Socialist Action, known until October 2019 as the Socialist Party, was a Trotskyist political party in Australia. It published a monthly magazine called The Socialist which contained a socialist perspective on news and current issues."" Socialist Party. Accessed: 25 August 2016.
History The Socialist Party (Australia) traced its origins to the British Trotyskyist Militant group (now Socialist Party (England and Wales)) which organized within the UK Labour Party. It began in 1985 as a small faction within the Australian Labor Party (ALP), when members who had lived in Britain and become members of British Militant returned to Australia to help build an Australian section of the organisation.Peter Taaffe, "History of the CWI" (book; accessed online 28 February 2012)"About The Socialist Party", website, accessed online 24 December 2018)
The group was originally known as Militant. At that time the ALP was seen by Militant as having "maintained its internal democracy and its active working class membership base", and so they participated politically within that party.Steve Jolly, 2006, "The Case For A New Workers Party", accessed online 24 November 2018) They organised primarily within the New South Wales trade union movement and Young Labor (the youth wing of the ALP). At one point, Militant had control of three Young Labor branches.
During the early 1990s when the ALP and most social democratic parties internationally moved to the right, and after other Marxist groups (including their sister party British Militant) were expelled by Labour parties overseas, Militant left the ALP. They wrote that by that stage it had "played a key role in the introduction of neo-liberal policies and no longer has democratic structures that ensure workers interests are represented".Steve Jolly, 2006, "The Case For A New Workers Party", accessed online 28 February 2012)
After leaving the ALP, the group became known as the Militant Socialist Organisation before becoming the Socialist Party in line with its counterpart in the UK (in 1996 the unrelated group that used to be called the "Socialist Party of Australia" from 1971 changed its name). The name of the organisation's monthly newspaper was changed from The Voice to The Socialist. In May 2012, the eight-page broadsheet format was changed to a longer magazine format.
From 2011 to 2016, SP had two branches in Victoria: city and northern. It reverted to a single branch in March 2016. SP argued for revolutionary socialist politics, while also participating in election campaigns - federal, state and local council. Stephen Jolly was elected to City of Yarra council in 2004. Anthony Main became SP's second councilor in January 2011, filling a vacancy created by the election of Jane Garrett to the seat of Brunswick. It argued for the establishment of a new 'mass worker's party' to replace the ALP, based on trade unionism, community participation and a democratic membership.
Sexual abuse scandals
On 22 February 2016, 10 members of the SP, including City of Yarra Councillor Stephen Jolly, announced their resignation from the group, claiming that the group was "torn apart by attacks on a woman comrade for coming forward with serious allegations of abuse". They eventually formed a separate group, The Socialists. The Socialist Party denied any cover-up.
In October 2019, the Socialist Party renamed itself Socialist Action. In 2020, new allegations of rape appeared against the same member accused in 2016. In 2021, their international organisation, International Socialist Alternative (ISA), objected to an alleged 18-month long pattern of harassment of his alleged victim and their supporters within the party. ISA also objected to a financial payment of $32,000 AUD from Socialist Action to the man accused after he resigned working for the party. In response, Socialist Action formally split from ISA. They announced a plan to collaborate with Taiwanese group International Socialist Forward. Their website is no longer active and they have no phone or office address. Those members who opposed Socialist Action's stance on sexual assault remained members of the ISA and founded a new section of ISA in Australia in April 2021.
Campaigns The Socialist Party was involved in a range of campaigns. In 1993, members of Militant were heavily involved in a year-long occupation of Richmond Secondary College"The Police, the Parliament, the Premier, the Chief Commissioner, and the Police Association: Developments in Victoria" H.R. Nicholls Society. Accessed: 1 November 2009. in an attempt to prevent the school from being closed. This campaign was partially successful, as the schoolgrounds have been maintained as Melbourne Girls College. Militant played a prominent role in campaigns against right-leaning state governments in Victoria and New South Wales during this period.
Socialist Party helped to initiate the Community Campaign for Heroin Reform, and continues to campaign for the establishment of safe injecting facilities."Capitalism and drug reform", The Socialist, 7 April 2016. (accessed 24 December 2018)
It was also involved in the campaign for the rights of refugees, including participation in the Woomera Detention Centre protests,"Refugees, racism and capitalism in Australia", The Socialist, 30 April 2008. Accessed: 24 December 2018. and was involved in the anti-globalisation and anti-war movements."APEC protest groups: your guide to their non-violence" Crikey. 6 September 2007. Accessed: 1 November 2009. Along with a range of other left groups, they also had a presence at the Occupy Melbourne protests. Members often participate in larger protests, including events such as Melbourne's annual St Kilda Gay Pride March and May Day rallies. SP has played a role helping to organise left-wing and youth movements against far-right organisations, including the One Nation political party. In Perth, the party has helped to launch the West Australians Against Racism campaign (WAAR)."Anti-racist campaign launched in Perth" The Socialist, June 2012
In 2003 SP initiated a campaign for young casual workers' rights called Unite, which subsequently became established as Unite Union.Unite Union, website. Accessed: 24 December 2018. In 2012 they initiated a broad campaign over cost-of-living issues in Australia, known as "Fightback!"."Stand up - fightback! against cost of living increases" The Socialist. May 2012.Fightback! campaign website Accessed: 28 October 2012 The campaign has focused on issues such as free public transport, opposition to TAFE funding cuts, and opposition to cuts on university campuses."Fightback! campaigns to defend public education" The Socialist. August 2012.
After 2004 they played a prominent role in local council politics in the Yarra area of Melbourne (see below). SP encouraged the formation of resident's organisations on housing estates. From 2011 to 2013, they initiated a campaign with public housing tenants to oppose the sale of land allocated for public housing in Yarra."Campaign to defend public housing begins to take shape" The Socialist. 28 February 2013. accessed online 24 December 2018
On Christmas Eve 2012, the Victorian State Government announced plans to privatise parts of the public housing developments in Fitzroy, Richmond and Prahran, aiming to provide an equal mix of public and private housing by building private developments on parkland used by public housing residents."Threat to open space canned" Melbourne Leader 31 December 2012. Accessed online 7 April 2013 The SP initiated the "Hands Off Melbourne's Estates" (HOME) campaign with public housing residents, organising a rally on 24 March 2013 and meeting with the Trades Hall Building Industry Group to secure union support for the campaign. Shortly before the rally, the State Government announced its intention to back down from development on the Fitzroy and Richmond estates, where the campaign was most organised."Public housing supporters cheer land sale backdown" Melbourne Times Weekly 26 March 2013. Access online 7 April 2013"State backs away from contentious housing plan" The Age 23 March 2013. Accessed online 7 April 2013 They have yet to back down on plans for the Petty Horace estate in Prahran."Prahran estate campaign to spread across town" Melbourne Times Weekly 28 March 2013. Accessed online 7 April 2013
The Socialist Party has a history of involvement in the opposition to the East-West Tunnel, a proposed infrastructure project in Melbourne's north that involves building a road tunnel ostensibly to ease congestion. The project has come under substantial criticism from many sources since its inception,Victorian public has strong doubts about East–west link The Age 28 November 2013Doubts over planning strategy after key advisors quit The Age 12 December 2013Does this freeway make any sense? The Urbanist, Crikey 27 March 2013 and the government has been slow in releasing information on the full nature of the project. The Socialist Party holds the position that the tunnel "is not about making the lives of ordinary people easier" but is "about serving the needs of the big transport companies",Victoria: Say ‘NO’ to the east–west tunnel! The Socialist October 2008The looming battle over roads Editorial from The Socialist November 2013 and they contend that it will not substantially ease traffic congestion, but will divert funds from public transport as well as causing damage to the areas through which the tunnel will be built. They instead support the expansion and improvement of public transport to improve service to Melbourne's outer suburbs and to reduce congestion.
In early 2013 the Socialist Party initiated a pledge campaign"The Tunnel Picket: How we brought down the Victorian government", The Socialist, December 2014 to canvass support for community action against the construction of the tunnel, and a series of pickets were initiated in the Yarra area and Melbourne's CBD."Community pickets disrupt east–west tunnel project", The Socialist, September 2013 These were aimed at delaying and preventing test drilling for the tunnel project and at picketing the offices of Leighton Holdings subsidiaries John Holland (one of the reported contenders for the tunnel construction contract) and the Victorian Government's Linking Melbourne Authority (LMA). This led to the LMA abandoning work on the final drill sites in October 2013, only to make another series of attempts from 16 December. Further community pickets successfully blocked work on the drill sites in subsequent days and the drilling was abandoned a second time. In March 2014, test drilling was restarted and abandoned a third time, leaving nine planned drill holes yet to be completed, four months behind the initial intended deadline. The picket campaign has received substantial media attention in Melbourne,East West Link leader exposed as serial pest protester Herald-Sun 8 October 2013Front-page headline: Make Them Pay Herald-Sun 19 December 2013 with media outlets accused of demonising and misrepresenting the protestors.East–west link activists brush off selfish rabble-rouser label The Age 20 December 2013How the Herald-Sun Editors Re-write History Photo album accessed online 2/1/2014
Pressure from the tunnel's opposition led to the ALP publicly reversing their position on the tunnel project ahead of the 2014 state elections,Labor won't support East-West Tunnel The Age 30 July 2013 and the opposition to the tunnel was credited as a key factor in the November 2014 electoral defeat of the incumbent Liberal state government.The Tunnel Picket: How we brought down the Victorian Liberal government The Socialist 5 December 2014Victoria's Swing To The Left: Eltham's Analysis Of Saturday's Result New Matilda 30 November 2014