Election manifesto: For people and planet before profit
The twin crises of COVID-19 and climate breakdown expose an Australian government prioritising the interests of billionaires over the lives of people and our planet.
Repeated government calls for the market to fix the ravages of COVID-19 and climate destruction have failed. COVID-19 has hit working people and poor nations hardest, as capitalism creates vaccine apartheid and ignores climate disaster.
Since 1975, more than $4 trillion has been stolen from Australian workers’ pockets and transferred to corporate profits. That wealth could expand public healthcare, properly fund aged and disability care, reverse climate change and increase wages.
There must be a political U-turn if we are to have climate justice and job-secure futures.
This is what Socialist Alliance stands for.
We work to empower people, putting communities and pro-people alliances first, while opposing rich and powerful vested interests.
For People
The U-turn could begin with a pandemic response that puts community solidarity and the common good ahead of corporate profit. Australia can afford decent incomes for all, free public services and quality, ecologically sustainable, public housing.
All funded by a massive increase in taxation of billionaires and the super-rich and reversals of corporate tax cuts.
Instead, the corporate sector grows richer from our hard work, while workers, women, First Nations, refugees, immigrants and low-income earners face systemic disadvantage from racism, sexism and ‘me first’ politics.
We also need justice, jobs and fundamental redress for the ravages of land theft, massacres and ongoing genocide against First Nations people.
For Planet
Climate change frames our existence on the planet and is an emergency.
Government must commit to rapidly cutting greenhouse gas emissions by shifting to 100% renewable energy and phasing out fossil fuel use, mining and exports.
This shift should be carried out within 5-10 years via public investment and emission reduction targets with power industries and the banks placed under public ownership and democratic control to enable the processes.
All new coal or gas projects, including Adani, Beetaloo and others, must stop, with fracking and unconventional gas mining banned.
Workers currently in fossil fuel industries must be guaranteed better jobs, paid from the subsidies currently keeping these industries afloat.
Australia’s dangerous and expensive US led war drive against China (including nuclear submarines and military expansion) takes us in the wrong direction and must end.
For an Alternative
New pro-people, pro-environment political voices like ours can use parliament to push for people and planet before profit.
Socialist Alliance candidates, if elected, promise to live on an average worker's weekly wage and donate the rest of their salary to the movement for change.
Vote 1 Socialist Alliance and support our campaign national_office@socialist-alliance.org.
Visit the Socialist Alliance policy platform
[We recommend preferences to socialist and Greens candidates ahead of the ALP, ALP before the Coalition parties and far right parties last.]
