Building a green, left alternative in the Illawarra
By Bernie Brian
WOLLONGONG — Doctor Margaret Perrott has been campaigning for a decade to build a green, left alternative to Labor and Liberal.
In 1984 she was the founding chairperson of the Illawarra branch of the Nuclear Disarmament Party.
She supported the Illawarra Workers Party, formed by MLA George Petersen, who was expelled from the ALP after he voted against the state Labor government's changes to workers compensation entitlements.
In 1989 she was a founding member of the Illawarra Greens and actively supported them in the federal elections of 1990 and the state elections of 1991.
Perrott is currently the Democratic Socialist candidate for the seat of Throsby.
She told Green Left Weekly, "We learned a lot in the last decade about how to, and how not to, build a green, left alternative. New parties emerged and people from different traditions began to work together. There were many setbacks, and some fell into the trap of elevating the differences between us above those things we could agree on, like peace, the environment and social justice."
Perrott also has long experience as an environmental and peace activist. In 1985 she was a founding member of the Save Jervis Bay Committee, and she is currently secretary of the local Hiroshima Day Committee.
"Our campaign in Throsby is showing that it is possible to run an openly socialist ticket and not be marginalised", she said. "We have had tremendous coverage in the media. Apart from several feature articles in the local newspapers, we have been interviewed by both local TV stations and most of the major radio stations.
"Earlier I initiated a protest action over the US bombing of Iraq. This bought us into contact with the local Islamic Association, and I was able to meet with and speak to its leadership. Our leaflets have been distributed at the local mosque. I have also been interviewed by the local Croatian radio program.
"Supporters are currently letterboxing the entire electorate, and large numbers of posters are appearing. It's a setback that we are competing with 10 other candidates on the ballot, but it is interesting to note that the only two women on the ballot paper are myself and the Greens candidate.
"There is no doubt, in a region with the second highest unemployment rate in the country, that the major issue is jobs. Yet the only people who have recognised that society has to fundamentally change course and begin to put people before profits is myself and the Greens. It's haven't worked out ways of working together to maximise the progressive vote."