Mobilisation for social and economic justice

Mobilisation for social and economic justice

By Peter Boyle

MELBOURNE — The first stage of a grand plan to "start a new political movement that will seize the political agenda from the politicians and the media", initiated by Rainbow Alliance and sponsored by 35 organisations and 50 individuals, culminates on October 10 with a mobilisation/rally in the city.

The organisers hope the mobilisation, coming a week after the state elections, will express the movement's determination to continue resisting attacks on living standards and quality of life.

Martin Mulligan, a member of the mobilisation steering committee, told Green Left Weekly he is hopeful of a big turnout. Some 45,000 leaflets had been distributed and new sponsorships continued to come in.

On November 11, participating organisations and individuals will meet to evaluate the mobilisation and plan the next stage, a program of activities for 1993. Among suggestions for the next stage are a "civic strike", another weekday rally (favoured by some unionists) and a big conference or "people's convention" to launch a "people's constitution".

The mobilisation is organised around 10 agreed demands, including job creation through the development of environmentally sustainable industries and expansion of the public sector; massive increases in public housing and public transport; an end to privatisation; an end to support for militarism and military exports; land rights, self-determination and compensation for Aborigines; an end to attacks on the trade union movement.

From GLW issue 74