Anti-racist activists, including a union secretary, discussed countering the rising support for One Nation at a public meeting hosted by Socialist Alliance on June 30.
The panel featured Jiselle Hanna, Community and Public Sector Union Victoria secretary, Deepak Joshi from Hindus for Human Rights and Sue Bolton, Socialist Alliance Merri-bek councillor and candidate for the Victorian seat of Broadmeadows.
Hanna said one of the biggest challenges in countering the rise of One Nation is that large sections of the working class are “politically unorganised”. She argued that racism, promoted by Hanson, has a material basis that serves the interests of the billionaire class by dividing workers “sideways”.
Hanna said Hanson’s racism will not be challenged simply by denouncing it. Unions must organise workers who are susceptible to racist ideas, she said. The experience of organising collectively can help people gain a better understanding and move away from reactionary ideas.
Joshi said far-right politicians deliberately use false information to stir up racism. He said while Hanson does tap into genuine grievances over the rising cost of living, her policies attack the very people who are worst affected by rising prices.
He said the Hanson’s exclusionary politics share some similarities with the Indian Hindutva Bharatiya Janata Party, which he said could be why sections of the Indian community seem to be supporting One Nation.
Bolton argued that the rise of One Nation is the ruling class’ project to push politics further to the right. She said the only way to defeat Hanson and her politics is to create a broad mass anti-racist movement that clearly rejects her reactionary politics of division.
Bolton also stressed the importance of unions organising among their ranks, including taking industrial action, to reject racism and other reactionary ideas.
Discussion from the floor focused on the need to build a left alternative to Labor, how workers can be drawn into political campaigns beyond bread and better issues connected to their workplaces, and the real solutions to the housing crisis to counter the scapegoating of migrants.