Kerry Vernon, Newcastle
"Working people in this town are under attack from many sides; they need an ally in the local government to help them fend off these attacks", said Geoff Payne, the Socialist Alliance's candidate for lord mayor in the March 27 Newcastle City Council elections.
A former steelworker, Payne is also the Socialist Alliance's candidate in Ward 2 in the council election.
"The Socialist Alliance wants to help rebuild the active solidarity that many local communities have lost", Payne told Green Left Weekly. "One example of an attack is the developers' push to privatise the railway land between Broadmeadow and Newcastle stations. The railway is a public asset that thousands of working people use daily. It needs to be built up rather than uprooted."
Payne was chairperson of the Save the Rail campaign last year.
"Another attack is the rise in rates and rents for workers as a result of the change to the council's rate policy. The introduction of a base rate is a burden for poorer people. The council needs to campaign to get the state government to change the current law. Rates should be paid according to a person's income irrespective of where a person lives."
Along with Payne, the Socialist Alliance is standing two other candidates in the council election â Peter Robson in Ward 1 and Judy Morley in Ward 3.
"s a nurse, I am really concerned about the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the effect of this on the Mater Hospital", said Morley, who is active in the campaign to oppose the privatisation of the Mater Hospital. "The privatisation of the Mater is not in the interests of the general public. This affects not only the people in my ward, where the Mater is but other people in general. I want the council to campaign for public health in the best interests of the local people. I am also concerned about the rail issue and the developer frenzy that will change the face of Newcastle".
Robson, who was the 2002-03 education officer for the Newcastle University student union, argued that public transport is a vital issue for youth and students . "The Socialist Alliance actively supports the retention of the Newcastle rail service. Its removal will severely disadvantage students in accessing work, education, social and sporting events.
"Council also needs to be more involved with the concerns of students, the increase in HECS and TAFE student fees will reduce the number of working class youth getting an education or developing skills. The council needs to stand up to the federal and state government and support student campaigns for free, quality education.
"We want a council where the community controls budget decisions; a budget that improves the quality of life for working people and defends their interests, where power does not reside with the developers and profiteers."
The Socialist Alliance is preferencing the Greens and other progressive candidates â for example, the Progressive Labour Party â before the ALP and putting John Tate, current lord mayor, last on the ballot.
From Green Left Weekly, March 10, 2004.
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