Hobart socialists hold election launch

Alex Bainbridge, Hobart

On September 18, 50 people rallied on the Parliament Lawns to launch the Socialist Alliance's election campaigns for the federal seats of Denison and Franklin.

Denison candidate Kamala Emanuel said that "socialism deserves to be represented in the federal parliament" given the obscene inequality that exists globally and nationally. She called on voters to "maximise the opposition" by voting for the Socialist Alliance followed by the Greens and Labor before the Liberals.

Franklin candidate Glenn Shields called for the protection of high-conservation value forests including those not recognised as "old-growth" by the federal government such as those in the Weld Valley. He argued that environmental programs should be funded out of the general government budget and not by asset sales. Both candidates rejected preference deals with the Coalition in order to save forests.

From Green Left Weekly, September 29, 2004.

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From GLW issue 600