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Socialist Alliance to hold 6th national conference in Geelong Dec 5-7, 2008

Capitalism is facing its most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression, compounding the climate change and social justice crises. How should socialists and progressive people act in this new political phase? That’s what our sixth national conference, to be held in Geelong from December 5-7, will be discussing. All Socialist Alliance members and supporters are urged to make their contribution over the next two months of pre-conference discussion, in Alliance Voices. Register here now for this conference. [MORE]

Tim Gooden: What union response to job losses?

Under the present industrial regime the union movement is fighting with one-and-a-half arms tied behind its back, argues Tim Gooden, Geelong and region Trades and Labour Council secretary. If working people and their communities — the vast majority of the Australian population — are to defeat the dragon of recession, they will need their unions to be as strong and as organised as possible. [MORE]

Public meeting November 8

Public services vs private profit: What can be done?

The campaign against privatising electricity in NSW has exposed the desire for an end to the continual sell-off and decline in quality of public services. While the campaign successfully defeated plans to privatise power stations, other privatisations and cutbacks are still on the agenda as the NSW government prepares its "mini-budget" for release in November. This seminar, organised by the Power to the People coalition, will examine the alternatives to privatisation, and how we can restore quality, well-funded public services from electricity to water, to hosptials and schools. [MORE]

Victorian local elections: For climate action councils in the Geelong region

Socialist Alliance candidates for local council elections in Geelong and Queenscliffe in late November are calling for “climate action councils” that will stand up against polluting industries and big developers. Bronwyn Jennings is contesting the ward of Cowie and Lisa Gleeson is contesting Brownbill, in Greater Geelong. Chris Johnson is standing in the borough of Queenscliffe.

Click here for Socialist Alliance Victorian local government election campaign website

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Rudd government must take responsibility for operating ABC child care centres

The Socialist Alliance calls on the Rudd Labor Government to ensure that the collapsed ABC Learning's child care centres remain open to cater for the 120,000 children in its care. Child care should never have become a private profit-making business in the first place, but a community service - publicly funded and democratically managed at the local level. The Rudd government should take over ABC immediately, de-list it from the stock exchange and guarantee the ongoing functioning of centres and the wages of staff. [MORE]

Abolish all the Howard anti-union laws!

Industrial cops target building workers

Noel Washington, vice-president of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, CFMEU) Victorian branch, has been charged by the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner with new offences under the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act. Former Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) state secretary Craig Johnston, is being prosecuted for unlawful industrial action. CFMEU shop stewards and a site amenities cleaner have been charged with denying freedom of association rights under the Workplace Relations Act. Officials of three other unions have also been charged under the ABCC. [MORE]

Rudd’s Green Paper fails to deliver urgent action to combat our climate change emergency

The Rudd Government’s Green Paper has failed to recognize the necessity for urgent action by Government and industry to address the nation’s top priority issue of climate change, explains Socialist Alliance environment spokesperson David White. [MORE]

End the racist NT intervention now!

“While it was a victory to get rid of the Howard government, unfortunately, the new Rudd Labor government is continuing with Howard’s racist policy of intervening in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The Prime Minister can say sorry to the stolen generation, and certainly there will be a huge number elders and members of the stolen generation who will appreciate that. But the apology is not enough. We need justice,” says Socialist Alliance Indigenous rights spokesperson Sam Watson, calling for support for the June 21 National Day of Action against the NT intervention. [MORE]

Nationalise big oil, enemy of people and planet

The latest surge in the spot price of crude oil dramatises the urgent need for our society to wean itself off dependence on “black gold”. The longer we remain hooked the greater the devastation both to our environment and to the living standards of millions, especially the poorest peoples of the planet. A socialist response must combine defence against the threat to livelihoods from oil price rises with a plan to restructure economies and ways of living so that oil-intensive production and transport becomes a thing of the past. [MORE]

Pope visit protest celebrates civil liberties win

On July 19 Socialist Alliance members joined a spirited rally of 1500 people protesting against the Pope Benedict's reactionary policies during his visit to Sydney. The protest followed an important civil liberties victory in the courts against outrageous NSW special police powers designed to make "annoying" a pilgrim a $5500 offence!

Click on pics for a slideshow of the protest

Click here for video of the protest.

Click here to download Socialist Alliance's LGBTI rights charter

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Put the resources into public transport

Victoria: Say no to Brumby’s roads and tunnel madness!

You could be forgiven for thinking that the Victorian Brumby Labor government and its army of advisers had never heard about climate change. The Eddington report is titled “Investing in public transport: an east west link needs assessment” but it ignores the possibility of developing a public transport network which could actually be an alternative to private car travel. The report assumes that it isn’t possible for people to switch from cars to public transport. This is scandalous but entirely predictable. Brumby got the report he wanted, one that will provide enormous contracts for big business. But the needs of th travelling public in the age of catastrophic climate change don’t get a look in. [MORE]