SP Newsletter No.299

When Kevin Rudd came to office in 2007 many hoped that we would start to see some progressive change in Australia. Unfortunately Rudd has proved himself to be little different to Howard.

For example, Workchoices has been merely rebadged while draconian laws against construction workers remain fully in tact. At the same time OH&S laws are beginning to be undermined by the Labor government.

Refugees continue to be locked up and despite the apology to Indigenous people, the Northern Territory Intervention has been stepped up.

Next to nothing has been done to address climate change and the failure at the Copenhagen Summit shows that capitalist governments cannot act in an effective and united way to deal with the dangers of global warming.

Hopes that Obama’s victory in the US would create a renewed push for reconciliation and peace in the Middle East have been shattered. The situation in Palestine/Israel is worse than it has been for years. While Iraq remains a quagmire for the US and a horror for its citizens - Afghanistan is even worse.

While CEOs and bankers continue to receive millions in payouts, ordinary people are being asked to pay the cost of the economic crisis. More job losses and cuts to services will be in store during 2010. While the rich get richer millions of poor people die annually from preventable diseases.

No wonder more and more people are beginning to see the need for radical change and an ending of the undemocratic and unplanned system of capitalism. The Socialist Party offers not only ideas but a strategy and tactics to overthrow this system and build a rational and democratic socialist society.

We appeal to both students and workers to join us in this task. Capitalism has proved it can not take humanity forward. Only a struggle to unite the international working class around genuine socialist ideas offers a way out.

If you want to be part of a real international movement for change – join the Socialist Party today!

‘O-Week’ meeting: Why capitalism is a system of crisis

Environmental destruction, war, poverty, oppression and exploitation. A public meeting explaining why the system is to blame.

It’s Orientation Week at most universities in Melbourne this week. The Socialist Party will be active at several campuses including Monash Clayton, La Trobe Bundoora, RMIT City and Melbourne Uni. We will be holding information stalls and recruiting to our student clubs.

We are also building for a public meeting titled ‘Why capitalism is a system of crisis’. Come along at 3pm this Saturday Feb 27th @ Trades Hall, corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South.

For more info or to join one of our clubs phone 9639 9111. Also sign up to our student email list here.

Upcoming SP meetings

The Melbourne Branch of the Socialist Party meets every Wednesday 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South. Upcoming meetings include:

3/3 – Immigration: Is Australia full?
10/3 – Film night: Capitalism a love story
17/3 – Fighting for GLBTI rights
24/3 – Sri Lanka after the Presidential election

For more information or for details of meetings in other parts of Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

News links:

Palestine: ElJidar Lazem Inhar – ‘The Wall Must Fall!’
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2010/02/2302.html

Netherlands: Afghanistan military role triggers collapse of Dutch coalition government
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2010/02/2201.html

US: Fighting to protect education and public services
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2010/02/2001.html

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, the system that is at the root of all of these problems. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. To join SP contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a membership application form.

Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!

Support the Socialist Party by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. Subscription rates are only $10 per year or $20 solidarity price. You will receive 11 copies per year delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and you will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the capitalist system. To subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a subscription form.

Socialist Party contact details

Melbourne: Phone Anthony on 0396399111.
Sydney: Phone Gary on 0297287727.
Newcastle: Phone Samantha on 0249681545.
Adelaide: Phone David on 0883441474.
Perth: Phone John on 0894020728.
Rest of Australia: Phone our National Office on 0396399111.
Rest of the world: Phone our International Office on ++ 44 20 8988 8760.

The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). The CWI is organised in over 40 countries across the world.

http://www.sp.org.au
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