Be part of a real opposition

Lisa Macdonald

On March 18, majority Labor governments were elected in both South Australia and Tasmania. Voters’ refusal to give the Liberals government in those states undoubtedly reflected, at least in part, the huge public opposition to Howard and Co.’s current industrial relations attacks.

The sad irony is that the neoliberal policy framework, which prioritises corporate profits over working people’s needs, and the utter disregard for democracy that underlie the federal Coalition’s assault on workers are also embraced by every state and territory Labor government.

At the federal level, the almost complete non-opposition of the ALP that is the consequence of this bi-partisan neoliberalism is allowing Howard to consolidate his chances of winning the next federal election. Earlier this month, Labor leader Kim Beazley beat his previous record for most unpopular federal opposition leader, with an all-time low of 27% public support.

Over the last few weeks the whole country has watched the federal ALP continue to self-destruct in a spiral of internal faction fights around no political principle other the desire of certain party members to get (or keep) their bums on lucrative parliamentary seats. And Howard is pressing home his advantage by stepping up a nasty racist-nationalist propaganda campaign while plotting even more attacks on workplace rights following the enactment of Work Choices (as finance minister Nick Minchin let slip in his recent address to the right-wing H.R. Nicholls Society).

This could all be very depressing except for the fact that, as a recent study by Gabrielle Meagher from the University of Sydney and Shaun Wilson from Macquarie University () confirms, despite the best efforts of our “representatives” on both sides of parliament, public opinion in Australia has been moving in a progressive direction over the last few years. For example:

* 58% disagreed with going to war on Iraq;

* 73% disapprove of the Howard government’s policies on health;

* 67% disapprove of its education policies;

* 81% disapprove of its environment policies; and

* 60% oppose the new industrial relations laws.

The gap between what the majority of people want, and what they get from the major parties is large, and growing. Judged on both their policies and practice, neither the Coalition nor Labor has a “mandate” in any meaningful sense of the word.

The need in Australia for a fighting opposition, a genuine political alternative that will reflect and act to secure the lives of working-class people has never been so stark. With the ALP increasingly in crisis, it is all the more urgent that we keep up our efforts to build a broad, progressive political alternative.

The Socialist Alliance is an important effort to create such an alternative. Right now, our trade unionists are playing a major role in generating a fight-back against Howard and his big-business mates; for example, they were at the centre of the campaign to push the ACTU into calling another nationwide protest against Howard’s workplace laws, to be held on June 28.

Since he won government 10 years ago, Howard has made it very clear that when he meets little or no resistance, he will keep pushing through more and more draconian laws. That means, to coin an old slogan: If we don’t fight, we’ll lose ... and we’ll keep losing until we fight.

The official Labor opposition has made it just as clear that it can’t be relied upon to resist the neoliberal onslaught.

We urge you to be part of building a fighting alternative. If you have not done so already, join (or rejoin) the Socialist Alliance today. And if you can help us in any other way — in particular campaigns, with fundraising, getting our information around, and so on — please get in touch.

[Lisa Macdonald is a member of the Socialist Alliance national executive.]

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