BY SUSAN PRICE
SYDNEY — "If the Howard government won't consult the people by holding a nationwide referendum on the war, then the people should organise their own referendum", Lisa Macdonald, the Socialist Alliance's lead candidate for the NSW Legislative Council, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly.
With a February 19 Sydney Morning Herald poll showing that the Iraq war is the issue voters rate highest in influencing their voting intentions in the March 22 NSW election, the Socialist Alliance urges voters to write "No war" on their ballot papers for both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
"We are calling on all political parties, NSW election candidates, trade unions, student organisations and community groups who oppose the war to actively encourage voters — the majority of whom now oppose this war — to make their view known through their ballot papers on March 22.
"Already, the NSW Greens have come on board this campaign, and I have been receiving emails and phone calls from rank-and-file Labor Party members who want to send a clear message to Premier Bob Carr, as well as to the federal Coalition government.
"On February 15 and 16, more than a million people around Australia — half a million in NSW — rallied and marched to say 'No' to the war on Iraq, but neither [Prime Minister John] Howard nor Carr appear to be listening."
Macdonald criticised the ALP leadership for "refusing to take an unequivocal stand against the war". She also criticised Howard's response: "Howard says the people can have our say about his support for a war at the next federal election in two years time. Howard calls that democracy!"
Macdonald argued that democracy was supposed to be the rule of the common people, but that Howard's comment demonstrated that Australia was at best a "pseudo-democracy" where the ordinary people were able to express their views on the streets but had no real power over the crucial decisions affecting their lives.
"Given the major parties' disdain for democracy", Macdonald said, "we need to use every means at our disposal to make them accountable and force them to oppose this unjust war — both at the ballot box and by continuing to march in the streets, strike at our schools and workplaces, and organise in our neighbourhoods."
The Socialist Alliance has been assured by the NSW State Electoral Office that voters can write whatever they wish on their ballot papers without invalidating their votes, so long as the words written do not obscure their vote or identify the individual voter.
"As well as voting for consistently anti-war parties such as the Socialist Alliance, writing 'No war' on both the upper house and lower house ballot papers on March 22 is the best possible use we can make of our vote", Macdonald told GLW. "Whoever wins government in the NSW election, they will have been given a clear mandate to take action to stop this unjust war."
To endorse and help publicise the campaign, phone Lisa on 0413 031 108 or (02) 9690 1977, or email < Sydney@socialist-A href="mailto:alliance.org"><alliance.org>.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, February 26, 2003.
Visit the