NSW SOCIALIST ALLIANCE PRE-SELECTS REFUGEE RIGHTS CANDIDATES A NSW conference of the Socialist Alliance held in Sydney on December 14 mapped out its plan to use the next nine weeks of state election campaigning to more strongly build the campaigns and movements for justice. Specifically, the Alliance decided to focus its election campaign on:
* opposition to the war and racism * support for refugee rights * reversing the attacks on civil liberties * defending worker and trade union rights. The conference also pre-selected a broad ticket of 21 candidates to contest the Legislative Council in the March 22 election, including a number of activists from the refugee rights movement in NSW. The candidates are: LISA MACDONALD: Free the Refugees Campaign activist and former Green Left Weekly editor JOHN MORRIS: NSW Teachers Federation activist RAUL BASSI: Long-time socialist and Argentina solidarity activist ANGELA BUDAI: Federated Clerks Union organiser and anti-war activist JAMAL DARWAND: Iranian political refugee and refugee rights activist NAOMI ARROWSMITH: Community and Public Sector Union organiser DARCY BYRNE: Youth worker MICHAEL SCHEMBRI: Gay rights activist KAROL FLOREK: Fortians for Refugees founder and youth activist PIP HINMAN: Asia-Pacific solidarity activist KIERAN LATTY: Sydney University student and anti-war activist DR MARGARET PERROTT: People's Medical Centre Co-op president and long-term peace activist KYLIE WITT: Community activist in Sydney JOHN PERCY: Democratic Socialist Party national secretary ASHISHA CUNNINGHAM: Sydney University student activist GEOFF PAYNE: Former BHP steelworker now teacher in Newcastle OSAMA YOUSIF: Sudanese political refugee and refugee rights activist ANGELA LUVERA: Feminist activist and teacher trainee at Macquarie University KIM BULLIMORE: Indigenous Students Network founding member and women's liberation activist STEVE O'BRIEN: Latin America solidarity activist, volunteer development worker and Public Sector Association state council member JIM KNIGHT: Anti-nuclear activist and Clarence Environment Centre president. The Socialist Alliance candidates so far pre-selected for lower house seats are: Paul Benedek for Port Jackson Sue Johnston for Marrickville Sam Wainwright for Bankstown Roberto Jorquera for Auburn Nick Fredman for Lismore. The alliance will also be contesting local seats in the Newcastle and Wollongong regions. A major theme of discussion at the conference was how to help build the growing international movement which can stop imperialism's war on Iraq. All branches of the alliance will continue to initiate local community anti-war and refugee rights protests, continue to build the Refugee Action Collective and Free the Refugees Campaign, and help strengthen various suburban anti-war groups. The alliance will also translate anti-war and refugee rights campaign information into other languages, including Spanish, Farsi & Arabic, and organise meetings with non-English speaking background communities and groups to discuss the campaign and related issues. There was also much discussion about the need to make repeal of the new NSW "anti-terror" laws, by far the most draconian in the country, a major election issue. Members agreed that condemning, in words and action, the constant vilification of and attacks on Muslims and people of Middle Eastern background, and standing up to the government and media's racist scare-mongering, was crucial. A working group of alliance members interested in organising solidarity with workers' movements in Latin America was also established, and members agreed that the alliance would also help organise and build the Women Against War and Racism march on March 8, International Women's Day. For more information, visit: http://www.socialist-alliance.org/ -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
