Altona By-Election: Socialist Alliance candidate says "Time for free public transport!"

January 24, 2010

Public transport activist Margarita Windisch, the Socialist Alliance’s candidate in the February 13 Altona by-election, said today that free public transport was the key to overcoming Victoria’s transport and environment mess.

“Former transport minister Lynne Kosky’s resignation was overdue”, Windisch said, “but her performance was just a symptom of a larger problem for Victorians — the negligent Brumby government with its profits - before-people approach to public policy and inability to grasp the radical solutions needed.”

Related links:

Socialist Alliance to participate in Alyawarr people's protest house brigade

February 1, 2010

This week and next, Socialist Alliance members are traveling to the Alyawarr people's protest camp outside Ampilatwaja community in the Northern Territory. Along with other unionists, we will be taking part in an exciting project, building a house in the camp.

The Alyawarr people walked out of their neglected, under-resourced community - which had been compulsorily acquired by the federal government as part of the NT intervention - in July last year. They say they have no intention of going back until their demand to end the intervention and start proper consultation in met.

Related links:

Abbott’s ‘climate policy’: the good news for corporate polluters just gets better

February 4, 2010

"Tony Abbott’s 'climate policy', like Labor's, means the good news for corporate polluters just keeps getting better", Socialist Alliance National Environment Coordinator Simon Butler said today.

"It replaces the completely feeble carbon price stick of Labor's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) with an even worse bribe-the-polluters carrot.

Related links:

Haiti joint statement: 'Cancel the debt!'

Joint statement by Asian and Australiasian left organisations in solidarity with the people of Haiti

[To add your organisation's support, email: Ign Mahendra K at international@prp-indonesia.org.]

January 27, 2010 -- On January 12, 2010, a 7.3 Richter scale earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The earthquake caused great destruction and 200,000 people are thought to be dead. Further, 3 million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake, which also damaged many public service buildings, such as hospitals and schools.

High time to fight for pay equity

Katie Cherrington

26 September 2009

Equal pay for equal work: it’s a pretty straightforward concept. So why is pay equity for women so hard to achieve, and why has the gender pay gap been getting wider?

In May 2009, the Australian Bureau of Statistics calculated that the gap was 17.4% — meaning that on average women earn only 83 cents for every dollar men earn. In some industry sectors, the gap can be as large as 30%.

Related links:

Regional left groups statement on Tamil refugees

Respect human rights - free the refugees!

Reject Australia's 'Indonesian solution'!
Australia should welcome the asylum seekers!

A joint statement of:

Socialist Alliance, Australia; Socialist Party, Australia; Resistance, Australia; Socialist Alternative, Australia; Solidarity, Australia; Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM); Network of the Oppressed People (JERIT), Malaysia; CWI Malaysia; Confederation Congress of Indonesian Union Alliance (KASBI); Working Peoples Association (PRP), Indonesia; National Liberation Party of Unity (PAPERNAS); Indonesian National Front for Labor Struggle (FNPBI); Militan-Indonesia; Labour Party Pakistan; Partido ng Manggagawa, Philippines; Partido Lakas ng Masa, Philippines; Transform Asia, Philippines; Socialist Worker - New Zealand; Socialist Appeal, New Zealand; World Federation of Trade Unions, Asia-Pacific Bureau

November 5, 2009

Related Links

Related links:

Statement on AFP harassment of political prisoner in Colombia

Dear Minister O’Connor,

We are writing to protest recent actions by Australian Federal Police (AFP) violating international prisoners’ rights conventions and the human rights of labour activist and political prisoner Liliany Obando in Colombia.

Ms Obando was hosted at public forum by a range of solidarity, labour and community organisations, including the Socialist Alliance, when she visited Australia as a representative of Colombia’s largest farmers’ union, FENSUAGRO, in 2005 and 2007. Shortly after her return to Colombia in 2007 she was arrested and imprisoned, and has now spent more than 14 months in jail, most of it without charges even having been laid.

Related links:

Defend jobs, not profits! - A working-class response to the economic crisis

The current economic crisis comes after 14 years of boom conditions, which have delivered a profits bonanza to the bosses. Workers’ share of the national income has declined from 60% in 1978 to 51% today. At the same time, the cost of living has risen significantly.

The bosses are using the global financial crisis as a cover to slash jobs. As the Australian economy heads towards recession, unemployment is rising. The official unemployment figure is predicted to rise to 9% by the end by 2010; the real level of joblessness will be far greater.

Related links: