Kuku Yalanji woman聽 for Socialist Alliance聽in Far North Queensland was launched at an online event 鈥斅犫淕et Inspired鈥 鈥斅爋n February 13.
Socialist Alliance national co-convenor Sam Wainwright told the meeting that聽socialists spend聽a lot of time fighting 鈥渁gainst鈥 bad laws, but that election campaigns are an opportunity to explain what we鈥檙e fighting for. He argued that bringing 鈥渋mportant, strategic, monopolised sectors of the economy鈥 under democratic public ownership would help achieve wealth redistribution, climate justice and democratic reforms.
Queensland Senate candidate Renee Lees commended O鈥橲hane for her lifelong fight for justice. 鈥淭his election is a chance to raise a message about reorienting our economic systems and re-energising social movements,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his is all bold stuff but I think we all know, in our quieter moments, that this is the minimum we need if we are to withstand the climate crisis, growing inequality and the next rolling pandemic.鈥
Cairns local councillor Rob Pyne said if O鈥橲hane was elected 鈥渟he would vote, in Canberra, according to the values that we hold鈥 and that she would maintain the 鈥渃ourage of her convictions to stand up and be counted because she鈥檚 done that all her life鈥.
鈥淲e have to challenge the status quo,鈥 O鈥橲hane said, adding that she would be 鈥渦nrelenting鈥 in taking up climate action and is聽committed to 鈥渏ustice and equity鈥. She criticised Warren Entsch MP for not speaking out against the federal government鈥檚聽Religious Discrimination Bill.
She said that the climate justice campaign has already won significant ground, and referred to a recent poll showing聽most opposed more exploitation of gas and oil. In Queensland, the big fight is about state Labor鈥檚 support for Adani. 鈥淚t takes money from Adani and it聽gives聽money to Adani.鈥 The policies of other state Labor governments, including support for oil and gas, destruction of Indigenous heritage and incarceration of First Nations people, amounted to 鈥渇ailure鈥.
O鈥橲hane is committed to ensuring people have jobs with wages they can live on 鈥渋nstead of seeing their hard labour going for naught, as people like Morrison hands out millions of dollars to Harvey Norman鈥.
The launch was followed by a well-attended workshop for campaign supporters to plan the next steps.
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