Season's greetings

We convey season's greetings and best wishes for the New Year 
to all members and supporters of the Communist Party of Australia 
and to all readers of The Guardian.

This year saw millions upon millions rise up around the world to 
say no to the United States invasion of Iraq. What has come to be 
called the superpower of peace came to powerful life and hundreds 
of thousands of Australian men, women and children took part in 
those decisive events.

We end the year with the US still occupying Iraq and profiting 
from its oil, the Palestinian people still fighting for their 
rights, and US threats hanging over Syria, Iran, Cuba, Democratic 
Republic of Korea and other countries.

In our country, the reactionary Howard Government has signed up 
to US missile defence plans, creating profits for the aerospace 
industry at the cost of destabilisation in our region and a new 
arms race. This is one more step in an escalating process of 
making the Australian Defence Force little more than an arm of 
the US military.

The drive to war has an enormous human cost — not just lives 
lost but the billions of dollars wasted which are so desperately 
needed to fund essential services for the Australian people.

This year saw the battles to save Medicare and for public 
education begin and wide public support for them grow. The 
campaigns must continue and strengthen in 2004, which is likely 
to be a Federal election year.

There will be a great deal to do, so we hope that everyone can 
have a brief time of rest and relaxation before getting back into 
the action.

We wish you all a peaceful, secure and safe holiday period with 
family and friends.

Hannah Middleton, President Communist Party of Australia
Peter Symon, General Secretary Communist Party of Australia