Socialist Party (Australia)
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| Socialist Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Collective leadership (National Committee) |
| Founded | 1985 (as Militant) |
| Headquarters | Victorian Trades Hall, Melbourne, Australia |
| Ideology | Marxism, Trotskyism |
| Political position | Far-left |
| International affiliation | Committee for a Workers International |
| Website | |
| www.socialistpartyaustralia.org | |
| Politics of Australia Political parties Elections |
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The Socialist Party (SP) is a small Trotskyist political party in Australia affiliated with the Committee for a Workers International. The SP has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth.[1] It publishes a monthly newspaper called The Socialist which contains a socialist perspective on news and current issues.[2] The SP is not connected to the party which was known as the Socialist Party of Australia from 1971 to 1996, which is currently called the Communist Party of Australia.
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[edit] History
The SP began in 1985 as a small faction within the Australian Labor Party (ALP) but left in the early 1990s when the ALP and most social democratic parties internationally moved to the right. The group was originally known as Militant and then the Militant Socialist Organisation before becoming the Socialist Party.
[edit] Campaigns
The group has been involved in several campaigns including an occupation of Richmond Secondary College (as Militant)[3] and heroin reform.[citation needed] It has also been involved in the campaign for the rights of refugees including the Woomera Detention Centre protests.[4] In 2003 it initiated a campaign for young casual workers' rights called Unite Union.[5] It has also been involved in the anti-globalisation and anti-war movements.[6] Unlike much of the Australian far-left, the SP does not endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel as they argue it is "unlikely to have a significant economic impact, not least because it will attract only partial participation... (and it would) alienate Israeli workers, who are the only force capable of removing the brutal Israeli regime".[7] Similarly, they support a socialist solution in the conflict as opposed to a capitalist one-state solution which is supported by the majority of the Liberal left.[8]
[edit] Socialist Party councillors
In November 2004 the SP was successful in getting one of its members, Stephen Jolly, elected to the City of Yarra.[9][dead link] Jolly was elected to the Langridge Ward at the 2004 council elections with a first preference count of 12.34%.[citation needed] Jolly was re-elected to Yarra council in 2008 with a first preference count of 29.18%,[citation needed] out-polling the Greens candidate in his ward who received 26.29%[citation needed] and the ALP who received 16.12% in 2008, down from 28.14% in 2004.[citation needed]
After the 2010 Victorian State election, the Melbourne Leader reported that the SP was likely to pick up a second seat from retiring ALP Mayor Jane Garrett who had been elected to the seat of Brunswick. The vacancy was filled by Anthony Main, secretary of Unite Union,[10] who was elected into that seat on 23 January 2011.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ "Join" Socialist Party. Accessed: 20 October 2009.
- ^ "Publications" Socialist Party. Accessed: 20 October 2009.
- ^ "The Police, the Parliament, the Premier, the Chief Commissioner, and the Police Association: Developments in Victoria" H.R. Nicholls Society. Accessed: 1 November 2009.
- ^ "Police say Woomera protestors planned to free detainees" 7.30 Report. 1 April 2002. Accessed: 20 October 2009.
- ^ "New union group vows to protect fast food workers" Lateline. 29 May 2006. Accessed: 20 October 2009.
- ^ "APEC protest groups: your guide to their non-violence" Crikey. 6 September 2007. Accessed: 1 November 2009.
- ^ "Will boycotting Israel help the Palestinians?" Yarra Socialists. 19 April 2001. Accessed: 2 May 2011.
- ^ "The socialist two-state solution for Palestine" Socialist Party. 4 March 2009. Accessed: 2 May 2011.
- ^ "Cr Stephen Jolly" City of Yarra. Accessed: 20 October 2009.
- ^ "Green mayor tipped for Yarra" Melbourne Leader. 8 December 2010. Accessed: 24 January 2011.
- ^ "Socialist elected to Yarra council" Green Left Weekly. 23 January 2011. Accessed: 16 February 2011.
[edit] External links
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