[Marxism] FW: First Socialist Party Councillor elected!

["David Murray" <spnewcastle@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: sp <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: sp members list <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: First Socialist Party Councillor elected!
> Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 16:35:55 +1100
>
> Comrades
> The Socialist Party is proud to announce that Stephen Jolly won a seat in
> Langridge Ward in the Yarra City Council elections on Saturday. This is the
> first electoral victory for the socialist movement in Australia for many
> years.
>
> The Council for the next four years is now made up of 3 ALP, 3 Green, 1 SP,
> 1 ALP-aligned independent and 1 right-wing independent.
>
> Langridge Ward, with 19,000 voters, incorporates the Melbourne
> inner-northern suburbs of Collingwood, Fitzroy, Abbotsford, Clifton Hill
> and
> Alphington.
>
> 11 candidates (including 2 Green, 2 ALP and 3 SP - Stephen, Erinn Sales and
> Zac Wright) stood for the seat. The Greens lead candidate came first, and
> the ALP lead candidate came second, with both candidates getting over the
> quota.
>
> Stephen got the 3rd highest first preference vote ahead of the 2nd Green
> and
> 2nd ALP candidates.
>
> In most of the 8 polling booths we got about 12% first preference (out of
> 11
> candidates, and more if you put the three SP candidates' vote together).
> However, in the big Collingwood Town Hall booth opposite the massive
> Collingwood public housing estate, Stephen got 17.5% (20% when Erinn and
> Zac's vote are included).
>
> We scored a postal and pre-poll vote of over 10%.
>
> Many voters who voted Green or ALP number 1 candidate, broke with the
> how-to-vote card to put SP second.
>
> On the day we had a big crew of comrades and supporters, easily as much as
> the Greens and ALP. In the two weeks before polling day, we staffed the two
> pre-polling booths in the Ward 100% of the time. We distributed about 5,000
> applications for postal vote forms.
>
> We had two glossy full colour leaflets and a poster (available on our web
> site: http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org). There were two letterbox
> drops and over 3000 homes were doorknocked. On top of this we ran stalls
> and
> participated in 3 debates throughout the Ward with the other candidates in
> which we felt we won strongly.
>
> Why we won
> In 2002 90% of voters in Yarra voted either Green or ALP in the hope of
> getting a progressive Council. In 2003, Yarra had Australia's first Green
> Mayor.
>
> However on core economic issues Council has undertaken a neo-liberal
> agenda,
> with asset management and debt reduction the major priority.
>
> On the Collingwood housing estate, the youth center has only one youth
> worker meaning the center is closed at nights and weekends. Yet Council
> found $250,000 to spend on a fence around Burnley Golf Course. We pledged
> to
> immediately readjust Council expenditure towards the needs of housing
> commission residents, on child care and social services in general.
>
> The old Council did little to oppose the impending extension of the Eastern
> Freeway which will suck in more cars to the area with the resulting air
> pollution and accidents. They did not support residents strongly enough in
> opposing inappropriate development and have not clearly opposed the State
> Labor Government's 2030 plan. We pledged to change all this.
>
> The big issue however is the ongoing financial bleeding of Councils by
> State
> and Federal Government. We said it was wrong for Council not to campaign
> with other Councils, trade unions, and the community to change this.
> Instead
> they have handballed the problem onto property owners and small businesses
> with regular rate rises as well as steady rises in fines and fees. This was
> most clearly shown by the huge 150% rise in the cost of using the creche at
> the Council-owned leisure centers.
>
> In general the Socialist Party Left Wing Team took up the basic concerns of
> the local community who are suffering from the neo-liberal agenda of
> Council. We successfully branded ourselves as the left opposition to the
> joint ALP/Green-run Council.
>
> However there were other opposition candidates who did not get anywhere
> near
> our result and in the neighbouring ward of Nicholls the Socialist Alliance
> candidate came last with 302 votes (3.17%).
>
> It must be said the other reason we won this seat was as a result of a
> decade of hard work in the area. A significant number of local people knew
> of our work saving Richmond Secondary College, on the urban environment, on
> heroin reform, for casual workers' rights etc etc and trusted us enough to
> vote socialist.
>
> Now we have an immense sense of responsibility to the people who voted for
> us, as well to every trade unionist, activist and socialist whose morale
> has
> been boosted by this victory. We aim as soon as possible to get real runs
> on
> the board in terms of improvements in the lives of ordinary people in the
> area. This is more important than grandstanding - with one SP Councillor we
> want to get extra youth workers and better child care, for example, rather
> than the red flag on the Town Hall. If we win peoples' trust in the next
> four years on the basis of concrete victories, we will open the door to
> even
> more significant breakthroughs for the socialist movement in the years
> ahead.
>
> There is no doubt that the Socialist Party needs help to take full
> advantage
> of the huge opportunities opening up in the next period. If you are not a
> member of the party you are strongly encouraged to join now and become part
> of this exciting challenge!
>
> Full Yarra City Council results (from VEC web site):
> http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/council/Yarra/WP_Yarra_Results2004_Attendance.htm#
> 0



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