Workers' alternative needed, say socialist candidates
By Jim McIlroy
BRISBANE — "The Democratic Socialists support a city council which truly represents the working people of Brisbane", socialist candidates Graham Matthews and Coral Wynter emphasise in a joint statement for the Brisbane City Council elections on March 25. Matthews is running for Dutton Park ward and Wynter for the ward of Central.
The statement says: "With ALP mayor Jim Soorley apparently heading for a strong victory against the erratic, right-wing Gail Austen and her Liberal cohorts, the Democratic Socialists' main theme is 'For a workers' alternative to Labor'.
"Our campaign is just part of an ongoing struggle to build that alternative. This campaign will continue in or out of election times, with the main emphasis being on the need to mobilise the people in mass struggle for their rights and interests.
"We call on the incoming Brisbane City Council to take a strong stand against racism. This means condemning the mandatory sentencing laws in WA and the NT, as well as opposing the racist police and legal systems in Queensland.
"We should support native title claims by the Aboriginal traditional owners of the Brisbane area, and take action to tackle poverty and homelessness which push Aboriginal and other youth into the criminal justice system.
"We support a comprehensive plan for urban renewal, based on low-cost housing for the poor, students and pensioners. The council could create thousands of real jobs by developing, under community control, a large-scale program of public works, including housing, traffic calming, bike paths and parks.
"Public transport should be radically improved, including integration of buses and trains, and free travel for low-income concession card holders. We oppose the inner-city bypass as yet another freeway ripping up our parks to pour more private cars into crowded suburban streets.
"We urge the incoming council to strongly enforce the existing declaration of a nuclear-free zone in Brisbane.
"And we call on the council to develop a 'sister city' relationship with a town in East Timor, to provide genuine assistance in aid and training to help that country rebuild from the devastation wrought by the Indonesian military.
"Finally, we stand for direct community control over major council decisions, with regular town meetings for residents, proportional representation of councillors and the right of recall of councillors by local referenda.
"We urge the electors of Dutton Park and Central wards to vote one Democratic Socialist [Graham Matthews and Coral Wynter]. In Dutton Park we advocate a second preference to independent community activist John Tracey, and put Labor's Tim Quinn before the Liberals.
"In Central, after Democratic Socialist, we call for preferences to the ALP's David Hinchliffe over the Liberals, with former One Nation candidate Sam Tornatore last.
"In the mayoral election, we urge a first vote for either anarchist candidate Brian Laver or Community Alliance representative Rob Wilson, with Labor's Jim Soorley before the Liberals' Gail Austen."
For more information on the Democratic Socialist campaign, phone (07)3254 0565.