Socialist Party Australia - SP Councillor in Yarra

Making Socialism Relevant
Regular column of Australia's first Socialist Party Councillor, Stephen Jolly
City of Yarra, Melbourne
Taken from the May edition of 'The Socialist'

Marxists talk about the 'crisis of leadership' in the working class and the weakness of the subjective factor (revolutionary party).

What we mean by this is that while most workers oppose privatisation, user pays, attacks on union rights and the rest of the neo-liberal agenda, they don't have a leadership that provides a clear, socialist alternative. This means workers can become diverted towards, for example, racism instead of class action or just try and survive day-to-day instead of fighting back.

However, when the working class creates the required leadership, the political situation transforms rapidly.

In a tiny way in a relatively tiny area, we see this is practice in the City of Yarra. The presence of two small but healthy and active Socialist Party branches and a SP Councillor means that a clear socialist political alternative and means of expression is present for local workers and youth.

What would normally lead to anger and then demoralisation and fear - for example, the recent Victorian Police/Armed Forces anti-terrorist exercise on the streets of Collingwood - was turned back on the security forces by a community -fightback assisted by SP. We got residents to be at the Council meeting, we hit the media, organised a SP public meeting, got Council to organise counselling for traumatised residents, and more. This small example shows what is possible when a socialist alternative is present.

We need this nationally and internationally, that's what the SP and our international body, the CWI, fights for. Can you imagine if the left wing trade unions used the money they waste on the ALP and combined with community groups and left wing individuals to create a new mass workers' party? If such a party was democratic and took on campaigning, socialist policies it would change the face of Australian politics.

We in the Socialist Party are trying to show what is possible in the Yarra City Council area and set the example nationally. In the last month since the April edition of The Socialist, we have organised on Council to ensure it only employs contractors with union agreements; supported UNITE's June 24th Youth March for Real Jobs and Justice and much more.

I strongly encourage all readers to join the Socialist Party and work with us in the exciting challenges ahead!