VIC: Socialist Party set to stand in Richmond
SP Newsletter No.304
Stephen Jolly: The best fighter money can’t buy!
The biggest socialist campaign ever seen in an Australian State election will occur in the Victorian seat of Richmond this year. The seat comprises the municipality of Yarra in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs and has been held since 1999 by the Labor Party’s Richard Wynne, who is also the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Local Government, and Housing.
The Socialist Party (SP) will be standing its local Councillor for Yarra, Stephen Jolly, for the seat. In the 2008 Yarra Council elections, Stephen beat the ALP and Greens into first place in his ward with 30% of the first preference vote out of 8 candidates vying for 3 positions. Across the municipality, SP won 12.1% of the vote.
We have already received important support from wide layers of the electorate for our decision to stand in the November 27th election. Public housing tenants are desperately keen for leadership in their fight for basic amenities and better refurbishments and maintenance for their dwellings. Stephen and SP have been in the frontline of many battles to improve life for public housing tenants and we expect good support from the three main estates that are situated in the electorate.
Residents want a representative from the area in Parliament who will fight against over-the-top development that overshadows homes, and puts extra stress on parking, traffic and social services. Any extra development needs to be matched with childcare and public transport.
Residents also want a representative who will fight to stop a tunnel and freeways as a solution to the transport chaos every rush-hour. We need free, expanded and integrated public transport to get people out of cars and also to protect the environment.
Most importantly residents want a fighter for the area representing them in State Parliament – not an apologist in the area for the Labor government and their developer mates.
The Greens will be standing ex-Yarra Councillor Kathleen Maltzhan for the seat. Eight years on from their initial electoral breakthrough in Yarra, increasing numbers of residents are asking the question “What have the Greens achieved on Council?” The truth is they have voted for every one of the budgets of the past years – including this year’s budget which cut funding for Arts grants and community grants as well as the usual over-inflation rate rise.
The Greens do not offer a principled alternative to the State government pro-capitalist policies. Every time they get into power they crumble and retreat from their promises to residents.
Whenever residents in Yarra have had reason to take on dodgy developers or the State government it is SP that they have been most able to rely on to help organise and lead this struggle.
In contrast to all other candidates Stephen is pledging that if elected he will only take the wage of a skilled worker. Unlike other parties SP does not take money from developers or big business. Unapologetically, SP represents ordinary people and not the profiteers. Stephen already has a reputation as the best fighter that money can’t buy. We will be taking this message into the election campaign.
We call on all of our readers to support this important campaign. We need help with letterboxing, doorknocking and on election day. We are also in need of finances to ensure we can run a professional campaign. If you can donate, or help in any way, email our National Office or ring 03 9639 9111.
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:
7/4 – Direct action: Theory and practice
14/4 –Young people under capitalism – The issues and the fight back
21/4 – The 1949 Chinese revolution
28/4 – The politics of ANZAC Day
For more information or for details of meetings in other parts of Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.
Anti racist rally in Melbourne
Socialist Party members are helping to organise this counter action against a group of racists who are planning a rally ‘against immigration and Islam’.
Meet outside Flinders Street Station in the Melbourne CBD at 12 noon on Friday April 9. Please help us by inviting all of your friends via Facebook. See:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=106816036018760
A Socialist Party leaflet on the issue will be published on our website soon and posters and leaflets will be printed in the next few days. Contact our office if you can help build this important event.
News links:
Russia: Terror returns to Moscow
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4198
‘Che Guevara – symbol of struggle’
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4197
Algeria: Mass revolt shakes the country
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4200
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
http://www.socialistworld.net
http://www.myspace.com/socialistpartyaustralia
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20461960776
