The NSW Coalition government will face pressure at the state election in March next year. The resignations of sitting Liberal MPs Tim Owen and Andrew Cornwell, after being investigated for alleged corruption by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), will likely trigger a byelection that could hand the seats to Labor.
After the corruption scandals under Labor rule, the Coalition were elected on the back of promises to “clean up” NSW politics. But the Coalition has now proved to be no better than the Labor Party.
Understandably, NSW voters are fed up with this brand of politics. The has decided to contest the elections and campaign for a different approach.
Susan Price, a long-time unionist and feminist, has been pre-selected to run as a candidate in the lower house seat of Summer Hill.
The seat was newly created after a redistribution last year and covers the suburbs of Marrickville, Lewisham, Dulwich Hill and Ashfield.
Price will be contesting the election on a platform that includes highlighting the importance of maintaining and extending public services, public housing and public transport in NSW.
She is also campaigning to clean up the electoral process, and make it transparent and accountable.
“The ‘politics as usual’ approach completely alienates good people from getting involved in making the change they want”, said Price.
“It’s no coincidence that many of the NSW MPs who have been named by ICAC as being corrupt have presided over energy, ports and mines. These portfolios have been treated like mini fiefdoms to enrich political ‘mates’.
“The mainstream parties have presided over a culture of revolving door corruption and ordinary workers are fed up.”
Price is an active unionist, and long-time feminist. She has lived in Sydney’s inner-west since 1999, and is the national co-convener of the Socialist Alliance.
Socialist Alliance policy is for all elected candidates to pledge to take no more than an average workers’ wage.