BY JIM McILROY
BRISBANE — The Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) candidates in the February 17 Queensland elections have slammed the decision by 17 National Party candidates to give preferences to the racist One Nation party in the upcoming state poll.
The move has thrown the state National Party leader Rob Borbidge into crisis, as he had earlier declared the Nats would put One Nation and its offspring City-Country Alliance last on all NP how-to-vote cards.
Democratic Socialist candidates Adam Baker, standing for the seat of South Brisbane, and Coral Wynter, for Brisbane Central, condemned the move to allocate preferences to Pauline Hanson's followers.
"This move proves that deep-seated racism is alive and well in the Queensland National Party. Nothing has changed", said Baker. "The fight against all forms of racism in this state must be stepped up again if these reactionary forces are to be prevented from making a comeback", Baker stated on February 3.
The Democratic Socialists are calling for major changes to the Beattie Labor government's Native Title Act, which effectively tailed the Howard government federal Native Title legislation, in severely restricting Aboriginal access to land rights.
Baker and Wynter, both of whom were active in the mass protests against Hanson's racist movement in 1996-98, have called for state laws to implement "genuine Aboriginal land rights". The Democratic Socialists also criticised the ALP's decision not to allocate preferences in the state poll. The ALP is calling merely for a vote for Labor under Queensland's optional preferential system.
"This move effectively puts One Nation and the City-Country Alliance on the same basis as the Greens, the Democrats and the Democratic Socialists as far as Labor is concerned", Wynter said. "It helps to legitimise Hanson and Co, and may even help them to win seats in some regional areas."
The Democratic Socialists are calling for a first vote for Baker and Wynter in their seats, with preferences to the Greens and other progressive candidates, then Labor and the Democrats, before Liberal, and One Nation, CCA and other racist candidates last.
[Anyone wishing to assist the Democratic Socialist campaign can call the party's Brisbane office on (07) 3831 2644. Email: <brisbane@dsp.org.au>.]