The current political situation in Australia and in most countries around the world is seeing the gains made by many generations of working class struggle being eroded. The big corporations are trampling the rights of workers.

Governments are pursuing economic rationalist policies and are pushing for a globalisation in the interests of the big corporations. Currently the world is in the process of re-division and the prospect of war presents grave dangers for all humanity.

Capital gains - labour loses

The Maritime Industry has been particularly affected by these negative political trends. We've seen the shipping industry undermined virtually to the point of extinction. We've seen massive job losses on the tugs and on the waterfront. We've seen conditions of work eroded and vicious attacks upon the right of unions that have been to the detriment of the vast majority of the people.

The spectre of casualisation has gotten completely out of control and has diminished the living standards of workers in the Maritime Industry and right across Australia and indeed the world. Not only have maritime workers been severely affected by the disgraceful Workplace Relations Act and industry policies of both the major parties, they have been further hit with reactionary social policies such as the GST and privatisation.

The common thread that runs through policies such as those mentioned and virtually every policy of the major parties is that they are openly in the interest of the big corporations and the bosses. They are policies that seek first and foremost to raise the level of profits of the big corporations.

Every assault on the workers in the maritime industry, regardless of what sector, has benefited the employers who have increased their profits. Across the whole of society profits are put before the needs of the people.

Making ever-greater profits is the basis of our current social system. People before profits

We campaign to put people before profits. This slogan has been around for a long time but when one looks at the deteriorating position of workers today it is a slogan that is just as relevant and necessary to implement as it has ever been.

The Communist Party works for a fundamental change in direction of politics in Australia. We see the need for the economy to serve the people not for the people to serve an economy that is only for the benefit of a tiny minority of the population.

Both Labor and Liberal are firmly committed to the economic rationalist agenda and the needs of the big corporations. They offer the people no real choice in the forthcoming Federal election.

The breaking of the two party system is the basis for the advancement of a just society in Australia. There can be no real social progress while the people's choice is deliberately limited to two increasingly indistinguishable parties.

CPA election campaign

We are running in this election for a number of reasons. Firstly we campaign to win support for the implementation of a number of immediate progressive policies that will benefit the people.

A second major reason we run is to highlight and work toward what we see as being a realisable process of social transformation in Australia.

The Communist Party believes that the best way to advance social change in Australia is to build a people's movement that draws together all the left and progressive political parties and groups, trade unions,small farmers and small business people community organisations and individuals or elements of these organisations into a popular anti-monopoly anti- imperialist front. We see this front as transcending any one party.

A coalition of this nature can mobilise thousands and tens of thousands of workers and people from other social groups who are opposed to the corporate agenda of privatisation and attacks on the living and working conditions of all working people. A place in such a coalition has to be found for all those who are in opposition to what is being done to the vast majority of the people in the name of ever-greater profits.

It is our view that a coalition of such a nature should set as its goal the eventual formation of a People's Government. We are equally of the view though that the formation of a government of this type must be linked with and arise out of the people's struggles to be successful. Social change will not arise through parliamentary means alone.

This does not mean that we reject the use of parliamentary forms of struggle. The view of the CPA is that all forms of struggle must be used in the battle to win justice and social advancement for the vast majority of society.

What would the CPA do for you?

So how would the CPA advance the interests of the working people if its candidates were elected?

Some examples of the matters CPA candidates would raise in parliament are:

Highlighting the injustices perpetrated against the workers and by supporting the many and varied struggles against the employing class.

We would focus on highlighting the unfairness of the Workplace Relations Act and work hard to restore trade union rights. We would fight for permanent full time jobs for workers and seek to expand the public sector.

In the case of Ansett for example we would struggle for the nationalisation of Ansett to take it out of the hands of big business that sees its only use as a means to make big profits.

The companies don't think about the thousands of families and the sacked workers that contribute to the working of that airline or the many communities who are left stranded when, for profit, the company was stripped of its assets and capital.

We would also strenuously work for a scheme that protects and guarantees all workers their full entitlements.

We would be campaigning hard for the curtailment of casualisation. Casualisation is just another means to heighten profits. The workers loss is the employers gain and forced casual labour must be abolished.

We would work to have the GST repealed and point out how the people are suffering as a result of the Howard Government’s gift to the rich. In its place we would campaign for a more fair and progressive taxation policy that had a much greater emphasis on taxing the rich and the big corporations.

Our stand for the implementation of environmentally sustainable policies would be vigorous.

We would fight for women's rights. Equal pay for equal work and adequate state funded childcare would be high on the agenda as well as the provision of free safe and legal abortion.

We would promote multiculturalism and stand in opposition to racism in all its forms. This would entail support for justice for aboriginal people. We would fight for the implementation of a flexible and humane immigration policy.

We would fight in opposition to all forms of discrimination.

The process of privatisation is robbing the working people of much needed funds for many social and welfare services. We would work to abolish National Competition Policy and would seek to reverse privatisation as well as work for the expansion of public ownership throughout the economy.

This would mean support for the extension of public health, education, housing and transport, but we would also promote the need for public ownership of all key sectors of the economy.

Such a policy if implemented would help greatly toward giving people the right to full time permanent employment. The promotion of public works programs would also be pushed to deal with the chronic unemployment we currently face.

We would fight for a policy of peace and stand in opposition to warmongering that seeks to expand the profits of the corporations at the expense of people throughout the world.

These are some of the positions we would take in order to defend and extend the position of the working people in society.

Another feature of our participation in parliament would be to draw attention to the fact that all the struggles of the people and the battles around many and varied just causes in society all have the same roots.

The struggles of the people are all linked and find as their basis the system where the pursuit of profits are the main concern of society. Our concern is for the people.

This is why we say people before profits.

We are hopeful you will support us and give our candidates your vote in the forthcoming Federal election.


VOTE 1 for a People’s Alternative!
VOTE 1 for the CPA’s NSW Senate Team and put People before profits!


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Vote 1 for the
Communist Party of Australia’s
NSW Senate Team


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For a people’s alternative...


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Warren Smith -
Warren is a waterside worker in Sydney and an MUA activist within the Maritime Industry. He is the Secretary of the White Bay/Glebe Is. Union Committee and a member of the MUA Central NSW Branch Committee.

Geoff Lawler -

Geoff is a trade union official from Wagga. He is the Secretary of the Wagga Trades and Labour Council. He is also the Riverina organiser of the LHMU. He is also the amateur boxing coach of the Wagga Police and Community Youth Club.

Dora Anthony -

Dora is a post graduate student activist from Sydney. She is the director of student publications of the Post Graduate Students Representative Association and the President of the Sydney University Marxist Club.

The CPA’s name will not appear on the ballot paper due to the undemocratic nature of Australia’s electoral laws.


Look for the names and VOTE 1 above the line!