Around 50 activists gathered on August 11 in the Maritime Union of Australia offices to nominate Socialist Alliance Senate candidates in WA and plan campaigns.
A plenary session on strategies for combating Work Choices was addressed by construction union assistant state secretary Joe McDonald, manufacturing workers' union state president Steve McCartney, maritime union state secretary Chris Cain and the Socialist Alliance national industrial work coordinator Sue Bolton.
The Indigenous rights workshop, attended by 15 people and addressed by Noongar academic Professor Ted Wilkes, discussed the need for an Indigenous-led campaign to stop the Howard government's attacks. Members of West Australians for Racial Equality, WA Deaths in Custody Watch Committee and Women in Black also contributed.
Justice for migrant workers was the topic of the 457 Visa workshop, addressed by manufacturing workers' organiser Joel Asphar and Migrante activist Annibeth Desierto.
In the climate change workshop, Tim Hemsley from the Australian Students' Environmental Network pointed to capitalism as the cause of the crisis, and Australia-Cuba Friendship Society and Socialist Alliance member Nancy Herrera outlined Cuba's progress on the environment front.
The final session preselected Trent Hawkins and Julie Gray to the alliance's WA Senate ticket.