“Australia is at a crossroads,” said Liam Flenady, Socialist Alliance candidate for Griffith on July 5.
“One path leads to more austerity, more oppression of minorities, more environmental destruction; the other leads to a just, equal and sustainable society. There is no middle path.
“We require a fundamental change to our economic and political system to build the future we need.”
Flenady has pledged to put a different kind of politics on the agenda in Griffith in the upcoming federal election, one that puts the needs of the 99% in front of the greed of the wealthy 1%.
“The latest leadership change in the Labor Party only confirms further just how politically moribund and corrupt the major parties have become. There was no significant policy difference between the two contenders,” he said.
“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd no more than Julia Gillard has the desire or courage to stand up to the interests of the big industries who are ripping off Australia.”
Australia has experienced a mining boom over the past decade, but the effective tax rate for this industry has dropped to a mere 13.9%. The big banks are posting daily profits of $71 million, while sacking hundreds of workers, and not passing on interest-rate cuts to home loan borrowers.
Flenady said: “While ordinary Australians are having their services and welfare cut back, jobs destroyed, and environment rendered unusable, the big banks and mining corporations have been making record profits, and passing on practically nothing of it to the Australian people.
“It’s time that wealth goes directly to the people, not to the pockets of the Gina Rineharts and Clive Palmers.”
Flenady will campaign for a wholesale nationalisation of the mines, banks and energy sector to tackle the most pressing social and environmental issues facing Australia.
“In order to resolve both the social and environmental crises facing Australia, we have to take not only the wealth, but also the power out of the hands of big business and put it in the hands of the people.”
[The Griffith campaign launch will take place at 11am on Saturday July 13 at the Big Lizard, corner of Russell and Boundary streets in West End. For more information on the Griffith Socialist Alliance election campaign, or to offer assistance and financial support, visit the Socialist Alliance online.]