It is no exaggeration to say that Australia's political landscape would look pretty depressing if the Socialist Alliance didn't exist.
Socialist Alliance members and our allies in the trade union movement have helped ensure that the overwhelming public opposition to PM John Howard's anti-worker and union-busting laws has been mobilised in the massive nationwide protests over the last year — protests that undermined many bosses' confidence to rapidly impose the laws on workers.
Together with other militants, we've also worked to ensure that the campaign against Work Choices is not just an ALP election campaign, but one that strengthens unions' ability to defend workers' rights — now and under a future ALP government.
The protests against Liberal and Labor support for Israel's brutal wars on Lebanon and Palestine that were initiated across the country by the Middle Eastern-Australian and Muslim communities were given wholehearted support by the Socialist Alliance, and alliance activists continue to help organise the public face of opposition to the occupation of Iraq and the destruction of our democratic freedoms that the "war on terror" is used to justify.
Socialist Alliance members in gay and lesbian rights organisations threw their all behind organising last month's national day on action against the federal ban on same-sex marriage.
And it was the Socialist Alliance that took the people-before-profits message into the September 9 Queensland elections, standing the only Indigenous candidate and taking on Peter Beattie in his own seat.
The alliance's consistent activity in these and other campaigns puts left politics onto the political stage, at every level. Whether it is putting motions to workplace meetings, organising students, distributing Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, hosting public forums, joining picket lines, organising fund raisers, contributing to Seeing Red magazine — all help to build resistance by boosting people's confidence to take action to defend their rights. It raises the voice of dissent and gives millions of people hope with the knowledge that they are not alone in their hatred of war, racism and union bashing, and that organised resistance is possible, and happening.
As the Howard government turns up its attacks on just about every section of the population, and the Labor Party makes it clear that it will not resist — and indeed agrees with the Coalition on many issues — the Socialist Alliance's role in Australian politics becomes more important.
Our 2006 national conference will be held in Geelong Trades Hall — an important centre of fight-back in Australia today. On Saturday, October 28, a gathering titled "What options for trade union activists?" will bring together trade unionists and supporters from around Australia who are active in the main battle-fronts against the Work Choices and other anti-worker laws. On Sunday, October 29, participants will discuss many other areas of campaigning, including in the peace movement, for democratic rights and environmental sustainability, and against racism.
These gatherings will be a great opportunity to review, learn from and strengthen the resistance to Howard, and to plan the next steps in creating a fighting alternative to the ALP.
Come along — your participation will make a difference. Individually we can all do our bit, but together we are much stronger and can achieve much, much more.
Sam Watson, Craig Johnston and Lisa Macdonald
[For more information, visit < http://www.socialist-A href="mailto:alliance.org"><alliance.org>, or contact the Socialist Alliance national office at <national_office@socialist-alliance.org> or (02) 9690 2508.]