SP Newsletter No.196
The Socialist Party believes that wealth exists to provide good public services and improved quality of life for all. However under the Howard government economic growth has been wasted.

The government has failed to properly invest in infrastructure and plan for peoples needs. Combine this with cuts, privatisations and bad industrial relations laws and most people are feeling worse off since Howard was elected. Howard is a very good representative of big business but has no policies to improve the lives of ordinary people.

The Labor Party in reality are no different. If elected they will impose similar policies to Howard. The differences are more about style than substance. At a state level where they run every parliament, they have done nothing to solve the problems facing people. If they were in power federally it would be more of the same.

The Greens have also had a taste of power in the area of Melbourne. They currently have 1 councillor on Melbourne Council and 3 councillors on Yarra Council, including the Mayor. Even on environmental issues they fail to provide a real lead and unfortunately many people have been let down by their lack of action. They are not the radical alternative that many hoped they would be.

The Socialist Party on the other hand is the real left wing alternative in Melbourne. Our vision for society is one based on planning for peoples needs, not private greed. If elected to parliament Kylie will use her position to assist in the building of community campaigns and to be a voice for ordinary workers, students, public housing tenants and the unemployed.

This has been our approach on Yarra Council where SP member Stephen Jolly currently represents the Langridge ward. No other party can claim to have led and assisted as many community campaigns in this area. The Socialist Party has a long and proud record of struggle in this area.

In the 1990s we were involved in the saving of Richmond Secondary College, the Community Campaign for Heroin Reform, the saving of the Fitzroy pool and the campaign against the widening of Alexander Parade. More recently we helped save the St. Vinnes food depot, we have supported the Aboriginal community on Smith Street and worked to save the St Andrews Kindergarten.

Our Candidate – Kylie McGregor

Kylie is the President of Unite, the new militant union established last year to organise fast food and retail workers in Victoria. As a co-founder and organiser of the Unite union, she has been active in the struggles to stop the exploitation of young workers in fast food and retail. She has campaigned to abolish youth wages and AWAs and to increase the minimum wage for all workers.

Kylie has also been working for several years now to defend low paid workers and campaigning against casualisation. Kylie was a key organiser in the Unite campaign on Brunswick Street in 2003.

Currently Kylie is in her final year of study at Melbourne University to become a high school teacher. She has been active on campus against Melbourne Universities’ attempts to implement cuts to student numbers, staff numbers and courses next year.

Workers MP on a workers wage

Unlike all other candidates, if elected Kylie will live on the average wage of a skilled worker and donate the balance of her parliamentary salary to the Socialist Party and to campaigns by workers and local communities.

If elected, to federal parliament Kylie will work hard to provide a real opposition to all the establishment parties. If you believe there is a need for a real opposition to the policies of this Government and the ineffectiveness of the opposition, vote 1 Kylie McGregor, Socialist Party candidate for Melbourne.

Yarra Cllr, Stephen Jolly calls for a vote for Kylie McGregor.

Inner city Melbourne is the most politically-engaged and left-wing voting area in Australia. The right-wing, market-driven values of the major parties don’t match the values of this community.

The Liberals will stand a token candidate and get 20% or so. The last time the Liberals had any say over our area (under the Kennett years) we lost schools, teachers and hospitals.

The ALP MP in this area, Lindsay Tanner, is the voice of capitalism on the opposition frontbench. He argues for greater privatisation and ever greater ‘free market’ policies from Labor. He has refused to call for all Australian troops out of Iraq. He has caved into his party’s support for a ban on further African refugees into Australia.

Lindsay Tanner is also in a party that will keep much of the anti-worker laws. He is out of touch with working people. Tanner recently commented that “strong unions need to be restrained by a Labor government”. The Labor Party always put the profits of their big business friends before the interests of ordinary working people. The ALP offer no alternative to neo-liberalism.

The Green Party alternative is better on industrial relations and environmental policies. But they are a party that is almost 100% focused on elections and ‘bumping people into parliament’ to alleviate the ills of the system. When they get there they quickly cave into the pressure of the system – as can be seen locally on Yarra Council.

After five years on Council and with 2 Green Mayors, the Greens have carried out next to nothing of their promises. The Socialist Party has got more done – in alliance with the community – than the entire Green machine.

On the other hand our candidate Kylie McGregor has been involved in many of the important community and industrial campaigns in this area. She is the President of the new Unite union, which organises fast-food and retail workers. She is one of Melbourne’s leading advocates for casual workers. Kylie lives in the area and is currently in her final year of study to become a secondary school teacher. She also works as a casual in the hospitality industry.

We will preference the Greens, over the ALP and the Liberals and we have preference the reactionary parties like Family First and the Citizens Electoral Council last. By voting 1 for Kylie McGregor of the Socialist Party you will be voting for a real left wing and socialist alternative to all of the parties of the establishment.

Socialist Party election night function in Melbourne!

From 6pm Saturday night (November 24) we have our election party with a big screen TV, food and drinks at the community rooms, 140 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. It’ll be a great night and will be the best place to get an honest political analysis of the results throughout the evening. It is kid friendly and all of our friends and supporters are invited.

For more info about voting for Kylie, helping on the day or attending our election night party contact our National Office on 9639 9111.

Join the Socialist Party

If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.

We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. For more information about joining in your area contact the SP National Office. 03 9639 9111.

Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!

Become a supporter of SP by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. It only costs $20 per year or $10 concession and you will receive our paper delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the system. To subscribe contact the SP National Office on 03 9639 9111

Issue 39 of ‘The Socialist’ is out now! This month we have produced a federal election special edition. Readers can pick up a copy at our regular street stalls, from our National Office or by becoming a subscriber. This month’s paper features articles on the federal election including IR laws, health, education, the economy, gay marriage, immigration, drugs, Iraq war, nuclear power and global warming.

Regional Activity

Victoria

The SP Melbourne Branch will host a public meeting this week on the rise of Stalinism. We will also be discussing the politics and organisation of our election campaign in the seat of Melbourne. The meeting will be held at 7pm Wednesday 21st November at Trades Hall, corner of Lygon and Victoria streets Carlton. For more info call 96399111. All welcome.

Also be sure to attend next weeks meeting on Wednesday November 28th for a full election analysis and debrief. 7pm at Trades Hall.

New South Wales

To find out more info or to join SP in Sydney contact Gary - 02 9728 7727

To find out more info or to join SP in Newcastle contact Samantha - 02 4968 1545

Western Australia

To find out more info or to join SP in Perth contact John on – 08 9402 0728

Please note childcare is available at all SP meetings but only by prior arrangement please call ahead first.

News links just a click away –

Egypt: Workers flex their industrial muscle
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/11/20egypta.html

Germany: Longest train drivers’ strike in German history
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/11/16germaa.html

Nigeria: State’s delaying tactics block imprisoned students’ release
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/11/15nigera.html

Get Active - Join the fight back, Get Militant - Join the Socialist Party.
The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). To contact or join the SP or CWI anywhere in Australia or the world call our National Office on +61 3 9639 9111

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