März 2001
Australien:
Socialist Alliance has been created for the upcoming Federal Elections
A Socialist Alliance (SA), mainly based around the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) and the International Socialist Alliance (ISO), has been created for the upcoming Federal Elections.
The Socialist Party is not against alliances or mass parties. We call for a new workers' party based on the trade unions and community organisations. We simply feel that this SA isn't the way to go about it.
Our first knowledge of this Alliance was on February 9th when we received an email inviting us to attend a meeting to discuss this formation. We had eight days to discuss the draft proposal and platform locally, nationally, internationally and within the rank and file of the Socialist Party. Obviously, we were not able to attend this meeting on this basis.
The DSP and the ISO had written the invitation and draft proposals and platforms sent to us by the SA. There was no explanation from the ISO as to why they had backflipped on standing in elections, after years of lecturing the rest of the left on the dangers of electoralism.
The Socialist Party had many criticisms and questions regarding the 20-point draft proposal. One point makes mention of the alliance seeking to 'stand common candidates who are prepared and best able to advocate the aims of the alliance'. But what if we believe that one of our members should stand in a particular seat rather then, say, a DSP member? Local alliance groups will elect who is to stand in their area. What if the majority of members in the local alliance are DSP members and believe, as much as we do, that their candidate is better? Even if we are selected will we run the campaign or do we hand it over to the alliance?
SA is in reality a quasi-political party with a centralised structure (national committee, membership fee, name, constitution etc). It is jumping way ahead of what is possible right now, and in its current form could scare away groups of workers moving onto the political area.
Many of these concerns were raised with the alliance when a special meeting was arranged in Melbourne recently. Jim O'Connor and myself met with Ian Runtoul (ISO), Graeme (DSP) and Alison Thorne (Freedom Socialist Party). We raised the fact that SP has a good name in elections (Stephen Jolly getting over 12% in the last Victorian State election and the recent credible result for Neil Grey in the WA election).
This result in the seat of Richmond was based on our participation over a seven-year period in important community struggles in the area. These struggles include the one year long campaign to save Richmond Secondary College in 1993, the campaign against freeway extensions (CAFE) in Collingwood in 1994, the campaign at the Australian Dying Company picket line in Clifton Hill in 1998/99, and the campaign for heroin reform (Community Campaign for Heroin Reform) launched in Smith St, Collingwood in 1999.
We felt that by joining the Alliance (which, as yet, has no history of struggle) we risk that good name and reputation.
The question for us is whether the SA will develop into anything other than an alliance of existing left parties and a few radical individuals. If that's all it is, it's not worth us giving up our independent banner. If it attracts real forces, then we will intervene and help build it.
The representative of SA at the Melbourne meeting believed that it was possible to speak with union delegates and persuade them to support the formation. We tried earnestly to explain that no union would back a party without any past work.
Another issue raised was our belief that if a new mass worker's party was to form, it really did have to come from real forces such as left unions, community organisations, groups of workers etc.
The alliance representatives assured us that even if we did not join they would not stand against us in seats (a non-aggression pact). I believe this remains to be seen especially if we stand in the seat of Melbourne. The pros and cons of SP joining the Alliance will be discussed at the Socialist Party National Conference in March.
by Denise Dudley
Australien:
Article from the Voice, Australien Socialist Party newspaper
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