The wages share of national income has fallen to below 50% for the first time since 1959
Socialism
While Victorian Socialists showed great potential when it was formed in early 2018 and ran two big and exciting socialist election campaigns, it has not lived up to its promise to build a more united left.
The slogan “There’s no going back to normal” has gained considerable popularity for good reason. As governments all around the world have struggled to deal with the health and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been forced to take emergency steps they would not have countenanced just months ago, challenging the idea that greater public spending to address social needs is simply unaffordable.
This year May Day, takes place in the midst of the global COVID-19 crisis, which reminds the working class across the world that the fight for a just, safer and better world for all is impossible without the solidarity, organisation and mobilisation of the working people to demand for genuine social change.
The COVID-19 crisis has revealed (once again) how the profits-first capitalist system fails to look after the needs of ordinary people. Here are five lessons of the crisis.
If there is one thing the recent unprecedented bushfire emergency has proved to us in Australia — and to millions in countries who watched on in horror — is that the climate emergency is not just something to worry about in the future: this is the climate emergency and it is already catastrophic.
Big corporations fund Australia’s two “parties of government”. They received more than $430 million from corporate Australia in the year leading up to the May 2019 federal election. This is a record amount: $150 million more than the previous highest total.
Morrison has to go and, if the outrage at his callous ineptitude compels the cabinet to sack him, that would be a good thing.
Sam Watson, a giant of the Aboriginal rights struggle, died on November 27. A prominent author, playwright and filmmaker, Watson was also the Socialist Alliance’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs spokesperson for many years.
The challenge of making an ecosocialist revolution is huge — and there is no guarantee of victory. But there is no more noble goal in this time than to work with others to try to make it happen.
Socialist candidates are campaigning in the May 18 federal elections to put forward solutions to the growing wealth divide and looming environmental crisis.
Following on from its successful state election campaign last year, Victorian Socialists is standing three candidates in the forthcoming federal election.