BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS
MELBOURNE — More than 170 people enjoyed a lively night of fun and socialist politics at the Socialist Alliance's anti-corporate festival at Daniher Hall, Carlton, on October 20. The festival raised $3000.
Comedian and anti-corporate campaigner Rod Quantock quickly got everyone into the spirit of unity with his light-hearted remarks. "Who made the Greek salad?", he asked. "The Democratic Socialist Party", was the reply. "And who brought the meat?", he asked. "The International Socialist Organisation", was the answer. "Well maybe at the next Socialist Alliance dinner I attend there'll be a meat salad", Quantock joked to generous applause at his allusion to socialist unity.
Quantock joked about "socialist pavlovas", asked the audience to see if they could pick the ASIO spy ("there's one at every event", he claimed) and lampooned the "cleverness" of Australia's "Prime Minuscule" John Howard over his treatment of refugees.
Quantock also lamented the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. "We will have to celebrate S12 in future", he joked, referring to the successful blockade of the World Economic Forum in Melbourne in September last year.
Jackie Lynch, Socialist Alliance candidate for Batman, reminded the crowd that Socialist Alliance was the only anti-war party standing in the November 10 federal election.
The audience was also serenaded by DSP Northcote branch organiser Jody Betzein and entertained by the band Inaudible Hum.