By Jane Beckmann
NEWCASTLE — Up to 60 people met here on November 23-24 and formed a new party of the left called the NewLabor Party.
Participants and observers came from Melbourne, Sydney, Lismore, Wollongong, Canberra and Brisbane, and included members of Newcastle Progressive Alliance, the Militant tendency, Workers Power, Maritime Unions Socialist Activities Association (MUSAA), Greens and the Democratic Socialist Party. A contingent of students from Wollongong also attended.
The opening address, by former ALP member Bob Leach from Brisbane, spoke about that party's betrayal. The new party, he argued, was needed to take the place of the current ALP. Emphasising the right-wing offensive, Leach proposed a social democratic party that puts forward a new version of a social contract between unions and government. This, he argued, would help contain the right wing and gain the support of the working class, which would not relate to a more radical left-wing perspective. He pointed to the New Zealand NewLabour Party and Alliance, and the Italian Olive Tree Alliance as inspiring examples.
Paddy Crumblin, assistant national secretary of the Maritime Unions of Australia and secretary of MUSAA, then spoke about what workers would gain from a new social democratic party. The ALP had created a vacuum of leadership in the working class in the face of the right-wing offensive, he said, arguing that parties of the left are needed to force the ALP to reassess its neglect of workers.
Crumblin went on to say during discussion that a Marxist party would not be popular at present and the media would quickly isolate such a party. There had always been socialists in the Labor Party in the past, he said. What we lack today is a left that is organised and can intervene in the development of government policy and the regulation of capital. Crumblin said he would not be part of the new party being formed from the meeting.
The meeting adopted a statement of intent which read in part: "This party will prioritise working-class economic issues while supporting broader social and environmental issues ... its programs will reflect the long-term aim of creating a socialist and democratic society ... this new party would actively seek to develop a broader electoral alliance of progressive groups ."
While there was debate on questions such as nationalism, international solidarity and Australian imperialism, most in attendance supported the idea of contesting elections, being involved in community politics and aiming to form an alliance once the new party was established.
Drew Hutton from the Australian Greens, who attended as an observer, emphasised the need to rebuild alliances between the Greens and labour that had been weakened by the ALP's betrayal on issues such as uranium. Hutton said that the Greens would be a natural ally of the new party, along with the Indigenous People's Party, the Women's Party and the Democrats.
Working groups drafted policies on women, education, trade unions, electoral reform, the environment, immigration and privatisation to be taken to the next conference in six months. An interim fighting program was also drafted.
The New Zealand NewLabour Party constitution will be used as a basis for a constitution discussion. A proscription motion was moved and lost; speakers argued that it was too early in the development of the new party to talk about proscription.
A national organising committee and office bearers were elected until the next conference: Carol Berry president, Patrick Brownley treasurer, Bob Leach secretary, Anthony McLaughlin media officer and Meg Boland women's officer.
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