The Victorian Socialists鈥 campaign to get Stephen Jolly elected to the Victorian Legislative Council ramped up on June 17, as nearly 100 people blitzed the Richmond electoral district in the party鈥檚 first major doorknock of its campaign.
Activists, including candidates Jolly, Socialist Alliance鈥檚 Sue Bolton and Socialist Alternative鈥檚 Colleen Bolger, braved the rain, wind and frigid temperatures to knock on more than 2000 doors. The response received was mostly warm and positive.
Clearing its first major hurdle in emphatic fashion, the Victorian Socialists gained registration as a political party in Victoria for the November 28 state election.
For a party to be registered in Victoria, a minimum of 500 people must confirm with the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) that they are members of that party.
In an email sent out to party supporters, Victorian Socialists secretary Corey Oakley thanked the members who returned their letters to the VEC confirming their membership. The VEC confirmed the party鈥檚 successful registration on June 6.
A public housing rally on May 26 attracted about 200 people to the Walker Street estate in Northcote, one of the many estates threatened with a 鈥渞enewal鈥 program that will lead to much of the land being privatised with no certainty of return for current residents.
The formation of Victorian Socialists is continuing to generate excitement among聽progressives in Victoria, with about 600 people attending the election campaign launch in Collingwood on May 12.
Organisers anticipated about 300 people would attend, but the venue聽was soon filled to capacity and about 200 people were relocated to the building鈥檚 basement. The three candidates and other speakers had to give their speeches twice!
The November Victorian state election is fast approaching and candidates are being preselected by all of the main parties.
However, it is the formation of the Victorian Socialists, which consists of City of Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly, City of Moreland councillor Sue Bolton and lawyer Colleen Bolger 鈥 an unlikely alliance of the Socialist Alliance and Socialist Alternative 鈥 to contest the Northern Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Legislative Council that has aroused some serious attention from the left.聽
The Victorian Socialists released this statement on the Batman byelection on March 18.
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The Labor Party has managed to retain the seat of Batman, by offering a progressive and competent candidate in Ged Kearney, after years of imposing the right-wing powerbroker David Feeney on the electorate, as part of factional deals.
鈥淪o, how come the left is so divided?鈥, we get asked routinely. After a conversation in which we try to put 150 years of struggle into its historical context, they inevitably respond with: 鈥淵es, but don鈥檛 you think you鈥檇 be able to fight the right better if you were bigger and stronger?鈥
The answer is yes!
A coalition of socialists announced on February 5 that they are forming the to field a ticket to contest the Northern Metropolitan Legislative Council seat in the November state election.
Our political system is broken. The Liberals rule for their corporate mates. Labor is little better, tailing the political right and selling out its working class supporters to big money and developers.
It鈥檚 time for a genuine left alternative.
In the November 2018 state election, left wingers are uniting as the Victorian Socialists to get Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly elected to the upper house for the Northern Metropolitan Region.
We are for the poor against the rich, for workers against their bosses, for the powerless against the powerful.
September 5 was a big day for Victoria鈥檚 extreme Right.
In the morning, three fascists, United Patriots Front leader Blair Cottrell, the Party for Freedom鈥檚 Neil Erikson and supporter Christopher Shortis, were all found guilty of inciting serious contempt of Muslims.
In the evening, nine protesters from Party of Freedom, armed with megaphones and clutching signs reading "Love it or leave it", stormed the Yarra Council meeting to oppose its decision to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day and to cease holding any citizenship ceremonies on that day.
Those who believe empowered communities are the best defence to politics-as-usual are celebrating the re-election of two hard-working socialist councillors 鈥 Sue Bolton and Stephen Jolly 鈥 in Victoria鈥檚 local council elections held on October 22.
Stephen Jolly has been a socialist councillor on Yarra City Council since 2004. In the October 22 election he is standing as part of a team of seven socialist activists across all three wards in Yarra.