Socialist Alliance (SA) is contesting the November 28 Victorian elections in the Northern Metropolitan region for the Legislative Council and in two lower house seats — Broadmeadows and Pascoe Vale.
Its campaign theme is “Fighting for people, not the billionaires” and its candidates are community activists, with a good deal of experience fighting for their local communities.
Sue Bolton, who is serving her fourth term as an SA councillor in Merri-bek City Council and is contesting Broadmeadows, told Green Left that governments at all levels are “failing to address community needs”.
She said this is partly why Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is rising in the polls.
“We aim to counter the racist lie that migration is the cause of the housing crisis. Our party has a long and proud record of campaigning to preserve public housing.
“Right now, in cost-of-living and housing crises, we need government to commit to a massive expansion of public housing. It is shameful that Jacinta Allan’s government is destroying and privatising what remains of public housing in the inner city.”
Childcare worker Jacob Andrewartha is running in Pascoe Vale. He told GL that “Our campaign is highlighting the need for a massive funding boost to essential services, including education and nursing care. We do not support neoliberal outsourcing approach of public services that everyone relies on.”
SA’s platform focuses on six key areas: Housing for all; Fully funding public health, education and transport; No dollars for war; Stop attacks on democratic rights; Protect the environment and act for the climate; and oppose racism and discrimination.
SA is critical of Labor’s support for the weapons industry and is campaigning to end public subsidies to weapons companies based in Victoria. The government has just announced it will host the controversial Land Forces in 2028, which has no social licence.
Meredith Lawrence, the lead candidate for the Northern Metropolitan areas, told GL that secure housing is a right, as is a liveable income, as well as high quality public and community services.
Lawrence has worked with migrant and refugee communities for more than 30 years in the northern suburbs. She is active in the Palestine solidarity movement and is a founding member of the Banyule Palestine Action Group.
Lawrence is an anti-Zionist Jew, whose family members died in the Holocaust. She a member of Loud Jew Collective and the Jewish Council of Australia, and has been a regular at rallies for Palestine, speaking at several.
Long-time community activists Chloe Beaton and Darren Saffin are also on the Legislative Council ticket. Beaton is a community worker and has been active with the Sydney Road Accessible Tram Stops campaign and the Palestine solidarity movement.
Saffin, who works in media and communications, is campaigning to stop Labor’s destruction of more than 44 public housing estates.
The Northern Metropolitan region covers 11 lower house seats: Broadmeadows, Brunswick, Essendon, Greenvale, Kalkallo, Melbourne, Northcote, Pascoe Vale, Preston, Richmond and Thomastown.
[Socialist Alliance in Naarm/Melbourne is hosting a volunteers day on May 31 at 2pm at the Merlynston Progress Hall. Check out SA’s election platform here.]