Paul Benedek, Sydney
The Socialist Alliance is running 24 candidates across 10 councils in the March 27 NSW local government elections. The alliance is also fielding candidates for mayor in Newcastle City, Wollongong, Canterbury and City of Sydney.
As part of its campaign — the largest mounted by socialists in local council elections for decades — the Socialist Alliance is letterboxing at least 100,000 homes.
The elections take place at a time when anger at the ALP has been exacerbated by Premier Bob Carr's Labor government crude forced amalgamation of several councils.
"There is a lot anger at the forced merger of City of Sydney and South Sydney, in an obvious attempt to get Labor control of Sydney City Council", says Susan Price, the Socialist Alliance candidate for mayor and councillor in the amalgamated City of Sydney Council. "But allowing the ALP to get away with such undemocratic manoeuvres for its political benefit has wider implications — any progressive council that goes against the state government of the day could face attack."
"In Auburn, the state government introduced special legislation late last year to override a land and environment court order against the proposed city-wide dump in Clyde", said Socialist Alliance Auburn council candidate Lisa Macdonald. Local residents have been campaigning for three years against the dump.
The socialist candidates are arguing for fighting councils that mobilise working people in defence of their interests, including against those under attack by the state and federal governments.
The Socialist Alliance, for example, "has mobilised public support for the train drivers, and for public transport", said Rozelle-Lilyfield Leichhardt council candidate Shane Bentley, a member of the Maritime Union of Australia.
In Newcastle, the socialists' candidate for mayor is the 2003 chairperson of the Save our Rail campaign, Geoff Payne.
"Randwick council refuses to take a stand on federal issues such as the [Iraq] war, saying it doesn't affect locals — yet there has been a reduction in bulk billing access here in Coogee", said Brian Webb, lead Socialist Alliance candidate for Randwick council and convenor of the Randwick Peace group. "The alliance says that every dollar the liar Howard spends on war and occupation is a dollar not going to our Medicare, or our schools and public transport, for that matter. Military spending is affecting local people and council must take stand — opposing war, supporting local peace activists."
"The alliance believes power should be in the streets, with those who marched on March 20 around the world, those millions who marched last year — they can make far more humane decisions than the profit-focussed rulers we have now", added Kylie Moon, a Socialist Alliance candidate in Leichhardt and a leader of the Books not Bombs youth anti-war protests last year.
In many municipalities in NSW, the anger toward the major parties is indicated by the lack of candidates running openly under their party name. In the most extreme example, Taree, the only party that will be openly running is the Socialist Alliance, with candidate Ron Bailey. All of the other 29 candidates have no party identification!
To help the Socialist Alliance on polling day, phone Paul 0410 629 088 or Kieran 0409 749 084.
[Paul Benedek is a co-convenor of the Socialist Alliance NSW campaign committee.]
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, March 24, 2004.
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