Where to after Howard?

The most important task in the federal elections on Saturday 
October 9 is to defeat the Howard Government. In the present 
conditions this means the election of a Labor Government. The two 
major parties are spending millions of dollars on highly 
researched and sophisticated campaigns to buy votes. The mass 
media outlets are flooded with their propaganda.

The defeat of the Howard Government would be a very important 
victory against the policies and ideology of the extreme right 
forces in Australia but how far does it take the people of 
Australia? 

While there is a widespread belief in the need for change, the 
main political parties are not interested in delivering it. 

The limits of Labor

What would Labor offer? Would it bring about the much-desired 
changes?

Experience over recent decades has shown that it makes relatively 
little difference whichever of the two major parties is in power. 
It was the Hawke/Keating Labor governments that took the running 
on economic rationalist policies. They privatised, deregulated, 
introduced competition policy and facilitated the attack on wages 
and working conditions.

Economic rationalists believe in a total reliance on private 
enterprise and on market forces. They see moneymaking and profit 
as the dominant goals of society and place these objectives above 
the needs of the people.

There is nothing to suggest that a Latham Labor government would 
abandon economic rationalism. Labor has made no commitment to 
abolish the GST, return the Commonwealth Bank and Telstra to full 
public ownership, or halt the casualisation of the workforce.

Its promises on Medicare — originally introduced by Labor as a 
universal health care system — fall far short of what is 
required. Latham's promises will in fact give more large handouts 
to the private hospital system. Latham, consistent with his 
economic rationalist credentials, champions "free trade" and 
globalisation and plans to wind back the welfare system.

The advocates of economic rationalism are the spokespersons of 
the biggest and most powerful sections of private capital. They 
are the representatives of transnational.

For a new direction in politics

Economic rationalism has created an expanding web of social 
problems throughout the world — mass unemployment, poverty, 
homelessness, disease, drug addiction, inadequate or no 
education, lack of medical care and environmental damage.

Australia has, up to this time, been somewhat protected from the 
worst consequences of economic rationalist policies because of 
its rich resources, small population and close proximity to the 
huge Asian markets. But even in Australia the attack on economic 
and social conditions and people's rights is intensifying.

It is for these reasons that the Communist Party of Australia 
believes that a government of a new type is needed, a government 
committed to a massive redistribution of wealth in favour of the 
majority.

Such a government would support the public education system and 
really put "care" back into the health system. It would reverse 
the process towards the casualisation of jobs and increasing 
hours of work. It would implement policies providing a 
progressive tax system rather than one which gives concessions to 
the big companies and the wealthy.

It would end Australia's subservience to the United States and 
offer friendly and mutually beneficial relations to all 
countries. It would take Australia out of war and cut back the 
bloated military expenditure.

Protecting the environment has become and very big and urgent 
question. A People's Government would start by immediately 
ratifying the Kyoto protocols.

Where to start?

There are many left and progressive organisations and 
individuals, all sharing these policies and hopes for a better 
world. 

A broad democratic movement that unites all left and progressive 
parties, trade unions, community organisations and progressive 
individuals is needed to build the momentum for a new type of 
government. Let's start by getting them working together!

A place in the democratic front has to be found for all the 
streams of opposition to what is being done to the working 
people, the poor, the unemployed, the homeless, the farmers, 
pensioners, small business, the professionally employed, 
Indigenous people, women, migrants and others.

The forces creating environmental devastation throughout the 
world are the same as those attacking the rights and working 
conditions of workers. Big capital is behind the agri-business 
now driving many farmers off their land. The huge transnationals, 
including the arms manufacturers, are responsible for the drive 
to war. 

It is big capital that has really taken over the privatised 
Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Qantas, the airports and privatised 
rail networks.

However, we believe that there is strong and growing resistance 
to this direction in Australian politics and economic life.

The varied social forces must be brought together to change the 
present policies of the major parties. The most important element 
in this broad front is, in our opinion, an organised and active 
working class which also adopts policies to win the support of 
other anti-corporate sections of society.

In building a democratic front and establishing a new type of 
government, care must be taken not to exclude any potential 
supportive party, organisation or individual, even though 
different opinions and policies will inevitably exist on various 
questions.

Principles of united action

Building a political alternative to the two major parties means 
being prepared to work together with other organisations and 
individuals for real change, irrespective of some differences.

It means building co-operation and unity on a principled basis 
including mutual respect and honesty with consultation at every 
step of the unity-building process.

Through the process of joint work, trust will be built. This and 
common interests will be the binding force that strengthens the 
coalition and makes it a viable and lasting alliance. Unity and 
agreement should grow as a process. It cannot be ordained by any 
particular organisation attempting to dominate others.

Where agreement is not reached on an issue, the issue should be 
put aside with each organisation free to express its views using 
its own facilities. Once agreements are reached, however, all 
organisations must help to popularise and win support for 
policies.

Discussion and agreement at leadership level must be backed up 
and deepened by co-operation at all levels of the organisations 
involved.

Ideological differences should not stand in the way of co-
operation on issues held in common. A contest of ideas between 
co-operating organisations is natural but should be contested in 
a manner that does not undermine the unity achieved but 
contributes to clarity and strengthens unity and the solidarity 
of the organisations involved.

Parliament and winning Government

The parliamentary arena is an important area in which coalitions 
or alliances of organisations can work together against 
reactionary policies. At the same time, parliamentary work has to 
be based on work outside parliament to encourage activities by 
NGOs, trade unions, professional organisations and others.

These two fields of work do not exclude one another but go hand-
in-hand. It is the responsibility of parliamentarians to ensure 
that voters are kept informed of work done in parliament, have a 
say in formulating policies and are encouraged to become involved 
in all aspects of political life.

Many more left and progressive parliamentarians are needed at all 
levels of government. Respected, knowledgeable and active 
participants from left and progressive political parties, trade 
unions, environmental, peace, educational, Indigenous and 
community organisations, health and democratic rights bodies, all 
should be encouraged to stand for office — not contesting 
against one another but working for the common good.

Progressive parliamentarians can publicise, resource and help to 
build the people's activities outside parliament. When a 
sufficient number of such parliamentarians have been elected they 
could form a government committed to fulfilling an agreed program 
of policies.

Such a government would be democratic, multi-party and answerable 
to the people. As the vast majority of the population is made up 
of working people, we believe that the representatives of the 
working class would form the core of the new type of democratic 
government.

Such a government would implement policies to substantially curb 
the power of the big corporations and would encourage supportive 
activity by community organisations, trade unions, parents and 
citizens groups, etc.

The many organisations that could come together to form a new 
government must each contribute to the formulation of an agreed 
program of policies.

What the major parties fear

It is the formation of such a government that the major parties 
fear above all. Legislation regarding the registration of parties 
makes it very difficult for smaller parties to stand candidates 
in their own name and the powerful elites are planning further 
changes to the electoral system to make it harder still.

In the elections on October 9, the outcome will be either a Labor 
or Liberal government. There is however the possibility of the 
election of a number of Greens and independents to the House of 
Representatives and even the formation of a minority government 
dependent on some of these Members to govern. There will be even 
more elected to the Senate.

A good result for the Greens and other left and progressive 
candidates in these elections could be the beginning of the 
formation of an alternative, pro-people democratic parliamentary 
force and the popularisation of alternative policies and the idea 
that more substantial change can be achieved.