Socialist Alliance policy platform

Introduction

[The 19th Socialist Alliance National Conference on January 12 updated this policy platform]

Socialist Alliance exists to campaign for the ecosocialist changes our society desperately needs.

Capitalism is manifestly unable to resolve the impending climate catastrophe, arguably the most pressing challenge for humanity.

Equally, capitalism has no answer to the rampant inequality crisis that gets worse every year. In large parts of the world it cannot meet peoples’ basic needs for shelter and livelihoods. In wealthy countries, including Australia, more and more people struggle with the cost of living.

Solutions exist. Working people can achieve them.

Working people can create a democratic socialist society focused on meeting the needs of people and the planet. But they need to take power into their hands, away from the billionaire class and the corporations and governments they control.

This is a revolutionary approach involving the whole community in the transformation of society and the economy.

Purpose

This platform guides the work of Socialist Alliance members, in campaigns and when elected to public positions.

Capitalist Australia is founded on colonial theft, genocide and dispossession of First Nations people. We seek to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to rectify these injustices and realise meaningful sovereignty for First Nations people.

We place great value on working with communities, trade unions and social movements.

Popular mobilisation is the key driver of progressive social change. Direct involvement in struggle changes peoples’ ideas about what is possible and it creates, expands and strengthens the grassroots organisations that can make change a reality.

Thus, we believe it is important to work with others to achieve even partial realisation of the goals and policies outlined in this platform. In such struggles, to make life better now, we also seek to build working class and community power capable of achieving more far-reaching change.

Our goal is a radical democracy. Together, all who are now exploited, oppressed, and excluded from power will start to shape the direction society takes.

This policy platform is intended to be read alongside the Socialist Alliance program: Towards A Socialist Australia.

First Nations rights

Negotiate treaties to respect First Nations sovereignty and land rights
First Nations control of First Nations’ affairs
End the disproportionate separation of First Nations children from their families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community control of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child welfare
No closure of remote First Nations communities
No more “interventions” in First Nations communities.
Abolish racist welfare quarantining and compulsory income management
Ensure self-determination for all First Nations people in the practice and development of their cultures
Increase funding and ensure community control for First Nations health, legal and other community and advocacy services
Paid leave for First Nations workers to attend to cultural commitments
Close the gap in First Nations health, education, employment and housing
Implement all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Fund language and culture programs and bilingual education in schools

Democracy, not corporate dictatorship

Support an elected constitutional convention to create a new, genuinely democratic constitution covering legislative and executive government
Support public funding and resources for popular participation in democratic movements and campaigns for action, including citizen-initiated referenda, on all issues of significant public concern
Right to vote at 16
Put politicians and politically appointed officials on an average worker’s wage
All government positions subject to recall elections if 10% of electors petition for it
Proportional representation at all government levels
Election campaigns for all candidates publicly funded to a fixed amount
Create a Federal Independent Commission Against Corruption with power to hold public inquiries and investigate politicians, senior public servants and corporate executives
Prevent former ministers and senior public servants from serving on corporate boards or lobbying positions
For a genuine separation of church and state (e.g. end prayers in parliament and religious instruction in state schools)
Ban the use of private consultants in all government agencies, enterprises, and institutions

Defend civil liberties and civil rights

Adopt a Bill of Rights that includes guarantees for freedom: of movement and to seek asylum; for thoughts, conscience, religion and speech; for assembly, association and popular action; for popular sovereignty; to work and have leisure; for health care, housing, education, cultural participation and other social supports; for dignity and well-being
End the racist targeting of Muslims
Defend and extend anti-discrimination laws
Override laws that deny or diminish bail rights
Scrap ‘anti-terror’ laws
Abolish anti-protest laws
Establish the right and freedom for employees to express their opinion about their employer
Abolish ASIO and all spy agencies
Repeal data retention laws
Put the police under community control
Support the right for people to choose voluntary assisted dying
Decriminalise assisting a person to carry out their free and informed choice to end their life

Solidarity and international aid, not war and occupation

Solidarity with all popular struggles for socialism, self-determination and decolonisation; foreign policy to support global justice, human rights and climate action
Solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle; isolate apartheid Israel with boycott, divestment and sanctions; end all military and sporting ties with Israel
Reject war and imperialist aggression against China while also expressing solidarity with labour and democratic rights campaigns and victims of human rights abuses including Uyghurs, Tibetans and other ethnic minorities
No participation or support for imperialist interventions; bring back all military forces abroad; end Australia’s interference in the affairs of countries in the Asia Pacific, including impositions on their sovereignty and freedom in international relations
Launch an official investigation into Australia’s involvement in illegal wars and prosecute war crimes committed by political leaders as well as Australian troops
End ANZUS and close all US military bases in Australia; withdraw from AUKUS; opposition to nuclear submarines
Cut military spending by at least 50% and massively increase development and climate change aid to poor countries; reverse the cuts to Australia's overseas aid programs
Solidarity with the Kurdish liberation struggle, especially the struggle to defend the liberated zone in northern Syria; remove the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from the Australian government terrorism list
Pay reparations to Iraq and Afghanistan for the illegal invasions and occupations; end sanctions and blockades unless called for by progressive movements with mass support

Trade

Withdraw from all trade agreements that allow corporations to sue governments
Conduct an audit of all existing trade agreements so as to withdraw from such agreements that undermine labour rights, environmental measures, cultural expression, consumer protections and human rights

Workers’ rights

Scrap all anti-union laws
Recognise workers’ right to strike and organise in law, including solidarity actions
Increase the minimum wage to at least $25/hour
Restore penalty rates
Make wage theft a crime
Recognise the right to secure work for all – reverse casualisation
Full industrial, residency and citizenship rights for all migrant workers
Expand apprenticeship programs
Establish national industrial manslaughter laws
Allow workers to retire on the pension at age 55 if they so choose; assist people who wish to continue in paid employment to do so, including retraining for less arduous jobs or changing work processes where necessary
Full decriminalisation of sex work and the sex industry; oppose criminalisation of clients of sex workers (the "Nordic model")
Retool Australia’s manufacturing sector for the production of renewable technologies, vaccines, public transport and other socially useful projects
Immediate public investment to create jobs in providing better public housing, schools, hospitals and health facilities
Create jobs by introducing a 30 hour work week, with no loss of pay

Work for Human need, not profit

Expand apprenticeship programs
Establish national industrial manslaughter laws
Expand domestic violence, bereavement, and injury leave
Allow workers to retire on the pension at age 55 if they so choose; assist people who wish to continue in paid employment to do so, including retraining for less arduous jobs or changing work processes where necessary
Retool Australia’s manufacturing sector for the production of renewable technologies, vaccines, public transport and other socially useful projects
Immediate public investment to create jobs in providing better public housing, education, transport and healthcare, including hospitals or other health facilities
Create jobs by introducing a 30 hour work week with no loss of pay

Public ownership to serve the public good

Put all publicly owned companies and services under community and workers’ control; democratise TAFE and universities under staff and student control, including curriculum
Nationalise the mines, banks and energy companies and other critical infrastructure
End the billions in public subsidies to mining corporations, banks and energy companies
Oppose and reverse the privatisation of public assets and services
Return Commonwealth Serum Laboratories to public ownership
Reverse the privatisation of and cuts to public transport services
End privatisation of water and water infrastructure (dams, water pipelines, pumping stations); restore those already privatised to public ownership
Massive increase in funding for the ABC and SBS with democratisation of their boards
Reject privatisation of public broadcasters; stop corporate advertising on SBS
Support a publicly owned NBN with fibre to the premises
Bring telecommunication companies back into public ownership
Reject privatisation of Australia Post
Government assistance for the formation and maintenance of worker cooperatives

Rural and regional

Assistance to struggling farmers, including for regenerative farming and farming cooperatives
Restoration and rebuilding of transport links
Just transition from fossil fuels to sustainable jobs
Housing, education and employment assistance in regional areas
Increase access to health services in rural areas
Remove water subsidies to industries and mining companies that are contaminating water resources and clearing forests

Real Climate Action

Use the public ownership and democratic control of power industries to plan a shift to 100% renewable energy within 5-10 years through public investment and emission reduction targets
End all fossil fuel subsidies
Phase out fossil fuels; no new coal or gas projects, including Adani; ban fracking and unconventional gas mining
Guaranteed jobs with no loss in pay for workers in fossil fuel industries
Asylum for climate refugees and those displaced by climate change
Ban the logging of old-growth forests and carry out an urgent program of reforestation, regenerative farming and biodiversity protection
Employ Indigenous rangers to lead the urgent program of reforestation, cultural burning, biodiversity protection and regenerative farming projects
Enforce the rehabilitation of mine sites by companies
Institute a national heat health strategy
No nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, uranium mining and radioactive waste dumps

Water

No trading of water “rights” for speculative purposes
End the free access of the mining industry to water in artesian basins, catchments and rivers
Develop a national water conservation plan
Stop land clearing and logging in important water catchments to preserve water quality
Phase out water-intensive monoculture crops in climatic regions which remain unsustainable
Restore adequate river flows, including scientifically based flow targets for all river systems

Animal Welfare

Establish a national framework for the protection of animal welfare to monitor and enforce existing laws that criminalise cruelty against all animals and regulate conditions for the captivity, transport and slaughter of animals
End live animal exports
Abolish the cruel and inhumane use of animals for sport, recreation or entertainment
End the inhumane intensive factory farming of animals
Implement alternatives to culling and netting of sharks
Restrict experimentation on animals except where there is a clear need and where no current alternative methods are possible;
Support comprehensive and enforceable standards for free-range farming practices for all animals
Establish a national labelling system for foods and other products identifying cruelty free, organic or free range products, based on the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce, or better
Ban whale slaughter and lethal research on whales
Ban trophy hunting of all animals, including Australian native water birds

Housing for all

Adopt a Housing First model via a large scale, quality, public housing building program, to tackle homelessness and the housing affordability crisis
Target housing provision for at risk youth, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities and women and children leaving family violence
Nationalise and renovate all substandard landlord holdings; repair and decarbonise public housing
Adopt a 'Use It or Lose It' policy to purchase unused dwellings for public ownership
No ‘privatisation by stealth’ via conversion of public housing into social housing
Establish a publicly owned body to provide low interest home loans on a broad scale for owner/occupiers
Phase in a return to full Capital Gains Tax
Remove all negative gearing tax breaks on investment properties
Cap private rents at current levels for ten years; public and social housing rents to be no more than 20% of a renter’s income
Establish a bill of rights for renters, including rights to long term leases, pets and guarantees against unfair eviction with a ban on ‘no grounds’ evictions
Expand emergency accommodation services and reduce the systemic trauma experienced by those moving through the emergency accommodation system
Provision of permanent and stable housing for homeless people without conditions and in the area they desire with genuine wrap around services

Social Rights

A guaranteed livable and dignified income for all
Abolish the Job Network and reestablish a Commonwealth Employment Service with a service provision (instead of punitive) focus
Scrap “Work for the Dole” schemes and all “mutual obligation” schemes
No compulsory income management and other forms of welfare quarantining
Lift all welfare payments above the poverty line and index them to maintain real value
Restore the universal right to the aged pension
Provide free, 24 hour childcare funded by a levy on business

Free healthcare for all

Significantly increase the capacity of the health system; including increased funding and staffing levels
Restore free, universal health care; end back door co-payments
Boost funding for preventative care and chronic disease management
Free dental care
End subsidies to private health insurers
Expand community based health care networks, reproductive and sexual health clinics
Boost funding to public mental health services
Provide safe injecting facilities and pill testing
Free long term trauma therapy, medical treatment and support services for victims/survivors of sexual abuse
Legalise marijuana, decriminalise other recreational drugs and treat addiction as a health issue
Health care for all regardless of visa status

Public health and pandemics

Prioritise information campaigns and education over punitive measures to promote public health measures
Fully fund comprehensive testing, treatment and vaccination capacity
Establish a permanent fund to provide leave payments for all those who need it when following public health requirements, regardless of employment or visa status
Lock in a job guarantee program to ensure all workers – including full time, part time, casual, sole trader, self employed, visa workers and any worker who is stood down - to maintain their ordinary time wage when public health requirements restrict the ability to work
Ban sackings and evictions if lockdowns prove necessary
Government programs run jointly with workplace health and safety reps to ensure essential workplaces and schools are safe in response to public health issues
No watering down of WHS/OHS laws to facilitate workers returning to work
Use appropriate testing and/or quarantine measures in response to public health requirements to ensure the safety of those allowed into or travelling around Australia
End global inequalities in testing, treatment and vaccination for epidemics and pandemics; lift patents on medicines and vaccines and promote use and production of patent free medicines and vaccines; increase free medicine and vaccine distribution and assistance to produce medicines and vaccines in the Global South

Aged care

Boost funding to community based aged care services
Provide guaranteed free aged care assistance in the home for those who want it
Nationalise the residential aged care sector under community control; reverse recent government cuts and implement all the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission
Legislate for aged care staffing ratios

National Disability Insurance Scheme

Democratise governance of all disability funding support bodies, including the NDIS; fundamentally reorganise the NDIS with governance provided by a board where people with disability are the majority
Make NDIS fully transparent and accountable; people with disability and their organisations must be the central decision makers in shaping the design, implementation and monitoring
Expand disability services; reverse cuts to the NDIS and provide access to all who need it
NDIS eligibility must meet the needs and reflect the interests of all those with disability, and be inclusive, regardless of type, severity and episodic nature, age, visa status and how disability was acquired; psycho-social disability must be included; no application of medical models to disability; access to the system should not be means tested
Assessment of requirements for services, support, equipment and aids must be guided by a self assessment of the person with disability as the expert of their personal and life situation
Ensure NDIS is an equitable system across all states and territories, and across urban, regional and rural areas; where relevant services are not readily available (e.g. culturally specific or a service located in a remote or regional area) government must ensure that these services and supports are provided
Ensure all workers providing support and other services funded by government receive, as a minimum, the same wages and conditions as those currently working within the state public sector
Oppose any attempt to categorise workers in the disability services sector from being in a “private and domestic” relationship with the person/people they support
Private for profit organisations should not receive public funding
Make all infrastructure whether housing, public and commercial buildings, transport, education, employment, recreation and culture, fully accessible

Women's rights

Eliminate the gender pay gap; support equal pay for all
Create publicly funded abortion and contraception services available to all who need them and ensure safe access zones across the country
Oppose foetal personhood laws as they are an attack on abortion rights
Restore and expand funding to women's refuges and community anti violence programs and provide evidence based consent education in schools
Guarantee employer funded, paid parental leave with maintenance of seniority
Increase funding to feminist advocacy services
Paid domestic violence and sexual assault leave for as long as needed

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer Rights

Make all discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people illegal; no support for religious exemptions
Full rights for trans and intersex people including easy change of identity documents
Full, publicly funded medical services for gender transition
Fully funded school programs for non judgemental sex education and anti violence campaigns
Full adoption rights for LGBTIQ+ people
Paid affirmation/transition leave for gender affirmation/transition steps and procedures

Youth Rights

Boost funding to youth services
Expand youth housing programs
Raise Austudy, Abstudy and Youth Allowance to a living wage

Migrant and asylum seeker rights

Full residency and citizenship rights for all migrant workers
Reaffirm Australia's commitment to the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees and honour our other UNHCR international treaty obligations
Restore all Australian territories to the migration zone
Cease discrimination towards people seeking asylum who arrive by boat without a visa (UMAs)
End boat turn backs and the policy of mandatory detention
Close offshore and onshore detention centres; replace with welcoming transit centres to process arrivals, issue IDs, bridging visas, medical checks, organise support and short term accommodation
Interim bridging visas, not so called Temporary Protection Visas, that enable people seeking asylum to live in the community while their claims are being assessed and to include Medicare, work rights, free education and access to social services such as housing and government payments
End security vetoes and deportations of refugees
Grant permanent protection to all refugees and their partners or children, including those remaining in PNG, and pay them reparations for their detention and delayed settlement
Offer permanent protection visas and reparation payments to all refugees and asylum seekers remaining in PNG and Nauru and those brought to Australia under Medevac laws; expedite remaining US placements and accept NZ’s offer where refugees prefer this
Enable and expedite family reunion visas
Increase and make ongoing the offshore humanitarian intake; provide additional intakes for the refugees in Indonesia and for Palestinian refugees from Israel’s genocidal war.
People displaced by the effects of climate change to be treated and given the same protection rights under Australian law as refugees.
Demilitarise and dismantle Australian Border Force, reassigning its functions to the Department of Immigration and a re-established Australian Custom Service

Education for all

Guarantee free public education at all levels (primary, secondary, tertiary and vocational)
Abolish all HECS debts
Reverse the funding cuts to public education
Expand the public education sector and massively increase funding to vocational education and TAFE
End public funding to private schools, tertiary institutions and training colleges

Public Transport in Public Hands

Make public transport comprehensive, frequent and free
Boost investment in suburban rail
Rebuild and electrify the rail freight rail system
Expand and renew regional and interstate passenger rail services, including a high speed network serving population centres in eastern and southern Australia and very fast intercity trains

Justice

Reimagine community protection; make police accountable to local communities and expand social support, mental health support and First Nations restorative and healing initiatives in place of punitive “law and order” approaches
Abolish imprisonment for non violent offences of poverty and non payment of fines
Decriminalise drugs and public drunkenness
Address family and domestic violence with expanded services and rights for survivors
Reinstate the Family Court and reform it so that victims of violence, women, children and LGBTIQ+ people’s rights are prioritised
Treat corporate tax evasion, industrial manslaughter and other corporate crimes including environmental vandalism as serious offences
End mandatory sentencing
Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 16 years
For prevention programs, community oriented rehabilitation schemes and alternatives to imprisonment
Fully fund legal aid and legal assistance services
Keep corrective services in public hands; reverse the privatisation of prisons

Arts, culture and media

Support the development of emerging, mid-level and established arts and culture organisations and workers through local projects and production of all forms of art and culture, with encouragement for those which reflect cultural, social and linguistic diversity
Guaranteed living incomes for arts and culture workers if this is their principal form of remuneration
Enforceable rights for arts and culture workers to decide how their creations are used.
Improve access to and participation in arts and culture in areas of social and economic disadvantage, rural and regional areas and for people with disabilities
Develop national, state, and regional archives, galleries, libraries, museums and other collecting institutions as custodians of our cultural heritage
Increase funding and availability of licences for community media
Support net neutrality, online privacy and a bill of digital rights
Shift to open source software use by government bodies

Tax the corporations and the rich - no GST

Scrap the GST
Have a steeply progressive tax system; raise the tax-free threshold to $56,000 and introduce a top tax marginal tax rate of 70% for incomes over $300,000
Stop “bracket creep”; index tax brackets including the tax free threshold for wages growth and inflation
Introduce a wealth tax on the super rich
An immediate rise in company tax to 49%; establish an additional super profits tax
Make big companies pay tax; remove tax loopholes; expand ATO compliance resources
End the tax exemptions of religious bodies
Abolish the Medicare levy to fully fund free universal healthcare and social support for people with disabilities out of general revenue