Alliance an occasion for rejoicing

BY KATHY NEWNAM

ADELAIDE — “This is an occasion we should all be rejoicing about”,
was how veteran socialist Norm Taylor began his address to the launch of
the Socialist Alliance here on May 21.

The alliance was urgently needed, Taylor argued, pointing to the growth
of poverty throughout the country, and while it would have been nice to
be launching the alliance with 1000 people rather than 35. “Thanks to the
youth, [the alliance] is likely to grow”, he said.

Feminist and Latin American solidarity activist Monica Chiappe spoke
of the importance of including people from non-English speaking backgrounds,
while Democratic Socialist Party activist and union militant John McGill
described how the Socialist Alliance would help give a voice to the struggles
of working people.

While one participant noted that the Alliance “won't cruise to success
on the back of the anti-corporate movement”, those present felt strongly
that the alliance would be a positive boost to the new movement and would
tap into the widespread disillusion with mainstream politics.

“The old baggage doesn't matter to the new generation”, noted long-term
activist Jeff Richards in commending the launch of the Socialist Alliance.
“It is a good moment in history to have an alliance”.

<http://www.socialist-alliance.org>.

 

From GLW issue 450