reject outright the perks and parliamentary payouts that politicians take for granted. If elected, I would accept only the wage of an average worker and donate the rest to movements for social justice and ecological sustainability.
The Socialist Alliance is heavily involved in grassroots movements. We have an anti-capitalist perspective. We see people's power mobilised in the streets and in working-class organisations as the best way to achieve fundamental social change. It won't happen if we simply rely on parliamentary elections and politicians to do the job for us. This is a fundamental difference between the Socialist Alliance and the Greens.
From Green Left Weekly, October 16, 2002.
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